THE FAMILY is a game based on the 'game system' created by Reiner Knizia in his New Games in Old Rome (published by Piatnik). In order to play this game you will need the equipment it supplies. THE FAMILY is not supported or endorsed by the manufacturer or designer of that game system. THE FAMILY is the copyright of Derek R Hohls, 1995.

Each player takes the part of a Boss in a branch of The Family - seeking to gain power and wealth in the biggest crime syndicate of all time: the Union Corse, also known as The Mafia, or simply The Family.

Materials

The game board shows a map of Europe divided into 7 areas. Each area is marked with an income; the racket base(s); and the bonus votes. Double-headed arrows show connections between areas. Two separate boxes are marked "Committee Meeting" and "Unemployed".

In addition to the board, the cards numbered 1 to 10 and the banner cards will be required. All the chips, the figures and 5 stones per player are required. Pencil and paper are also needed.

Preparation

The game board is laid out between the players. Each player receives 15 points of chits; with one chit representing $1 million. One player is appointed as Treasurer to look after the other chits.

Each player also takes 5 stones, representing Lieutenants, and a figure, representing himself, of the corresponding colour. The other figures (1 black - the Liquidator, 1 white - the Auditor, and 2 each of red and blue - the Muscle) are placed on the "Unemployed" box.

Separate the numbered yellow cards, shuffle them, and place them to one side. These represent Corrupt Officials.

Separate the '1', '2' and '3' cards from the rest, shuffle them and deal 2 to each player (deal 3 each if there are 3 players; only use the '1' and '2' cards if there are 4 players). Any remaining cards are shuffled with the rest of the numbered cards and placed face down to one side. These represent the Racket cards.

The banner cards are shuffled and placed face down on the opposite side of the board. These represent Racket Bonuses.

Nominate one player to be 'The Chairman' for the first round; traditionally this is the person who came last in the previous game.

Before the game begins, players now look at their cards. Starting with the Chairman, each player takes a turn to place one stone at a time in any area of his/her choice. A player may opt to stop placing stones, in which case he/she takes no further part in the preparation. This is repeated until all player have chosen not to play any more stones, or until all stones are played.

All players now place their Boss figures, and any stones not placed on an area on the board, in the Committee Box, and the game begins.

Course of the Game

The game is played in alternating rounds; first a Committee Round, then an Income Round and finally an Action Round. There are 11 rounds in the game.

Committee Round

Attendance at the Committee

Attendance at Committee meetings is not compulsory. However, should a player not be represented (by either Boss or Lieutenant) then he/she cannot cast votes; but can still be the recipient of a Racket card(s).

At the start of the Committee round, the incumbent Chairman is reappointed. He/she then draws 3 cards from the top of the Rackets deck and looks at them. The Chairman then can take one card and propose a Split for the others, or propose a Split for all cards.

Splitting the Rackets

A proposed Split must involve any two players. The Chairman must nominate one player (including him/herself) to receive one or two cards, and another player to receive the other(s). The Chairman can call for suggestions on the Split - but must make the final decision.

The Committee then discusses the issue: bribes, threats, promises and cajoling are all in order. After a short time, the Chairman should call on each player (in any order of his choosing) to vote. Players can control a number of votes, depending on their presence (Boss and/or Lieutenants), influence (areas controlled) and expenditure.

Votes

    Boss - 6 votes (if present)
    Control* of an area - 3, 6 or 12 votes
    Per Lieutenant - 2 vote per stone (those in the Committee Box)
    Per Official* - votes equal to value of card
    Per million spent** - 1 vote
    NOTE:     * to control an area, a player must own more than half of the total stones in that area.
            ** any money spent to increase votes applies for voting on the current Split only

    Chairman loses 3 votes if wanting to keep the third card

Vote Succeeds

Vote Fails

Sending in the Auditor

After vote...
Player loses all cash on hand (chits). Auditor then replaced in "Unemployment" box.

Income Round

Income from areas

The income due from an area is printed on the board.

Income from an area is shared equally amongst all the players in area - regardless of the number of pieces they have. If the income cannot be shared equally, then the extra goes to the player with the pieces with the highest strength points (see Resolve Attacks). If two or more have equally high points, then the extra is lost.

     Example

    In area with income of 9, 2 players would each get 4 - one of the players might get 5 if he/she had pieces with a higher number of strength points.

Income from Rackets

Players receive income from Rackets by playing cards of the corresponding colour. In order to play a Racket card, a player must have a Boss or Lieutenant in area with a corresponding colour marker.

A player selects the card(s) he/she wants to play and places them face down in front of him/her. It is not required to play any or all of the cards owned. When all cards are placed, turn them over and calculate income.

(Bonus, triple if total value of all cards in that Racket is less than 10, double if 10 or more)

There is no bonus in the first round.

Income from Officials

Players can receive income from Officials they control, by playing their card(s) along with the Racket cards, and receiving chits equal to the face value. The card(s) is then placed on the discard pile.

Action Round

At the start of the Action Round the current Chairman decides if he/she will play first or last in that round. Play then commences in a clockwise direction, with each player taking a turn. Each player in turn carries out none, some, or all of the following actions, in the order given below:

- Buy Lieutenants
- Hire Muscle
- Hire the Liquidator
- Hire the Auditor
- Bribe Official(s)
- Launder Money (fee per transaction; none if Auditor) [order?]
- Assign/Move Lieutenants
- Resolve Attacks (lose muscle/lieutenants)

Each of these is described in more detail below.

At the end of the Action Round, the current Chairman turns up the top card in the Racket Bonus (banner cards) deck.

Buy Lieutenants

If any of a player's stone have been lost through Attacks (see below) s/he can replace them at a cost of $2M each. Lieutenants are placed in an area or in the Committee Box during the Assignment action (see below).

Hire Muscle

The player can hire Muscle - representing additional strength for use in Attacks - at a cost of $1M for blue figures not currently in use, and $3M for the red figures, if not currently in use. If a Muscle figure(s) is currently in the hire of another player, the current player can "rehire" it(them) at double the normal cost. A player cannot hire any Muscle if she/he does not have at least one Lieutenant or the Boss on the board.

Hire the Liquidator

The Liquidator (the black figure) represents a character capable of killing off an opposing Boss. If the Liquidator is not currently employed by anotherplayer then the employment cost is $3M. If the Liquidator is currently employed by another player then the cost of "reemployment" is at least $1M more than the last amount paid. Players should keep track of the current price.

Hire the Auditor

The Auditor (the white figure) represents a character capable of reducing a player's financial costs. If the Auditor is not currently employed by another player then the employment cost is $5M. If the Auditor is currently employed by another player then the cost of "reemployment" is at least $1M more than the last amount paid. Players should keep track of the current price.

Bribe Officials

Players can gain control of key European government officials by bribing them. At a cost of $3M they can take the top card from the Corrupt Officials deck. Only one card can be taken per turn. If all cards have been used, any cards in the discard pile can be shuffled and reused.

Launder Money

Players can "launder" money by converting chips in hand to "clean" money, recording the amount on a sheet of paper. The spare chips are returned to the stockpile. Once money has been laundered it cannot be "reconverted" into chips again.

Players can only launder a maximum of two-thirds of the chips on hand.

When a player's total cash reserves are at $100M, at this point in his/her turn, he/she must launder at least 10% of it.

The cost of Laundering money is 10% of the value laundered (rounded up to the next whole number) unless the player currently employs the Auditor.

Assign/Move Pieces

Can only place Lieutenants by themselves on existing occupied areas.

If no area is currently occupied by any of a player's pieces, he/she can place the Boss and any number of Lieutenants on one occupied area, but cannot place any Muscle pieces along with them.

Can only move along arrows to one adjacent area.

Can place and move in the same turn.

A piece can only be placed once, and only moved once (from one area to an adjacent) per turn.

Any piece on an area on the board (or off it) can be removed and placed in the Committee Box. Similarly, any piece in the Committee Box can be removed and placed on an area on the board, subject to the above rules.

Resolve Attacks

Can "attack" rival Boss by using the Liquidator. Boss must be on the board to be attacked. Once used the Liquidator is considered "unemployed".

Can "attack" (muscle out) one rival branch per area. Attacks are always optional; players can bribe or persuade each other not to make attacks - once a player announces "I am attacking player A in area X" then the attack is irrevocable.

Strength Points

Boss - 3
Lieutenant - 2
Blue Muscle - 1
Red Muscle - 2

Attacker must lose at least 1 strength point per 2 strength points lost by the defender (expressed as pieces lost - selected at the discretion of the owner).

If any Muscle pieces are left without associated Lieutenant or Boss, they are replaced in the Unemployed Box.

No Cash in the Treasury

Unless all players can recived income there is none paid. Players then need to "launder" money and so return chits to restock it.

End of the Game and Winning

The winner is the one with the most Laundered money at the end of the game.

Comments

			Racket
Area	Income	Votes	Gambling Lilac	Heists Green	Extortion Blue	Vice Red
Italy	12	12
Britain	9	3		*
W. Europe	6	6		*		*
N. Europe	9	3			*
C. Europe	9	6	*		*
E. Europe	6	6				*
N. Africa	6	3	*

Britain	N. Europe
W. Europe	C. Europe	E. Europe
	Italy
N. Africa		No diagonal movement