Instructions Auf Heller und Pfennig

Objective of the Game

In "Auf Heller und Pfennig" (also known as "Hat-Trick" in some regions), the goal is to accumulate the highest possible number of coins by strategically placing shops and attracting lucrative customers in a market setup.

Game Components

• A game board with an 8x8 grid.
• Various shop tiles, each representing a type of shop.
• Customer tiles with different values (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 coins).
• Customers represented by distinguishable colored figures.

Setup

1. Setting up the board: Place the game board in the center.
2. Shuffle shop tiles: Each player receives an equal number of shop tiles.
3. Select starting player: Decide who will begin the game.

Gameplay

The game is played over several rounds until all shop tiles are used.

1. Drawing a customer: Each round, every player draws a customer tile from a bag and places it in the center of the table.
2. Placing shops: Players take turns placing one of their shop tiles on a free space on the board. Consider the adjacent spaces, especially those with customer tiles, as they influence the earnings.
3. Scoring points: When a shop tile is placed such that adjacent customers fall within its influence area (i.e., directly adjacent spaces), the player earns coins equal to the surrounding customer values.
4. Ending the round: A new round begins with a new customer draw.

Scoring

At the end of the game, each player sums all their earned coin values. The player with the most coins wins.

Strategic Tips

• Shop strategy: Position shops near high-value customers.
• Block opponents: Occupy valuable spaces to prevent opponents from gaining points.
• Flexibility: Be prepared to adapt your strategy based on other players’ moves and randomly drawn customers.

The game is celebrated for its balance of strategy and chance, as the random customer tiles and opponent decisions offer dynamic challenges.