Midway Memories

Rules overview

Midway Memories

Overview

In Midway Memories, each player takes the role of a grandparent recalling the golden age of fairs, festivals, and carnival midways. By winning tricks, players collect Coins, build Fame and Joy, and earn opportunities to ride attractions. The story being told is one of laughter, treats, thrills, prizes, and cherished memories. Attractions are the main source of victory points. Fame and Joy support your ability to qualify for and score attractions. Sadness reflects missed chances and wasted resources. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins.

Story Arc

Players are building a memory of the midway by

• earning Coins to afford attractions
• building Fame by winning midway games and drawing attention
• building Joy through treats, food, and the warm feeling of a great fair day
• winning Ticket tricks at the right moments
• riding attractions across all three levels
• avoiding Sadness from missed opportunities and wasted Coins

Players may pursue attractions in any level they legally qualify for. There is no forced Level 1, then Level 2, then Level 3 order.

Components

For prototype play, use the following:

• 1 deck of cards
• 40 Coin tokens
• 25 x $1 Coins
• 10 x $3 Coins
• 5 x $5 Coins
• 1 central track board with Fame, Joy, and Sadness tracks
• 13 attraction cards in the prototype attraction pool
• 9 cubes or markers per player

Marker Breakdown Per Player

Each player needs 9 markers

• 6 markers for attractions ridden
• 1 marker for Fame
• 1 marker for Joy
• 1 marker for Sadness

This allows for the normal 3 ride arc plus extra rides if a player completes all three levels and earns more Ticket opportunities.

Suit Identity

The final game is intended to use thematic suits

• Coins
• Tickets
• Stars
• Smiles

For prototype play with a standard deck, use this mapping

• Diamonds = Coins
• Hearts = Tickets
• Spades = Stars
• Clubs = Smiles

In the rules, Stars means Fame and Smiles means Joy.

Goal of the Game

Score the most victory points by riding attractions and building a memorable midway experience.

You score points from

• attractions you rode
• Fame milestones
• Joy milestones

You lose points from

• Sadness

Attraction Levels

There are three attraction levels

• Level 1
• Level 2
• Level 3

Each attraction belongs to one level. Players may ride attractions from any level if they are legally able to do so.

Setup

1. Separate the attraction cards into Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 piles.
2. Choose 2 attractions from Level 1, 2 attractions from Level 2, and 2 attractions from Level 3 for this game.
3. Return the unused attractions to the box.
4. Do not include both Kiddie Coaster and Swan Boats in the same game. If one is selected, the other must be returned to the box.
5. Place the 6 chosen attractions face up in the public display, grouped by level.
6. Place the central track board within reach.
7. Give each player 9 markers in one color.
8. Put each player's markers at Fame 0, Joy 0, and Sadness 0.
9. Put all Coin tokens in a general supply.
10. Choose a starting player.
11. Shuffle the deck and deal the cards as evenly as possible to all players. Any extra cards are left unrevealed, face down, out of play for that round.

Game Structure

The game lasts 5 rounds. A round ends when all players have played all cards from their hands into tricks. At the end of the 5th round and final cleanup, players score the game.

Trick Taking Rules

1. The lead player plays 1 card.
2. In clockwise order, each other player plays 1 card.
3. Players must follow suit if able.
4. If a player cannot follow suit, they may play any card.
5. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick.
6. The winner resolves the action of the suit on the winning card.
7. The winner leads the next trick.
8. There is no trump suit in the current prototype.

Suit Actions

Reward Ladder

Winning tricks gain resources and opportunities. Tickets are opportunities to go on midway rides and are a single action only. Coins, Fame, and Joy are resources. Coins are taken from the central supply. Fame and Joy are marked on the central tracks.

Riding Attractions

When you win a Ticket trick, you may ride exactly 1 attraction if it is legal for you to do so. To legally ride an attraction, all of the following must be true:

• you have not already ridden that specific attraction
• you are allowed to ride an attraction in that level
• you can afford the Coin cost
• you meet the Fame requirement
• you meet the Joy requirement

To ride an attraction

1. Pay its Coin cost to the supply.
2. Apply your Fame discount if you have reached Fame 8.
3. Confirm you still meet the attraction's Fame and Joy requirements.
4. Place one of your markers on that attraction.
5. That attraction now counts for end game scoring.

Spent Coins always return to the central supply. Fame and Joy are not spent when riding attractions. They are thresholds only and are never moved down when used to qualify for a ride.

Ride Restrictions

Each player may visit 1 ride per level that they qualify for, in any level order they wish. Once a player has ridden 1 ride in each of the 3 levels, they may ride the other rides in the park, following the same ride restrictions:

1. You may only visit each specific ride once.
2. You may visit rides in any level order you desire.
3. You may only visit 1 ride per level until you have ridden 1 ride in all 3 levels.
4. After you have ridden 1 ride in all 3 levels, you may ride additional rides from any level, but never the same ride twice.

Declining to Ride

If you win a Ticket trick and can legally ride at least 1 attraction in a level you are currently allowed to ride, but choose not to, gain 1 Sadness. If you win a Ticket trick and cannot legally ride any attraction you are currently allowed to ride, nothing happens.

Fame Track

Joy Track

Sadness Track

Sadness runs from 0 to 10. Each Sadness is worth -2 VP at game end. Sadness has no milestone bonuses.

Coins

Coins are physical tokens, not a track. Coins are gained from Coin tricks and spent to ride attractions. There are no refunds in the base prototype.

End of Round Cleanup

After all players have played all cards from their hands, perform cleanup:

1. Each player keeps at most 12 Coins.
2. Any Coins above 12 are discarded back to the supply.
3. Gain 1 Sadness for every 2 discarded Coins, rounded up.
4. Gather all cards, shuffle, and deal the cards as evenly as possible to all players for the next round. Any extra cards are left unrevealed, face down, out of play for that round.

End of Game

After the 5th round and final cleanup, score the game.

Step 1: Score Attractions

Add the printed VP from all attractions you rode.

Step 2: Score Fame

Add any VP from Fame milestones you reached.

Step 3: Score Joy

Add any VP from Joy milestones you reached.

Step 4: Remove Sadness from Joy

If your Joy milestones let you remove Sadness, reduce your Sadness first.

Step 5: Subtract Sadness

Lose 2 VP for each remaining Sadness. The player with the most total VP wins.

Tie Breakers

If players are tied on VP

1. The tied player who rode more attractions wins.
2. If still tied, the tied player with more Fame wins.
3. If still tied, the tied player with less Sadness wins.
4. If still tied, the tied players share the victory.

Prototype Attraction Pool

Current note: use 2 attractions from each level in any given game. The full pool exists to allow mixing and matching within levels.

Level 1 Attractions

Level 2 Attractions

Level 3 Attractions