How to Play Smuggler’s Cove

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Here at Lucky Llama Games, we are pleased to share with you the rules for our very first game “Smuggler’s Cove”. It was designed carefully using plastic objects such as relics, parrot statues, rubies, diamonds, pistols, and swords as approximations for “cards”. It can be played with 2-4 players and contains 25 game pieces and 20 coins. Smuggler’s Cove is played over a series of rounds, with each round completed once all of the turns are completed. At our company we leverage technology and creativity to increase accessibility for players. Because we believe that when everyone can play, everyone can win!

Introduction

Setting Up

  • From this point, every player is required to maintain closed eyes until the shuffling and hand making is complete. 

  • Even though this game is about being a pirate, there is honour among these thieves. Don’t CHEAT!

  • With closed eyes, each player will shuffle and jostle the pieces by pushing them together in the middle of the table. Be careful not to knock any pieces off the table. If you do, stop immediately and find the missing piece(s)

  • After the pieces have been shuffled, the first player is the last person to have drank water

    • Not coffee, tea, soda, or juice

  • First player reaches into the treasure pile and grabs the first piece they touch. No fumbling around for the best piece!

  • Once they’ve grabbed their piece, first player places it in the provided bag and says NEXT

  • Rotating clockwise (to the left) of first player, the next player grabs the first piece they touch and places it in their bag and says NEXT

  • Once every player has 5 game pieces and 1 sword piece in their bag, you’re ready to begin the game. PLEASE CONFIRM YOU HAVE ALL THE PIECES YOU NEED BEFORE STARTING TO PLAY

  • You may now open your eyes

  • Open the bag containing 25 game pieces and 20 coins for keeping score and place them in the centre of the table

  • Separate the coins and game pieces into different piles

  • Find the sword pieces and distribute one to each player

  • Take one bag to hold your “hand” of treasure

  • Place your sword in the bag

  • You’re now ready to shuffle and fill your bag with treasure for the upcoming round

Shuffling and Filling Treasure Bags

  • The game is played over a series of rounds with players winning the round by having the highest value treasure in their possession at the end of the round

  • A round is played over 6 turns and is over once every player has emptied their treasure bag

  • A player wins a turn by playing the highest value treasure piece: see value of pieces below

    • Diamond: 1 point

    • Emerald: 2 points

    • Parrot: 3 points

    • Relic: 4 points

    • Sword: 5 points

    • Pistol: 6 points

  • To play a turn, each player will reach into their bag and choose one piece of treasure to put in the centre of the table

    • Hold onto this piece in your hand and hide it as best you can from the other players

  • Once everyone is ready, place your treasure piece in the centre of the table and verbally declare what you played

    • Don’t lie please!

  • The player with the highest value piece of treasure wins the round and takes the pieces to sit in a pile in front of them

  • After the winner of the turn has taken their “plunder”, each player chooses their next piece of treasure from their bag and hides it in their hand until everyone is ready to play

  • Continue until all pieces of treasure have left your bag (6 turns)

Playing the Game

  • Once everyone has played all 6 pieces, the round is over and the players calculate how many points their plunder is worth

  • The player with the highest valued pieces wins the round and takes one coin from the separate pile to keep track of their score

  • After winning the round, declare how many coins you now have so everyone can keep track of how close you are to winning

Ending the Round

  • The winner of the game is the player who acquires enough coins to reach the goal. Depending on the length of game you’re looking for we recommend the following

    • Shortest version: 1 coins to win it all (Estimated 5-15 minutes)

    • Recommended: 3 coins to wins (Estimated 15-25 minutes)

    • Long Version: 5 coins to win (Estimated 25-45 minutes)

Winning the Game

  • Gather up the 24 game pieces and 20 coins and put them in one treasure bag along with the rules and player bags.

Putting The Game Away

  • 5 cloth bags

  • 20 coins

  • 24 plastic treasure pieces (Description below)

    • 4 Diamonds

      • White, pointy on the bottom and ridges on the top

    • 4 Emeralds

      • Dark green with a defined edge and ridges on the corners

    • 4 Parrot Statues

      • Silver grey, flat platform base on the bottom with a textured bird on top

    • 4 Relics

      • Gold, very ridged on top, triangle shaped

    • 4 Swords

      • Longest piece with a hilt blade, largest piece, pointy on end

    • 4 Pistols

      • Brown with coloured accents, shaped like a gun

Components Included