FOR 3 TO 7 PLAYERS AGES 8 AND UP
GAME IDEA
As a team, the bicycle couriers are – nearly – unbeatable! But which courier company has the fastest team?
To decide the answer, they hold a great race through the city. The course is tricky, since the couriers’ sturdy
bikes have trouble with treacherous manhole covers along the route. Deciding which team rides to victory
remains exciting right through to the end of the race.
GAME COMPONENTS
35 bicycle courier figures: 7 teams (in team colors red, black,
yellow, white, green, grey and blue), each made up of 5 couriers
7 team dice in team colours
(red, black, yellow, white, green, grey and blue)
1 energy die
(light blue)
28 energy drink cans
(light blue)
1 sticker sheet
Before playing for the first time, attach the stickers
to the front and back of the identically colored
playing figures. Important: The stickers’ shapes
correspond to the playing figure shapes. Take care
to make sure each sticker is attached to a figure
with a matching shape.
1 rules booklet
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GAME SETUP
Choose a team and take the team die and bicycle couriers in that color.
The number of bicycle couriers that each team is made up of depends on the
number of players taking part:
1 game board
Depending on the number of players, count out the appropriate number of energy
drink cans and place them next to the game board as a common supply:
– with 3 players use 15 cans. – with 4 or 5 players use 20 cans.
– with 6 players use 24 cans. – with 7 players use 28 cans.
- with 3 or 4 players each player receives 5 couriers.
- with 5, 6 or 7 players each player receives 4 couriers.
Return any unused energy drink cans to the box.
Return any unused couriers and team dice to the box.
Note: Players do not start the game with any energy drink cans.
Each player chooses one of their bicycle couriers to act as team captain. These
figures are placed in front of each player as a reminder of which team they are
leading and do not take part in the race.
Each player places their remaining couriers onto the start space on the game board.
Choose a start player.
Place the game board in the middle of the table so that all players can easily reach
it. The board shows the city street that will act as a race course. The course is made
up of different spaces:
1. The start space is the parking lot. All bicycle couriers are located here to start
the game.
GAMEPLAY
The start player begins. Play then continues in clockwise direction. On your turn,
you complete your turn in full, after which play passes to the next player on your
left.
At the start of your turn, you must decide whether you want to carry out a solo ride
or a group ride. You roll the die and move one of your bicycle couriers.
2. The goal spaces are the 8 green spaces behind the finish line. This is where
couriers that have crossed the finish line are placed.
For a solo ride, you may only decide which courier to move after rolling the die.
3. Supply spaces are the spaces on the course showing the image of an energy
drink can. Players can collect energy drinks with their couriers on supply spaces.
Supply spaces will be outlined in greater detail later in these rules.
For a group ride, you must choose a space which one of your team members is
sharing with at least one other courier from a different team before rolling the die.
4. Obstacle spaces are the spaces on the course showing the image of a
manhole cover. If a courier’s movement ends on an obstacle space, then he
must either move backwards or use an energy drink. Obstacle spaces will be
outlined in greater detail later in these rules.
Additionally, you can use energy drink cans.
5. Course spaces are the spaces on the course without any images on them.
The game ends as soon as one player has three team members across the finish
line or when a total of eight bicycle couriers have finished the race.
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General rules for moving bicycle couriers
– Bicycle couriers must always move exactly as many spaces as indicated
by the chosen die result.
– You may not discard excess movement points unless your courier crosses
the finish line.
– There is no limit to the number of couriers that may be on any given space,
except for the goal spaces (which may contain only one courier).
– The active player is always the first player to move his courier.
– Players may use energy drink cans to try and gain benefits for their couriers.
Energy boost – before rolling
Initiate a sprint – before rolling
Drafting – while moving
Overcome obstacle spaces – after moving
The benefits are described in greater detail later in these rules. Whenever an
energy drink can is used, return it to the common supply.
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SOLO RIDE
GROUP RIDE
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If you choose to carry out a group ride, then you must
choose a space before rolling the die. The space you
choose must contain at one of your bicycle couriers along with at least one
additional courier from a different team.
Riding in a group can provide more options for moving a courier. However, it can
also provide benefits to another courier in the group.
Take the team dice for each team represented by at least one courier in the group
and roll them at the same time.
Note: The affected players must give the active player their team dice –
they may not refuse to give them up.
After rolling, you must choose one die.
If you choose your own team die, then you choose one of your own bicycle
couriers in the group and move it forward the corresponding number of spaces.
If you choose an opponent’s team die, then you choose one of your own bicycle
couriers in the group and one belonging to the team whose die you’ve chosen to use
and move them both forward the corresponding number of spaces.
Afterwards, return all team dice back to the other players.
If you choose to carry out a solo ride, you roll your team die
and then choose one of your bicycle couriers and move him
as many spaces towards the goal as the number rolled.
EXAMPLE: Group ride
If you collect energy drink cans over the course of the game, then you can use
them to gain certain benefits:
Energy boost – If, on your turn, you pay one energy drink can
before rolling, then you may roll the light blue energy die along
with your team die. Afterwards, you can decide which of the two die results you
want to use and move your courier that many spaces towards the goal.
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Initiate a sprint – If, on your turn, you pay two energy
drink cans before rolling, then you may roll the light blue
energy die along with your team die. Afterwards, you can decide whether you want
to use either of the two die results or their sum and move your courier that many
spaces towards the goal. Additionally, no other players may draft along behind you
(see drafting, below).
Drafting – If there are other bicycle couriers on the space
from which the solo ride originates, then these couriers may
now draft. For each courier that wishes to draft, players must pay one energy
drink. Drafting means moving to the same space as the courier who carried out
the solo ride.
Starting with the active player, each player in clockwise order may decide if he
wishes to draft or not.
You may not draft from the start space.
Bernd (blue) rolls for the group on space 6. As both Rita (red) and Gerd (yellow) have couriers in the
group, he rolls the blue, red and yellow team dice. He rolls a 1 and two 3s. Now he must choose one
die and make the move.
If you collect energy drink cans over the course of the game, then you can use them
to gain certain benefits:
Energy boost – Only the active player can choose to boost energy
as described previously.
In addition to your team die and the light blue energy die, you roll all team dice for
the other couriers on the chosen space. If you choose to use the result from your
own die or the energy die, then you only have to move your own courier forward
the corresponding number of spaces.
Note: The energy die thus increase the choice of die results and reduces
the risk of having to move another courier forward as well.
EXAMPLE: Drafting
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Initiate a sprint – This is not permitted with a group ride.
Drafting – All other couriers in the group can choose to draft
as previously described.
Bernd (blue) has rolled a 6 and decides to move one of his couriers from space 33 to space 27 (not
shown), as it is a supply space with an energy drink can. Bernd has one energy drink left and chooses
to use it to let his other blue courier draft along. Gerd (yellow) also has an energy drink left and decides to have his courier draft along as well. Once all bicycle couriers have moved, Bernd receives the
energy drink can for the space. He doesn’t receive a second can for his second courier, nor does Gerd.
SUPPLY SPACE
If, on your turn, you move one of your couriers to a supply space,
then you receive one energy drink can from the common supply.
Any other couriers who land on the same space, either from a
group ride or from drafting, receive nothing.
If the common supply is empty and you are to receive an energy drink can, then you
can take one from the supply of the player who has the most instead. If there is a tie,
then you can choose which tied player to take an energy drink from. If you are the
player with the most energy drinks, then you can’t take one from an opponent, even
in the event of a tie!
OBSTACLE SPACE
CROSSING THE FINISH LINE
The first courier to cross the finish line is moved to the green space the furthest
away from the finish line. This is first place. The remaining spaces are filled in
order, forming second through eighth place. This determines the courier finishing
order for the end of the game.
If one of your couriers ends its movement on an obstacle space,
then you must move your courier back to the next empty
obstacle space in the direction of the start space. If all obstacle spaces between your courier and the start space are occupied, then you must
move your courier all the way back to the start space again.
You may only use your own team die to have one of your couriers cross the
finish line.
Overcome obstacle spaces
You may pay one energy drink can to avoid having to move your courier backwards.
GAME END
When one of your couriers crosses the finish line, no other couriers, including
those from the same team, may draft along.
Each individual courier, including those that land on an obstacle space through a
group ride or drafting, must either be moved backwards or pay an energy drink can.
The active player decides first, followed by the other players in clockwise direction.
The game ends as soon as all eight goal spaces behind the finish line have
been filled.
The player who managed to get the most couriers over the finish line is the winner.
In the event of a tie, then the winner is the tied player whose courier crossed the
finish line last.
Note: Bicycle couriers that were already on the obstacle space at the start
of the turn are naturally not affected.
The game also ends immediately should one player manage to get three bicycle
couriers across the finish line. That player has won the great race and proven that
he has the best team among the courier services.
Whenever you have to move one of your couriers backwards, you receive one
energy drink can from the common supply.
Any energy drink can you receive in this manner can be immediately used to prevent
another courier from having to move backwards as well.
Bernd (blue) and Rita (red) have the most couriers over the finish line with two each. As Rita’s last courier
is in seventh place while Bernd’s last courier is in eighth place, Bernd is the winner.
SOME HINTS
Gerd (yellow) rolls for the group on space 4 His team die shows a 2, while Bernd’s (blue) shows a 3
and Rita’s (red) shows a 6. As he can only cross the finish line by using his own die, the 6 on Rita’s
die unfortunately doesn’t help him very much (see: „CROSSING THE FINISH LINE“).
EXAMPLE: Obstacle space
He decides to use the 3 from Bernd’s die. First, Gerd moves one of his couriers along with Bernd’s
courier to space 1. Gerd is then the first to decide if he wants his other courier to draft along. He pays
one can and moves his second courier forward as well. It is now Rita’s turn. She also decides to draft,
paying one energy drink can. Now, all couriers have landed on an obstacle space and the players must
decide if they want to pay energy drink cans to overcome the obstacle.
As it is Gerd’s turn, he has to decide first. As he has no energy drink can left, he must move his first
courier back to space 3. For this he receives an energy drink can which he uses to pay for his second
courier to overcome the obstacle. Rita is next to decide and pays an energy drink can to overcome
the obstacle. It is now Bernd’s turn and since he doesn’t have any energy drink cans, he must move
his courier backwards. As space 3 is occupied, he must move his courier back to space 5. For this he
receives an energy drink can, although he’s now one space further away from the finish line as before.
When rolling for a group ride, you should carefully consider which die result to use.
If you use an opponent’s die then you’re helping an opponent get ahead. It’s often
better to pass up one or two movement points instead of choosing the die from
the player who is already in the lead.
Energy drink cans can be very helpful in many different situations. You should
therefore be careful to make sure you have enough to last through the end of the
game. It can be very frustrating to land on an obstacle space just ahead of the finish
line and not have an energy drink left to pay. This can cause your courier to fall far
behind because a whole row of obstacle spaces are occupied by other couriers.
And don’t forget: No other couriers can follow when you sprint! It is therefore
sometimes worth it to pay two energy drink cans to sprint and open up some space
between you and the other couriers – even if the die result isn’t as good as you’d
hoped for!
VeloCity naturally has some luck elements through the dice, however timely use
of energy drink cans can minimize it. The start player also has a small advantage,
however it is not large enough to determine the outcome.
Author: Kevin G. Nunn, Illustration: Harald Lieske
Layout rules: Christian Fiore, www.das-format.de
Translation: Patrick Korner
© 2010 ABACUSSPIELE Verlags GmbH & Co. KG, Dreieich
All rights reserved. Made in Germany. www.abacusspiele.de
EXAMPLE: Tie
Whenever you have to move one of your couriers back to the start space, you
receive two energy drink cans from the common supply.