BLUFFANEER

OBJECT OF BLUFFANEER: The object of Bluffaneer is to be the player with the most treasure at the end of the game.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3 to 6 players 

MATERIALS: 2 Bone Dice, 18 Cards, 1 Treasure Map, 50 Gold Coins

TYPE OF GAME: Strategic Card Game

AUDIENCE: 10+

OVERVIEW OF BLUFFANEER

Be the best pirate you can be. Steal other players booty but guard your own relentlessly. Be careful telling bluffs, another player might just call you out! 

When players become bluffaneers, the game takes a quick turn. How sure can you be that someone is lying? Can you catch onto people’s tells? Try this game and you will quickly learn!

SETUP

To begin setup, put the Treasure Map on the table in a position so that all players are able to see it well. Shuffle the cards and give one card to each player, face down. Leave the rest of the cards in a stack close by.

You can put the box to the side, and Gold Coins that have been discarded can be placed in it throughout the game. Each player is then given ten Gold Coins, and extra coins are put in the box. If the game has six players, each player will only receive eight coins.

GAMEPLAY

The player who has the best pirate impression will begin the game! All players will begin by looking at the icons on their Card, without showing it to the other players of course. During their turn, the player will roll the Bone Dice in the middle of the playing area. 

If the roller rolls a set, the same icon on both dice, the Treasure Map will prompt them to complete an action. If the roller does not roll doubles, there are two things that may happen. 

One, if the icons on the dice are the same as the icons on their card, they must show their card to all of the other players. Every player, minus the roller, must discard one Gold Coin into the box. Two, if the icons on the dice do not match the icons on their card, any of the other players may claim to have the match instead. The player announces “Gimme Yer Booty!” however, they still keep their card hidden.

If you think the player is being honest, and they actually have icons that match the dice, then give them one Gold Coin. The player will then show their card to all the players, and they keep the Gold Coin regardless. If you think the player is lying, yell “Bluffaneer!” and they have to reveal their card. If they were being honest, you owe them two Gold Coins. If they were lying, and you were right, they owe you one Gold Coin. 

After a player has revealed their card, for whatever reason, they may discard it and draw a new card. 

END OF GAME

Gameplay continues in this manner until a player runs out of Gold Coins. All the other players will then count their treasure, and the player with the most Coins wins! If there is a tie, flip a coin and call heads or tails before the coin lands.

Nakoa Davis
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