The game revolves around 3 components, chips in four colours, 4 voting tiles per player, with yes on one side and no on the other, and the cards I was talking about. At any time eight of these are face-up on the table. The various rules on the cards are used to collect and value the players chips, and new rules are constantly being put forward and voted on. If successful, they replace one of the old rules and so upset the staus quo, so players have to be aware at all times which rules are currently applicable, if they are to make the best of their chips. The cards come in 5 types. There is one valuation card (Wertung) on the table at any time; which describes how the chips are reckoned-up at the end of that round. For example, the number of points might be multiplied by the number of colours in the player's hand. Then there is a prediction (Prognose) card. At the start of each round, each player notes secretly what position they expect to be in at the end of the round, and this card determines what reward they get for getting it right. The complete sets of cards in each of these two categories are placed on the table, and the two players with the least are allowed to choose a new one before each round after the first.
There are three more categories of cards. Two from each category are dealt out at the start of the game, and the remainder dealt to the players. The three categories are: Value cards (Korrector Regeln) which value the chips, for example a card might say that white chips are worth 3 points each, rather than the basic one point per chip; Voting Cards (Abstimm Regel) which allow players to collect more chips, depending on the way that they have voted, for example a rule might allow a player in the minority to take two more chips; and Chance cards, (Ereignis Regel), which introduce a slight element of silliness into the game, giving chips to players who stand before playing a card, or taking 15 points away from the first person to talk during a reckoning up. Each turn the player offers one of their cards to be voted on. Players play one or more of their voting tiles, placed with either yes or no upperwards. If the vote is successful, then the card is used to replace a rule of the same type already on the table. If it is voted down, then it is discarded. Players pick up chips or lose them according to the rules on the cards already on the table. Players then get back one tile of those that they have played, so there is a tendency for players' tiles to be used up. If all players vote with just one tile, then the round is over and the players' scores are noted, including any bonuses they may have won by correctly predicting their position. After five rounds the game is over, and the player with the highest score has won.
I enjoyed this game very much when we played it in Essen. What could be a very dry game of collecting chips, and scoring points according to some arcane rules, was lightened by the silly rules, especially the ones where talking cost people chips, leading to several ``casual'' attempts to draw people into conversation. I will be translating the game and the cards and sending a copy of the translation to Mike's rules bank, but as I say, the only real way for non-German readers to play the game would be to write out the various rules in English onto blank card stock, and play with them. I hope that someone is inspired to do this, and I think that they'll enjoy it if they do.
John Webley