Rulebook - Passport Game Studios

!!!!!
Black Mask Magazine Artwork provided by Keith Alan
Deutsh copyright 2012. Used by Permission.
The Plot Emerges From Dark Corners
The footsteps come faster now, the pursuer no longer
concerned about hiding his identity. Max picked up on his
tail several blocks ago and suspected the large man in the
dark coat and battered hat – pulled low to hide his face –
had trailed him from the apartment. Picking up speed, Max
nestles a package under his coat, lodging it between his
arm and chest, as he advances from a fast walk to a sprint.
Nothing good ever comes from being in this part of town, Max
thinks. And really bad things can happen when you are chased by
a man that looks like King Kong’s Biceps. Aware his pursuer is
gaining, Max ducks into a dark alley. He stumbles and almost
falls over a barrel, scattering trash along the thin walkway
between the buildings. Catching his balance and breathing
hard, Max advances into the darkness and runs into a rusty
ladder hitting his head. The fire escape! “Time to take the high
road,” he mumbles as he leaps onto the bottom rung and
pulls himself up, hoping the big guy cannot climb as fast as
he. Just as this thought crosses his mind, a meaty hand grabs
his ankle and jerks him back. The strength of the hand rips
his foot from the ladder, pulling him so hard that his chin
slams into the first landing, sending him tumbling backward
and, as luck would have it, onto his attacker. They tumble
to the wet pavement, the package falling from Max’s coat
to rest between him and the hulk of pure anger glaring at
him. Already on his feet, the large man’s eyes dart from the
fallen package to the .45 automatic that Max pulled from
his shoulder holster. “Now, this has been fun but all good
things must come to an end,” Max warns, rising to his feet,
rubbing blood off his chin with his left hand while motioning
for the hulk to back away from the package. The big man
lunges while pulling his own pistol. But he is not fast enough
to complete either move as a single shot from Max’s gun
echoes in the alley, and the big lug falls to the side gripping
his right shoulder as his gun hits the pavement with a clank.
Max quickly kicks the gun away and retrieves the package,
keeping his eyes on the big man. “Now, just stay where you
are until I am gone...and then I suggest you leave town,” Max
states matter of factly as he backs away. “After all, I know
your boss, and he will not be as understanding as I am about
what I know you know.” Max has figured out a few more
things about this case, but he wasn’t expecting the mob to be
involved. This case stank to high heaven and beyond ...
Ace Detective
2
Game Components
16 Crime
Cards
12 Suspect
Cards
24 Clue
Cards
Contents
Game Components.................. 2
Component Details...........3, 4, 5
Introduction.......................... 4
Detective Cards...................... 4
Suspect Cards........................ 4
Story Cards........................... 4
79 Story
Cards
25 Rating
Cards
30 Narration
Cards
Clue Cards............................ 5
Special Cards......................... 5
Story Rating Cards.................. 5
Crime Cards.......................... 6
Narration Cards................. 6,10
Plot Point Tokens.................... 6
First Player 60 Player Plot Point
Token / Die Clue Tokens Tokens
Die and First Player Token......... 6
Clue Tokens........................... 6
Clue Track............................ 6
Gameplay Mode..................... 7
Game Setup....................... 7, 8
Example of Four Player Game
Setup.............................. 9
Placing Random Clue Tokens.... 12
5 Detectives
RATING
CHART
Playing the Hardboiled
Detective Game.......... 10-13
Rating Chart........................13
Playing the Pulp Fiction
Tales Game.....................14
1940’s Slang Dicktionary...........15
Other Components
1 Rating Guide
1 Rulebook
1 Clue Track and
Track Token
Supporters...................... 16-18
The Art of Storytelling...............19
Quick Setup/First Turn...........20
3
Ace Detective
Introduction
Ace Detective is a storytelling game set in the noir detective world depicted in pulp novels and movies of
the 1940’s through the early 1960’s. In this game, players collectively weave together a story using one of the
included detectives as a protagonist. The game is not a mystery deductive game, but rather a storytelling game
in which players both create the story and strive to solve the crime by having the most clues tokens on the
guilty suspect. However, the heart of the game is the storytelling aspect, and when playing the Pulp Fiction
Tales, your desire to tell a good story will determine the Plot Tokens gained to purchase new cards.
Components Details
The following section provides pictures and details of the key components in the game.
Detective Cards:
At the start of play, one
Detective – selected
from this deck – will be
chosen to be the main
hero investigating the
mystery.
All players will together
advance the story of
this single Detective.
Each Detective contains
a special instruction that players may take
advantage of during play. On the back of this card
is personal information about the Detective that
may be used by the players to tell their story.
Suspect Cards:
In each game, there will be 4 Suspects used.
Clue Activity: Most
Suspects have Clue
Activity. Some are
ongoing and always
active, but most are
triggered when a player
places a Clue Token on
the Suspect.
Guilty Suspect: At
the end of the game,
the Suspect with the
most totaled (using the numbers on the face up
side) Clue Tokens on their card is guilty of the
crime (See Page 7 under Objectives).
Neither of the two people in the room paid attention to the way I
came in, although only one of them was dead.
The Big Sleep
Raymond Chandler
Story Cards:
The heart of the game is the story line that the players collectively create
through playing Story and Clue Cards. These cards are infused into the story,
creating a Story Chain. The last card in the Story Chain identifies the type
of card that may be added next to the Story Chain.
Story Flow Icons: The smaller icons at the top right of the card are the
Story Flow Icons and identify the types (determined by the large icon) of
cards that can be added next into the Story Chain. For example, here the
next card played must have a large icon or type of any of the following: Mood
(denoted by the Camera Icon), Person, or Place (City).
Card Type Icon: Each card has a LARGE Card Icon (top left) that identifies
the type of card it is: Clue, Danger, Person, Place, Mood or Special.
Story Words: These represent suggested key words that may be used by the
players. Players may also disregard these words and tell their story based
upon the central image.
Ace Detective
4
Components Details (cont.)
The following sections provide pictures and details of the key components in the game.
Clue Cards:
Players play Clue Cards to advance the Story and allow them to place or move
Clue Tokens on the suspects. Clue Tokens placed on Suspects, in turn, are
essential for a player to win the game.
Card Type Icon: Each card has a Card Icon that identifies the type of card it
is: Clue, Danger, Person, Place, Mood or Special. Clue Cards all use the
FINGERPRINT as their Card Type Icon.
Story Flow Icons: The smaller icons at the top right of the card are the Story
Flow Icons and identify the types of cards that can be added next into the Story
Chain. These are used in the same manner as with Story Cards.
Type of Clue and Placement: This card is “Weapon from Crime.” Players must always follow
instructions at bottom when playing a Clue Card.
Plot Point Cost: The number of Plot Point Tokens that must be spent to put this card into play. If a
player cannot pay the amount indicated, the card cannot be played into the Story Chain.
Special Cards:
ACE OF SPADES SPECIAL ICON: The Special Cards are part of the Story
Deck and are played like any other Story Card with the following exceptions: 1) These Special Cards are wild and may be played after any Story Flow Icons. 2) Plot Tokens must be paid to put the card into play. Also, often these cards
require a die roll. This die roll is made after the Plot Points have been paid and
the current player told his brief story relating to the cards in play.
Card Icon: The Ace is a Special Card Icon and is considered a wild card.
Plot Point Cost: The number of Plot Point Tokens that must be spent to put
this card into play. If a player cannot pay the amount indicated, the card cannot
be played.
Special Card Action: The action the card enables. Often this will require a die roll.
Story Rating Cards:
Each player has a set of Story
Rating Cards that are used to
rate the storytelling of the other
players. These cards range 1 - 5
with specific instructions to
assist the players in properly
rating each story. The Rating
Cards are only used in the Pulp
Fiction Tales Game and are
explained on Page 14 of this
Rulebook.
I’ve read about guys
who shoot guns out of
other guys’ hands, but
if you haven’t much
time, the belly is a
bigger target.
Over My Dead Booty
Julius Long
5
Ace Detective
Components Details (cont.)
Crime Cards:
At the start of play, a Crime Card will be chosen. This card represents the crime
the Detective (and all players together) is working to solve and some interesting
information for players to weave into their storytelling. You will notice that
the Crime Cards are numbered on the backside. You may play the cards in
any order but if you would like to play the game in chronological, dated order
(starting with number “1”) it may be easier to remember where you left off.
The front of the crime card is read aloud. For ease, we suggest the 4 Suspects
that should be used. Players may agree to change out any or all of these
Suspects. Once read aloud the Crime Card is flipped to its backside. On this
side is essential information about the case and an Icon. Whenever a Story
card is played that matches the icon on the crime card, the player
immediately gains 1 plot token.
Narration Cards:
These cards are used to add flare to a story and allow players to gain additional benefits. Note: Unlike
Story and Clue Cards, Narration Cards are placed under the last card in the Story Chain instead of
beside it. There is no cost to play this card, but the icon on the Narration card must match the large type
icon on the Story or Clue Card it is being played under. Players always have 1 Story Card in their hand
and may play only 1 per turn (See Page 10 for more).
Clue Track:
The Plot Point Clue Track is used to track the total clues placed on all Suspects in the game. The track
identifies the end of the game based on the number of players.
Plot Point
Tokens:
Plot Point Tokens are the
currency of the game and are
used to buy cards, and pay for
some game-play actions.
Ace Detective
6
First Player
Token:
The First Player Token is used to
keep track of turn rounds. This
token helps determine which
players get a final turn once the
Track indicates the game must
come to an end.
Clue Tokens:
Each player has a set of 12 Clue
Tokens that matches their player
color. These Clue Tokens have
numerical values of -2, -1, +1
and +2. The numbers are used
to determine the guilty suspect
at the end of the game.
GAMEPLAY MODE
Gameplay varies slightly depending on which of the 2 game variants the players choose to play – The
Hardboiled Detective Game or the Pulp Fiction Tales Game – which are explained below. Note:
Players should read the Hardboiled Detective Rules even if they only plan to play the
Pulp Fiction Tales version of the game. The majority of the rules are the same and are not
repeated under each variant.
Hardboiled Detective:
The Hardboiled Detective Game is for 2 to 5 players. In this
version of the game players do not use the rating cards or
rating System. The object of the game is to have the most of your
Clue Tokens on the Guilty Suspect. At the end of the game, all Clue
Tokens will be flipped face up and the number (both positive and
negative) are then totaled for each Suspect. The Suspect(s) with
the highest total (numbers totaled on hidden side) is the
guilty party. The other suspects are innocent. At this point, flip the
tokens face down – the player with the most total tokens on
this suspect (the numbers on the back no longer a factor)
is the winner. If two or more players are tied, the player with the
most Plot Points is the winner. If still a tie, the players share the
victory. This game variant is for players that do not wish to use the
rating system to rate each others’ stories. This version of the game
plays faster and is recommend for players as their first game.
He looked rather
pleasantly, like a
blonde satan.
The Maltese Falcon
Dashiell Hammett
Pulp Fiction Tales:
The Pulp Fiction Tales Game is for 3 to 5 players and focuses more on the storytelling aspect of the
game. This variant requires players to rate each others’ stories each turn. The victor of the game is
determined in the same manner as in the Hardboiled Detective Game (see above). In fact, the game
follows the Hardboiled Detective Game in every aspect except players Rate each others’ stories. The player
who tells the best stories will have a greater chance of achieving victory since that player will have more
Plot Points awarded to them each round. This game variant requires honest ratings of stories
by all players. When players focus on creative storytelling as well as entertaining the group, the Pulp
Fiction Tales brings the greatest amount of fun to a game of Ace Detective. If you feel that there will
be players who try to manipulate the rating system, then you might rather elect to play the Hardboiled
Detective version of the game.
The Hardboiled Detective Game
Important: the hardboiled rules applies to both
versions of the game. please read.
Game Set Up:
The following steps are followed to set up the game.
Step 1: Player Clue Tokens – Each player chooses a set of Clue
Tokens, taking all the tokens of the same color. Each player
looks at his tokens and chooses a “+1” Token, a “-1” Token and
a “+2” Token to be his starting 3 tokens. He then places these 3
tokens in front of him number side down. The player take the
remaining tokens and mix them number side down to create a
Clue Supply - each Clue Supply is personal to each player.
7
Ace Detective
The Hardboiled Detective Game
(2 to 5 Players)
Game Set Up (cont.):
Step 2: Story Cards – Shuffle the Story Cards and then deal 4 cards to each player. Players at
this time may discard any number of Story Cards and redraw. It is a good idea to have a variety
of Story Card Types (large icons) at setup. This will be the only time players will be allowed to
openly discard cards and redraw. Then place the Story Card deck to one side of the playing area
for easy access.
Step 3: Clue Cards – Shuffle the Clue Cards and deal 1 card to each player. Each player should how
have 5 total cards in his hand. He should not reveal these cards to the other players. After dealing
1 Clue Card to each player, place the Clue Card deck next to the Story Card deck.
Step 4: Narration Cards – Shuffle the Narration Cards and deal 1 to each player. The players may
view these cards, but they are kept secret from the other players. After dealing a card to each
player, place the Narration Card deck near the other decks for easy access.
Step 5: Establish the Crime – The players together decide which Crime Card will be used. Crime
Cards can be played in order as per the numbering system on the back of the cards, or randomly
chosen, or players may make up their own crime. After reading the card aloud and selecting
Suspects, the Crime Card is then placed in an open section of the table within easy view by all
players - Icon side up. This card will identify key information about the crime that will assist in
the storyline the players will create together. This card will identify not only the crime, but the
date of the crime, scene of the crime and even who has hired the Detective. Some of the Crimes
have special set up rules, if any appear on the card follow the instructions.
Step 6: Choose Detective – Chose 1 detective from the Detective Cards deck and read aloud the
details about that Detective. Place the Detective within easy view of all players on the table. A
good spot may be to have the Detective placed at the head of the Story Chain.
Step 7: Establish the Suspects – Either use the Recommended 4 Suspect on the Crime Card, or pick
and choose your Suspects, or draw 4 at random. But there must always be at least 1 Female
and at least 1 Male Suspect. Once the 4 suspects have been established, place the other Suspect
Cards back in the box as no other suspects will be used in the game.
Step 8: Plot Points and Die – Take the Plot Point Tokens and place them near the playing area to
establish the Plot Point Supply. Each player starts with 3 Plot Point Tokens. Place the die
near the card decks for easy access during play.
Step 9: F irst Player – Establish the first player. We recommend the player who has read the most
detective and mystery stories or the player who looks most like a famous sleuth. The first player
then takes the First Player Token.
Step 10: Place Initial Clue Tokens on Suspects – Starting with the first player and going clockwise
around the table, each player secretly chooses and places 1 of his 3 Clue Tokens number side
down on any one of the suspects. The placement of these initial tokens does not
trigger the Clue Effect of the Suspect. Once all players have placed one Clue Token on
one of the 4 Suspect Cards, adjust the Clue Track Token to the number equal to the number of
Tokens on Suspects (it will equal the number of players), each player then draws a new token
from his own supply to bring his held Clue Tokens back to 3 (these remain face down).
Ace Detective
8
Step 11: C
lue Track – Place the Clue Track near the 4 face-up Suspect Cards.
Example of 4 Player Game Set Up
Story
Chain
Area
When Story Chain reaches 7
or more cards, discard all cards
in Story Chain except the last
card played. Then continue
with Story Chain.
9
Ace Detective
Playing the Hardboiled Detective Game
Starting with the first player each player will perform the following actions during his/her turn in phase
order (there are 4 phases).
1. Card Play Phase:
In the Card Play Phase, the players will build on the Story Chain by adding
either 1 or 2 Story and/or Clue Cards (player’s choice) advancing the story
of the game. The player may also play a maximum of 1 Narration Card on his
turn.
Narration Card Play: The active player has the option to play 1 Narration
Card at any time during his turn. In order to play this card, the story icon on
the Narration Card must match the large Type Icon of the last card in the Story
Chain. This last card may either be the last card played by the previous player
or a card played by the active player. Once the player reads aloud his Narration
Card, he places it under the card with the matching Icon. The player also gains
the reward according to the icon on the upper left corner of the Narration
card. Narration rewards are shown below:
Look at, but do not reveal to other players, any Clue Token on any Suspect.
Flip face up any Clue Token on a Suspect. Token remains face up.
Gain 2 Plot Points.
Draw 1 Clue Card or 2 Story Cards and then discarding back down to
maximum of 7 Story/Clue cards with 2 maximum Clue Cards.
Players each start the game with 1 Narration Card. Once played, players automatically draw another
Narration Card; there is no cost to drawing a Narration Card. When playing a Narration Card, the player
reads the card and places it beneath the last card on the story chain (even a card played by the previous
player), then that player draws a new Narration card.
Playing 2 Cards: The player may add up to 2 cards to the Story Chain. This can be any combination of
Story and Clue Cards. While the player may use any information on cards displayed in the Story Chain
to tell his story, the only requirements about adding a card to the Story Chain is that the new card’s
large type icon must match one of the small flow icons on the last card of the Story Chain. As a player
is playing each Story or Clue Card he continues the story using the pictures and/or words on the cards.
Players may freely play a total of 3 cards on their turn (2 Story/Clue and 1 narration) without paying
plot points to play an extra card. See the Rating Chart.
Story Icons & Descriptions: As players build the Story Chain, they follow the structure of the
story as indicated by the Flow Icons of the last card in the Story Chain. Each Story Card, by Icon, is
listed below:
Place or City: This icon on a
Danger: This icon on a Story
Story Card identifies a place that
Card identifies the card as a danger
the detective or a suspect visits.
or hazard that the Detective
This card is played onto the Story
encounters. This card is played
Chain when one of the Flow Icons
onto the Story Chain when
on the previous story card matches
one of the Flow Icons on the
the Place or City Icon.
previous story card matches the
Danger Icon.
Ace Detective
10
Playing the Hardboiled Detective Game
(cont.)
Story Icons & Descriptions (cont.)
People: This icon on a Story Card
identifies a person that is in some
way related to the mystery. The
person may be a witness, a love
interest, an enemy or a friend –
that is up to the player telling the
story. This card is played onto the Story Chain
when one of the Flow Icons on the previous story
card matches the Person Icon.
Clue: This icon on a Clue Card
identifies the card to be a discovery
of a clue in the mystery. This card
is essential to victory in the game
and players should work to place
as many Clue Cards in the Story
Chain as possible. Clues require that Plot Points be
spent to put into play. Players who do not have the
required Plot Points may not play the Clue Card.
This card is played onto the Story Chain when
one of the Flow Icons on the previous story card
matches the Clue Icon.
Mood: This icon on a Story Card
identifies the card to be a mood or
“atmosphere” card and promotes
the ambiance aspect of the story.
What would a noir mystery be
without a foggy night, the chill of
fear or a bad feeling? This card is played onto the
Story Chain when one of the Flow Icons on the
previous story card matches the Mood Icon.
Special: This icon is a Special
Icon. It is essentially Wild when
played, meaning that it can be
added to any card in the Story
Chain. In most cases, this card
requires that Plot Points be spent
to put it into play. Note: The number of Plot Points
that need to be spent, if any, will be in a black circle on
the top left side of the card. Players who do not have
the required Plot Points to pay for putting the
Special Card into play may not play it.
WHEN STORY CHAIN CONTAINS 7 OR MORE STORY/CLUE CARDS: Discard down
to the last card only showing. Players may look at discarded cards any time.
Clue Card Requirements: When a Clue Card is played, along with matching the Flow Icon on the last
card in the Story Chain, the number of Plot Points on the Clue Card must be paid. If the player cannot
pay the number listed, they cannot play the Clue card.
Story Chain
Example: The last card in the Story Chain enables the
next player to play a Clue Card or Story Card with a
Card Type Icon of either a Person, Mood or Clue
(Fingerprint) icon.The player plays the Card “Weapon
From Crime.” This play requires the payment of 3 Plot
Points which the player places into the Plot Point Supply
as he adds the card to the Story Chain. After the player
tells the other players how the Detective found the
Weapon from the Crime (for example), he/she next
rolls a die and gets a 6 enabling him to place his Clue
Token on any Suspect of choice. He chooses the Sexy
Mistress Suspect and adds a Clue Token onto her Suspect
Card. And by placing a clue token on this suspect card,
the Sexy Mistress’s text is triggers (in this case there is
no immediate effect when a token is place on the Sexy
Mistress. Read the Sexy Mistress card for more insight).
11
Ace Detective
Playing the Hardboiled Detective Game
(cont.)
StoryTelling: Even though the Hardboiled Detective Game does not require the players to tell a story, it is
recommended that the cards they add to the Story Chain be vocalized into a few sentences a segment of
the overall story in development. Together all players create a verbal unified story.
The First Card Played into the Story Chain: The first player begins the Story Chain starting with
the information from the Crime, Hired By, Place, Victim and the Player Characters. Players may start the
Story Chain with any Story Card (person, place, danger or mood). Players may not start the Chain
with a Special or Clue Card.
Suspects & Placing Clue Tokens: At times when placing Clue Tokens on Suspects, the player may
choose the Suspect, but other times the player will randomly place the token as noted on the Clue Card.
Unless otherwise noted, random placement will be as follows:
WHEN PLACING A RANDOM CLUE ON A SUSPECT: Roll a six-sided die and place the
Clue Token as noted below:
1 - 4: Starting on the left and moving right, each suspect is considered numbered 1 – 4 and
a 1, 2, 3 or 4 die roll places the clue on the numbered Suspect.
5: Place the Clue Token on any Suspect with the least Clue Tokens. If a tie, the player may
choose which Suspect receives the Clue Token.
6: The player chooses the Suspect to place the token on.
After placing a Clue Token, the marker on the Clue
Track should be advanced to the new total.
[TheVictum]...was on the floor, face
upward, a bullet- hole in his chest.
Dead as a smoked herring. The wideopen eyes were blankly dull; the gun
in the loosely extended hand looked
very quiet.”
Dicks Die Hard
Theodore Tinsley
Playing No Cards: If the player has no Story or Clue
Cards that can be played to the Story Chain because the
icons for the cards they hold do not match any on the
last card in the Story Chain, they must pass the Card
Play and Interlude phases then draw 2 cards from the
Story Deck (for free) and take 3 Plot Points. The Player
may also purchase from the Rating Chart but cannot at
this point purchase the Play 1 Extra Card option. Note:
If a player can play a Story or Clue Card, he must. If he
cannot, the other players may require him to show his hand of
Story Cards.
2. Check for Victory Phase
After card play, the active player checks the Clue Track to identify if the mystery has been solved –
meaning identifying if the maximum number of clues have been place on the Suspects according to the
number of players in the game. If the clues placed on Suspects equal the location on the Clue Track for
the number of players in the game, the mystery is solved and the game moves into end game.
END GAME: When the total clues required are in play (as dictated by the Clue Track), the game will
end as soon as the first player would start his next turn. If the total number of clues required to solve
the mystery is in play prior to the first player’s turn, each remaining player will continue to take his
turn and place clues until the start of the first player’s next turn. At that time, the game ends and the
Mystery Solved Phase is resolved.
Ace Detective
12
Playing the Hardboiled Detective Game
(cont.)
Example: If there are 3 players
in the game, the Track Token must
be on the “15” so the game can
move into end game.
Number of Players
3. Interlude Phase:
Each player may hold a maximum of 18
Plot Points at any time, losing excess Points
rewarded. In the Hardboiled Detective Game,
players all gain the same amount of Plot Points each
turn during the Interlude Phase of their turn. In
this Phase of a Hardboiled Detective Game, the active
player gains 5 Plot Points from the Plot Point
Supply. Hand size max is 8 Cards Total of
Story Cards (5 Max), Clue Cards (2 Max)
and Narration Cards (1 Max). They may now
keep these Plot Points or use some (or all) to buy
cards or actions from the Purchase Chart. See the
Plot Point Purchase Chart for spending Plot Points.
When a player has completed his Interlude Phase,
his turn is over and the next player begins his turn.
4. Mystery Solved Phase:
This phase is only resolved if the total clues are in play to end the game according to the Clue Track and
number of players in the game. The game ends as soon as it would become the First Player’s turn again.
The players finish the round so that all players get an equal number of turns, and the game ends prior to
the First Player starting a new turn. The following steps are used to resolve the Mystery Phase:
Flip all Clue Tokens face up.
otal all Clue Tokens, adding positive numbers and subtracting negative numbers. The Suspect
T
with the highest total is guilty. In event of a tie, the tied Suspect with the most total Clue Tokens
is the guilty party. If there is still a tie, roll a die for each, and the highest number reveals the
guilty party.
nce the guilty suspect has been identified, discard the other possible guilty suspects. Now, flip
O
the Clue Tokens on the guilty suspect back over so only the colors are showing. Total the Clue
Tokens by color -the player with the most colored tokens is the winner (ignoring the numbers
on the back). If there is a tie between players, the player with the most Plot Points wins. If there
is still a tie, the players share the win.
rime Summation: When a winner is declared, the winning player does the classic crime
C
summation, naming the guilty party, the why and elaborating on what happened. This part of the
game is just for fun, but come on – this is a storytelling game, so get into it!
13
Ace Detective
Playing the Pulp Fiction Tales Game
Game Set Up: A game of Pulp Fiction Tales is setup the same as the Hardboiled Detective Game with the
following additional step:
Story Rating Cards: In addition to taking the cards as described in the Hardboiled Detective Game (see
page 7), the players also take the 5 Story Rating Cards of their color. The 5 Story Cards are numbered
1 - 5 with 1 being a low rating and 5 being a high rating. Each card identifies the characteristics for rating
the storyteller with that card. The use of these cards, as well as the storytelling that prompts them, are
the heart of the Pulp Fiction Tales Game. Plot Points are also awarded according to the Rating Chart and
by the number of players in the game.
1. Card Play Phase:
The game play remains the same as in the Hardboiled Detective Game with the only addition being the extra
emphasis on storytelling via the rating system. Players should use their imagination when developing the
Story Chain, using a brief paragraph to bring to life the story from the picture and/or the words on the
card. The greater the entertainment, story continuity and creativity in the noir mystery world a player’s
story evokes, the higher the other players should rate them in the Rating Phase.
2. Rating Phase:
After each player has played his cards and told his story, all other players (including the storyteller) will
play a rating card face down. When all players have put a Rating Card face down in front of them, all
cards are flipped face up at the same time, and Plot Points are then awarded as noted below:
equires honest self-rating. If a player thinks he/she did a great job or a poor job then that
R
player should rate accordingly. If players cannot do this, then players should elect to play the
Hardboiled Detective version of the game. Each player that matches the Rating Card of the
Storyteller gains 1 Plot Point. (Exception – if the storyteller rates himself a 1, no Plot Points are
awarded to other players).
The storyteller totals the cards of the OTHER raters (not
including his RATING card) and gains Plot Points equal to
the number as noted on the Rating Chart for the number of
players in the game including the storyteller (although the
storyteller’s rating card is not added to total). Note: Players should
be as fair as possible in the rating of other player’s stories, as this game is more
about story telling than winning and losing.
3. Interlude Phase:
The Interlude Phase remains the same with one exception. Players no longer receive 5 Plot Points. They
must use the Plot Points gained from the Rating Chart in the Rating Phase.
Mystery Solved Phase: There are no changes to the Mystery Solved Phase – it is resolved in the same
manner as in the Hardboiled Detective Game.
Crime Summation: When a Winner is declared, the winning player does the classic crime summation,
naming the guilty party, the why and what happened.You are playing the storytelling version of the game,
so make this good!
Ace Detective
14
Slang dictionary for the period of 1941
Since this is a storytelling game set in the year 1941, players may wish to use some of the slang of the
period. This section is provided for those who are interested in expanding their vocabulary according to
the time period.
All Wet – Describes an erroneous idea or individual; as in “He’s all wet.”
Applesauce – An expletive; same as horsefeathers; as in “Ah applesauce!”
Big Cheese – The most important or influential person; boss; same as big shot.
Bluenose – An excessively puritanical person; a prude; creator of “the Blue Nozzle Curse.”
Broad – Woman; dame.
Bump Off – To murder; to kill.
Carry a Torch – To have a crush on someone.
Cat’s Meow – Something splendid or stylish; the best or greatest; wonderful.
Darb – An excellent person or thing; as in a person with money who can be relied on to pay the check.
Dame – A woman.
Dingus – Any item of which you cannot recall the name.
Drugstore Cowboy – A guy that hangs around on a street corner trying to pick up girls.
Dumb Dora – A stupid female.
Fall Guy – Victim of a frame.
Flat Tire – A dull-witted, insipid, disappointing date; same as pill, pickle, drag, rag, oilcan.
Frame – To give false evidence; to set up someone.
Hardboiled – A tough, strong guy.
Heebie-Jeebies – The jitters.
High-Hat – To snub.
Hoofer – A dancer.
Horsefeathers – An expletive; same usage as Applesauce.
Hotsy-Totsy – Pleasing.
Jalopy – Old car.
Keen – Attractive or appealing.
Kisser – A person’s mouth.
Line – Insincere flattery.
Lounge Lizard – A horny guy.
Moll – A gangster’s girl.
Pinch – To arrest.
Pushover – A person easily convinced or seduced.
Ritzy – Elegant (from the hotel).
Scram – Telling someone to leave immediately.
Soitently – Sure!
Spiffy – An elegant appearance.
Spread Out! – Get out of the way! Give me some room! Stop crowding me!
Stuck On – Having a crush on.
Swanky – Ritzy.
Swell – Wonderful.
Wise Guy – A smart aleck.
Whoopee – To have a good time.
Gams – A woman’s legs
Puttin’ on the Ritz – To get fancy with your dress or demeanor.
Stool Pigeon – A person who tattles on his friends.
Stoolie – Same as a Stool Pigeon.
15
Ace Detective
Supporters
Thanks to all who supported Ace Detective. These guys made the game possible!
UNDER WITNESS
PROTECTION
ACE DETECTIVES
Brett Bozeman
Sam Schneck
Dan Johnson
James “Seamus” Kearin
Dean Bowman
Keith Tanner
Chris Bennett
Alexander Y. Hawson, M.D.
Juan Luis Fesser
Tobias Fleischer
Imre Hauszknecht
Carl S. Heckelsberg, Jr. was a
double agent within SMERSH
International that heralded
the rise of this new threat to
the world.
PSYCHIC
DETECTIVES
Stephen D. Rynerson
WISEGUYS (AND
GALS)
Cameron “The Dutch” Esfahani
Bradley Norman Metz
Ben Hermanns
Eric W. Lund
Evan Rattner
Keith Koleno
J.C. Hoffman
SUSPECTS
Sam Peavy
INFLUENTIAL
FRIENDS OF THE
MAYOR
Walter F. Croft
Josh Zirl
Alex T. Bagosy
Leon Higley
Christian Skovgaard
Rhel ná DecVandé
Chief Gabriel Steelman
The beloved philanthropist, Sylvana
Steelman
Natalie Steelman, darling of the silver
screen
Martin Daniels
The Rebelsky Family
Joel Gomez
Brad D Kane
John A. Larson
Gregory Frank
David Finn
Zackary Collins
Gareth Thomas
Steve Sartain
Guardian Games
Richard Pardoe
Cliff Fuller
Randy Wilson
Ace Detective
16
Albion Gould
Martin Fisher
Pete Baginski
Seth Jay Goldberg
Rizwan Kassim
David Harper
Czanse
Daniel Brannick
Khyle “Gorilla Grodd” Keys
Alexander P. Jacobsson
Constable V.J. Paljas
Robert Nelson
Nathaniel J Moffat
Gamma Ray Games
Elad Goldsteen
Uriah Stone
John Paden
Kristan J. Wheaton
Bobby-Lou Taylor
Tom gurganus
Owen “Ringmaster” Winkler
Shane Charleson
David E. White
Stephen Cluff
PRIVATE
INVESTIGATORS
FOR HIRE
Moll Reape
Tina Perkins
Theo Clarke
Danielle Creech
Mathieu Perreault-Dorion
David Morgan
John Bindas
Greg Cooksey
Al Roireau
Patrick Lu-Kthu Zuidhof
Filthy Monkey
Sean Goldman
Swoonfish
Philip Cahiwat
Darren Davis
Vivienne Colette Caldwell
Dave Skogstad
CardiacKangaroo
Charles Meyer
George A. Ramos
Ingo Beyer
David Kapp
Kelly Hoolihan
Chest Rockwell
Sean Michael Chick
Joshua Bryan Hammack
McKendon Alonzo LaFonte LaFleur
Raul
Dylan Pritchard
Michael and April Sweazey
Jon Hudson
Andrew Shultz
Jeremy Fredin
Julian Breen
Gazz Hayes
Chris Bayley
Harry Morris
Doug Steinley
Suzi R
Dave Desmond
Matthew Wasiak
Dana Wilkinson
Eric D Church
Kreig Pinkham
James Leroux
Andrzej Cierpicki
George Mallari-Lee
Morgan Hatfield
Doug Weinstein
Ronald Burgos
Michael Champion
Dick Butler
Bryan Cooper
John “Deadly-Dosage” Dossa
Supporters
Thanks to all who supported Ace Detective. These guys made the game possible!
Chris ‘Jim’ G
A.J. Nordstrom
Joe M Garcia
Xavier Lambercy
Russ Hewson
Mark Taraba
Junius B. Stone III
Charles Pearson
Antoine Bertier
Dashiell ‘The Camp Tiger’ Asher
Mickey Nuttall
Mr Graham Smith
M. Sean Molley
Jess B
Chris Ling
Michele and Ben Bernocco
James “The Bar” Heath
Marc-André Laurence
Paul “Stogie” Cooper
David “Gashlycrumb” Tracy
Tony A. Rowe
Vincent “Jishin Wave” Jung
James A. Molloy
Marcus Leitzen
Robert Himmelein JR
David Tsang
Gabriel Edge
Benjamin Steinhauser
Noah DeBiase
Nate Swalve
Jeb Adams
Daniel Wong
Michael B. Brannon
Rolf Laun
Ken Arthur
Elizabeth Gurnack
Daniel Møllgaard Andersen
Eric Alvarado
Steven Davis
Matthew Klein
Pete Ross
Tom “Ace of Spades” DeSantos
Paul Johnson
Michael Primeau
Alan Nanes
Ian Estrada
David Palmer
David “Turtleback” Anderson
Cootie and Cutie
Art Tebbel
Nathan Hauptkorn
David Oh
“Weird Dave” Olson
Garyp
Aaron J. Garrett
Kelly Brown
Jim “Shamus” Janik
Heather Reed
Noah Harrison Miller
Dlminsac
S. Slaggy
Shawn Purtell
Trevor Wolf
John Burnham
Rojemika Spencer
Yosuke Otsuka
Luc Chamberland
Peter Blitstein
Andrew Beirne
Miles Matton
Bill Desmarais
Marcus “The Lawyer” Wischik
Philip Gross
Kai Alexis Price
C Matt Pappathan
Andrew McGrath
Zeb Doyle
Timothy Vojta
Justin “KakarisMaelstrom” Fitzgerald
Douglas Guardino
bewmaynes
John Palagyi
Scott “Dead” Nisenfeld
Jeff Lane
Eric Buetikofer
Francois Gnosis
James Watson
Shivan Sornarajah
Brett Bolen
Bryan Carter
Chuck Hughes
Jay Elgin
Pete Dragasakis
Olivier Vigneresse
Patrick Burke
Stephen J Seddon
Jack Gulick
Matthew McMahon
Jon-Paul Decosse
Gerald Ward
Christian Nord
Pob Goldstone
Lukas Daniel Klausner
Harvey O’Brien
Edward Friday Pfender II
Richard Warren
Stefan Winkler
“Copacetic” Luke Reeves
Scott Tooker
Allan Frouvne
Matt Fullenwider
Mark Norman Francis
Matthew midgley
Tom
Caroline Pierce
Dice Hate Me
Cliff “Devinoch” Hicks
Ed Kowalczewski
Mark Clark Jr
Robin Lees
Ali Grotkowski
Dr Benjamin Borthwick Williams
Ezra Strong
Nick Suffolk P.I.
Stephen Tavener
James D. Deignan
Matthew Picioccio
Alan Twigg
Juan Vargas
Larry Rice
Lyle Williams
Christopher Paul
Joseph Soonsin Lee
Jeff Storm
Diego “The Fool” Ludergnani
Michael McCann
William Wood
Arminder Randhawa
Mr. E
Patrick “GuppyGamer” Ross
C. Scott Kippen
Michael Shumate
Jesse Garrison
Phil White, CE, R.is.E
Jez Harchack
Chris “The Flix” Richardson
David Donlin
Hon. Ryan Wilson
Damon Richardson
Thomas G. Treptow
Andrew MacLennan
Seth Hoover
Michael “Bowtie” Muske
Stephen Elliott
Michael J. LaPointe
Paul Stephen Co
Michael W. Mattei
Crispy T
17
Ace Detective
Supporters
Thanks to all who supported Ace Detective. These guys made the game possible!
Stephan Szabo
Rudy “Chainsaw” Basso
Brady T. Chin
Rick “Huntarr” Collins
Michael Laws
Chad Owen
Henry Wong
Tim Black
Andrew Furdell
Robert A Fiester
Cindy Nowak
Travis Pheil
Dave “Faceman” Nyman
Mark Glandon
Ron Gangnon
Alexander Blakeley
Timothy Burr
William Brondt Kamffer
Carl Enns
Joseph M. Louis
Neely Stewart
“S”
Nathan Labak
Casey Lent
Colin Ferguson
Bobby Chow
Zach Pettichord
James Wickline
Fazeo
Chad Maue
Joe Streeky
Kaelex
Colt “.45” Hansen
Ricardo F. Ferreira
Mikaus
Peter Aronson
Mike Dougan
The Gang at Geektropolis
George Breden
Scott Bigwood
Jason Mosack
iguanaDitty
David J Schuth
David O’Connell
C Reichert
Nancy Hutchins
Ryan Full
Shervyn
Aaron, Deb, and Cecilia Belmer
Jason Leisemann
Chip Coffey
M. A. Solko
Dante Miguel
Geoff Squire
Brendan Power
Zach Gaskins
Toby Hazelip
Marty Devine
Atticus Gifford
Cheryl Howard
John Weier
Bill “Kaiser” Crew
Art Ritchie P.I.
Brandon Crane
Allan Bennett
Joseph “UserClone” Le May
Barry Zimmerman
Steve Leung
Gregory Morse
Tom Meyer
Roger N. Dominick
Ben Newton
Scott Erickson
Anne Freitas
John D. Adams
Zedd Epstein
David Weedon
Luke Carwardine
Maria Costea
R. Khater
Michael Morley
Brad Olson
Matthew C. Duda
Chad Bowser
Trampas Johnson
Dougal “The Wall” Edey
Margaret Colville
Dan Luxenberg
hobbygamesmart.com
Roy Quek
Sam Leung
Francis Poh
Juncong
Han Weiding
Chia Kangyu
Credits
Website: www.8thsummit.net Email: [email protected]
Game Design: Richard Launius
Game Development: Richard Launius and Jason Maxwell
Playtesters: Aaron & Jess Scott, Jay Schindler, Steve Avery
Rulebook layout and design by Jennifer Cox
Additional Artwork provided by George Patsouras and Carlos Romanos
Graphic Design: Julia Semionova
Special Thanks to Keith Alan Deutsh for providing Covers from Black Mask Magazine - and for his
consultation. Color artwork from Black Mask Magazine used from the following issues: MAY 1944, SEPT
1946, JAN 1937, AUG 1974, MARCH 1942, MARCH 1945, SEPT 1935, JAN 1946, MARCH 1949, JAN
1950, APRIL 1942, JAN 1943, JULY 1948, JAN 1948, AUG 1943, APRIL 1942- Some black and whites and
other cover images also from Black Mask and other magazines owned by Popular Publications, Inc. Copyright 2012 Keith Alan Deutsh. USED BY PERMISSION.
Ace Detective game mechanics, rulebook and additional images copyright to FORGOTTEN SILVER, INC.
All Rights Reserved. Please do not use without permission.
Quotes from Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammond used by permssion from their estates. Thanks you
so much! Go buy the books of these great authors.
Ace Detective
18
THE ART OF STORYTELLING
BY rICHARD LAUNIUS
The real fun in Ace Detective comes from the imagination and storytelling skills of the players. Each game
provides inspiration and structure via the Story,Clue and Narration cards used to build a unified story around.
The key to having a good storytelling experience in Ace Detective is effective use of what I call the 3 Cs:
Continuity, Creativity, and Concision.
Continuity: The story should blend with the story chain already established. That does not mean that the
player cannot make a major change to the story, but if they do they should segue into that change. See the
examples below:
Max Bullet is the star of this story and the last card in the Story Chain is A THREAT. The story goes as follows,
“Max entered the alley when two thugs approached from the darkness and stand in front of him.The larger one is holding a
gun and wearing a grin as the shorter one tells Max to drop the case or bad things might happen.”
The next player can add a Location, Danger, or Clue (Fingerprint) Card after the “A Threat” card
The player plays the Danger card RIGHT HOOK and tells the following story, “Max looks each goon in the eyes,
measuring his next move – a move that is lightning fast as he levels the larger man holding the gun with a right hook.The
gun explodes in a loud bang as the bullet knocks the shorter man to the wet pavement.”
The same player (or the next player) plays the next card, Office, and continues the story, “An hour later Max is
back in his office contemplating the visit from the two goons, a visit that melted into darkness as quietly as it had appeared.
Somebody didn’t want this case solved, so Max knew he was getting close.”
The Office card moved the timeline and location of the scene forward, maintained continuity, which is
essential to a great storytelling session.
Creativity: While it is good to use your detective knowledge from books, television shows and movies to
help craft your tale, the interjection of something inventive is always entertaining and memorable. One of the
best ways to do this is to ensure that your turns do not sound the same. At times they should be dramatic, other
times intriguing, and there should be allowed opportunities to inject bits of humor. But keep in mind that the
overall mood of the story should be maintained, therefore be careful about allowing too much humor or too
many odd turns; however, this can be left up to the players if they all agree before the game begins how the
storytelling should be conducted.
Concision: One of the problems many new players struggle with is keeping their story concise. Often a
player begins to ramble, or the player does not continue the story but rather rephrases the last couple of
players’ tales. Try to be precise and succinct. Mostly, you only need to think about of what happens next in
the story- there is no need to make leaps and bounds. As a rule of thumb, players should try to tell each section
of the story with 2 to 4 sentences per card played. This allows enough freedom to be creative and set the mood,
but does not enable players to ramble. And do not get overly caught up in trying to score the highest rating
each turn. This game is meant to be fun - not a workout.
In the end, good storytelling is what entertains; try not to get bogged down with deep competitive play.
Know your group, seek to entertain and Ace Detective will deliver a gaming experience few other storytelling
games can achieve. This is not a process of “choose your own adventure” or even an epic “draw a card adventure
game.” Ace Detective is a game of controlled and cooperative creative storytelling, limited only by the
imagination and vision of the players.
19
Ace Detective
QUICK SETUP and the initial turn:
1. Determine the first player and give that person the First Player Badge.
2. Select One Crime, One Detective, Four Suspects and place face-up in middle of
table.
3. Each Player receives 3 Plot Tokens, 4 Story Cards, 1 Clue Card, 1 Narration
Card, 12 Clue Tokens in one color - and, if playing the Pulp Fiction version of the
game - a set of 5 Rating Cards in their color.
4. With all Clue Tokens Face Down - each player finds a “+1”, a “+2”, and a “-1”
Clue token in their color. They start with those 3 Clue Tokens and shuffle the rest
to create their supply.
5. Each player selects one of their 3 selected Clue Tokens and places one face
down on one Suspect of their choice. Each player then randomly draws one
additonal Clue Token from their supply to bring their total of selectable Clue
Tokens back to 3.
6. The first player begins the game by selecting one of any Story Card from his/
her hand and places it face up in the middle of the table - starting the Story Chain.
That player also tells a brief story to begin the game. Special actions or die rolls
are conducted after the story is rated and plot points awarded (see 8 below). If a
player on subsequent turns cannot possibly play a Story/Clue card from his hand
to the Story Chain - see page 12 for instructions.
7. If using the rating cards - players all place a rating card face down in front of
them to rate the the First Players’s introduction. If not playing with rating system
- this step is skipped.
8. If using rating system - all cards are revealed and Plot Tokens rewarded. If
not using the rating system each player (and all subsequent players) receive 5 Plot
Tokens at the end of each players’ turn.
LONGER GAME VARIANT: During Setup, do not have each player start the game by placing a
Clue Token on a Suspect, so that the game starts with “0” Clue Tokens placed on Suspects.
Crime Setup Variants: You may also, if all players agree, setup the game with different conditions. A few of these setup variants are written on two of the crimes. Feel free to be inventive this is a game of the imagination after all. Here are a two examples:
1. Random Clue Setup: Instead of players choosing where to place their initial Clue Tokens during
setup. This might be done by Random placement. (See Page 12).
2. The Person who Hired the Detective is actually a Suspect: You may try having a 5th Suspect the person who hires you! In this case, place the Crime Card next to the 4 Suspects. Clue tokens
may be placed on this Crime Card in the same manner as the other 4 Suspects. This Suspect/
Crime Card replaces the number “5” on the die when determining a random placement of Clue
Tokens.
Ace Detective
20