Board game instructions

Game rules

Add together the value of the paintings you win and the number of tokens you collect during the game. The artworks are numbered from 1 to 11: this number is each painting’s value. Each painting has the same number of tokens as its assigned number.

1. Setup

Place the paintings numbered 1 to 11 in the centre of the table, where everyone can see them.

Put all the tokens in the bag. With 3–4 players, remove painting number 10 and its tokens.

Players sit around the table.

2. Player turns (BASIC GAME)

The player who most recently visited an art exhibition goes first. Play continues clockwise. On your turn:

Draw a token from the bag without looking and place it in front of you where everyone can see it.

Repeat this step until:

a) You draw a duplicate token (matching one you have already drawn during this turn). If this happens, return all the tokens collected during your turn to the bag.

b) You decide to end your turn before taking that risk. Arrange the tokens you collected in any order you choose, then stack them in front of you. If you already have tokens from previous turns, place the new stack on top of your existing stack without looking at the earlier tokens or changing their order.

Important: When you draw a token, if other players have a token from the same painting on top of their stacks, you may steal it and add it to your current turn. If there are more matching tokens immediately underneath it, you may steal those too. If you draw a Musician Cat token (number 11), which acts as a wild card, you may choose to steal the other players’ Musician Cat tokens or swap it for any token at the top of another player’s stack. Other players must not help the active player spot matching tokens.

Play then passes to the next player.

3. End of the game and scoring

The game ends when the bag is empty. Each player counts how many tokens they have for each painting. The player with the most tokens for a painting wins the original artwork from the centre of the table. If players tie, the painting goes to the player holding that painting’s token with the black cat silhouette, even if that player is not among those tied.

Scoring: Each token is worth one point, except the Twins tokens, which are worth two. Each painting you win is worth the number printed on it. Add your token and painting points together. The player with the highest total wins.

Special abilities (FULL GAME)

Some tokens have special abilities when you obtain them on your turn, whether you draw them from the bag or steal them.

Robin Tell (number 1): This token lets you act like Robin Hood, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Take the stack belonging to the player with the most tokens and distribute them to whoever you choose, placing them on top of their stacks. Players receiving tokens may not change their order.

The Banker (number 2): This token makes you return the top half of your stack to the bag. Tokens collected during the current turn are unaffected. If you have an odd number, round the number you return up.

The Cheater (number 2): If you draw the Cheater, you may draw one duplicate token during the same turn without having to return all your tokens to the bag.

The Angel (number 3):  When it is on top, it protects the entire stack from the special abilities of other tokens.

The Swimmer (number 4), the Writer (number 6) and the Fortune Teller (number 9). If you collect all three ladies during the same turn, you may take up to four tokens from other players. You may take them all from one player or from several collectors.

The Astronaut (number 5), the Bricklayer (number 7) and the Firefighter (number 10) have no special abilities.

The Twins (number 8): The Twins tokens have no special abilities either, but at the end of the game they are worth two points each instead of one.

The Musician Cats (number 11): As explained in the BASIC GAME, these are wild cards. When you draw one from the bag, you may swap it for any token at the top of another collector’s stack, except the Angel, or keep it. Following the usual rule, you may also take all the Musician Cat tokens on top of the other stacks.