Rules for Playing Marco Polo with a Twist!

Marco Polo is a classic swimming pool game that you may be familiar with. It’s all about finding and catching the other players while keeping your eyes closed. But what if I told you that there are alternative rules you can try to make the game even more exciting? Let me introduce you to some variant rules for Marco Polo that will take your pool parties to the next level!

The Statue Rule

Have you ever played freeze tag? Well, this rule is similar. In this version of Marco Polo, when someone says “Marco,” everyone else must freeze in place. They can only move again when the person who is “It” yells “Polo.” This adds a whole new level of strategy and suspense to the game. You have to stay alert and be ready to move at a moment’s notice!

The Reverse Rule

This rule turns everything upside down. Instead of the person who is “It” closing their eyes, everyone else closes their eyes while the “It” person keeps their eyes open. Now, the person who is “It” has to use their stealth and strategy to evade the blind players. It’s a challenging twist that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Silent Rule

This rule eliminates the calls of “Marco” and “Polo” altogether. Instead, everyone plays in complete silence. The person who is “It” has to rely on their hearing and intuition to find the other players. It’s a test of your senses and a great way to add an extra challenge to the game.

The Partner Rule

In this version, you get to choose a partner to play with. The twist is that you and your partner are always connected by holding hands. You have to work together and communicate silently to outsmart the other players. It’s a great way to build teamwork and add a new dynamic to the game.

The Time Limit Rule

This rule adds a time limit to the game. The person who is “It” has a set amount of time to catch someone. If they can’t catch anyone within the time limit, they have to be “It” for another round. It adds a sense of urgency and keeps the game moving quickly.

The Pool Toy Rule

For this rule, you introduce pool toys into the game. Each player gets a pool toy to carry while they swim around. The twist is that the person who is “It” has to touch the pool toy of the person they want to catch. It adds an extra layer of strategy and makes the game more challenging.

So, the next time you play Marco Polo, why not try one of these variant rules? You’ll bring a whole new level of excitement to the game and have a blast with your friends. Remember to choose a rule that suits your group and enjoy the thrill of a new twist on a classic game!

When you’re playing with 2 or 3 players, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:

First off, you’ll need to make some changes to the number of black dice you use. The rule is simple: you’ll need a number of black dice that’s equal to the number of players plus one. So, if you’re playing with 3 players, you’ll need 4 black dice. And if you’re playing with just 2 players, 3 black dice will do the trick.

Now, let me tell you about playing with 3 players:

At the start of the game, you’ll need to take one die from an unused player color and place it on the first space of the “Khan’s Favor” action. Make sure it’s on the number 1 spot!

Now, pay close attention to this next part because it’s important: that die stays right where it is for the entire game. Don’t even think about removing it from the board!

#image.jpg

In this game, it’s just you and me. We’ll start off by putting two dice on the “Khan’s Favor” action spaces – one dice on each space, and set them to 1. Oh, and we’ll also place another die on the “Take 5 coins” space, but the number on this one doesn’t matter. These dice will stay there throughout the entire game, so don’t remove them! It’s an important rule, so make sure you remember it.

Now, if you’re feeling up for a challenge, we can try out the expert variant. It’s pretty similar to the regular game, but with a few changes. You have the option to choose from different distribution methods. You can choose one or more of these methods, and if you choose multiple methods, follow the order we describe them in.

First off, let’s talk about the distribution of city bonuses.

When it comes to distributing the city bonuses in the game, we want to make sure it’s fair and random. So, I’ll explain how to do it properly.

First, we need to place the bonus markers in the small cities. It’s important to remember that the letters A – F should be ignored for this step. We want to distribute the bonuses randomly, so each city has a fair chance of getting one. This way, the game becomes more exciting and unpredictable.

Now, let’s talk about the distribution of characters. We need to keep in mind that we’re only focusing on the small cities. Each city should have a different bonus marker, and we want to avoid any patterns or biases. By doing this, we ensure that the game remains balanced and everyone has an equal opportunity to win.

Overall, it’s crucial to distribute the city bonuses properly. It adds an element of surprise and strategy to the game. So, remember to ignore the letters A – F when placing the bonus markers and ensure a fair and random distribution among the small cities. Happy gaming!

Hey there! Let’s dive into the setup process for our game. It’s really easy, I promise!

First things first, we need to shuffle the 8 different character cards. Keep in mind, there are 3 copies of the “Mercator ex Tabriz” card. Depending on how many players we have, we’ll shuffle in the right amount of cards.

Now, let’s reveal some character cards! We’ll reveal as many cards as there are players, plus one extra.

Here comes the fun part! The last player in turn order (that’s the player to the right of the start player) gets to choose their character first. They’ll place it right in front of them. Then, the rest of us will take turns choosing our characters in reverse order. Once everyone has chosen, we’ll return the remaining character back to the box. You can find all the details about each character on the supplement.

Goal Cards Distribution

When we start the game, each player is dealt four Goal cards, which are placed facedown. This is an exciting moment, as we get to see what cards we have been given. But here’s the twist – we don’t get to keep all of them!

We have to secretly choose two Goal cards that we want to keep, and the remaining two cards are returned to the game box. It’s like having a sweet treat but only being able to eat half of it. It’s a bit puzzling, isn’t it? But that’s what makes the game interesting!

Once we have made our secret choices, the game officially begins. We can’t wait to see what will happen next and how the game will unfold!