Benjamin Montana has become the president of the United States of America, He has
the built the gigantic wall that he subtly named after himself. Getting into America
was once a simple task but now buckle up, and get ready for the most difficult
task of your life, getting into America.
Your role as a player is to represent one of the four countries’ immigrants. The
goal of the game is to be the first person to enter the US. At the beginning of
each person’s turn, they will collect a chance card. Each chance card will give
you different opportunities, like go to the nearest Airport, advance 3 spaces,
collect a Skill or Asset card, or do not do anything this round. By the time you
reach the wall, you will be assessed based on those skills/assets to see whether
or not you’re fit to enter the United States. However, this assessment only
applies to players who try to enter legally. You can also enter by getting a
chance card saying: go through a tunnel to America or to another point on the
map or take an illegal boat/flight to America. By going in illegally, you will
not need to be assessed based on your skills and assets. Each way has its own
benefits and risks, but either way will give you a chance at winning.
If you collect a chance card during a turn, you will be forced to do whatever is on that card. Some cards are beneficial but others are detrimental to your status within the game. For example, one may say, “you have bought a ticket to go the nearest airport letting you fly to the other airport.” It can also say, “While trying to cross another countries borders, you have been caught and sent to jail. Within jail you can either wait and do nothing for three turns, or put 2 of your assets back in the pile and escape the jail. When you escape the jail, you will go to the first space, but you will lose the opportunity to enter the US legally.
While receiving a chance card, you may be given the ability
to take a skill or asset. For example, a chance card might tell you, “Take a
skill card or asset card of your choice.” These skills and assets you gain will
help pass the assessment when you reach the wall legally. You need 2 skills and
1 asset to enter the US legally. You also spend one asset for every time you use
a plane, boat, tunnel, or train, even if you use them illegally.
These abilities to skip spaces and go forward are
either granted by chance cards, or by landing on these tiles. When one lands on
an Airport, Boat, or Train space or gets a card saying to use these services,
they can take it legally or illegally. Remember, you have to be at most 4 spaces
away from the tool to use it if a card tells you to. If you are more than 4
spaces away from the utility, then move one forward for that turn instead of
using the tool. If one lands on a tunnel or is told to go in a tunnel from a
Chance card, it will always be illegal. If one lands on these spaces, they do
not have to use these, but if told to from a Chance card, they must follow these
instructions. However, if you are on the legal path, you do not have to follow
the instructions, but if illegal, then you must do it, even if it is detrimental
to you. You will also have to lose one asset card for every time you use one of
these means of transportation. If you don’t have any asset cards, then you can’t
use these utilities.
If one chooses or is forced to use an illegal route, they are regarded as a fugitive and cannot enter the US legally for the rest of the game. You cannot revert back to the legal path from the illegal path, so be careful what you choose to do. Legally, you need at least 2 skills and 1 asset to enter the US, but illegally you only need assets to use the Tunnels, Airports, and Harbors. One advantage that Legal has over Illegal is that Legal does not have to follow the instructions of an Airport/Boat/Train/Tunnel Chance Card. However, illegal must follow these instructions, even if detrimental to them.
A Chance card may tell you to go to jail. If it does, you will move your piece directly to the Jail tile, no matter where you are. In jail, you must stay for three turns and you will come out on the illegal path, but if one wishes to get out faster, they can escape the jail directly, but have two of their asset cards put back in the pile and become illegal. If you don’t have enough assets, you must wait for three turns. When you get out of jail, you must resume the game at the first space and will be on the illegal path for the rest of the game.
The goal of the game is to enter the US, beyond the Montana
Wall. If you are trying to enter the US legally, you must advance all the way to
the last tile. If a card tells you to go past the last tile, do not do this and
go directly to the last tile. Here, you will be assessed based on your skills
and assets. If you have at least 2 skills and 1 asset, you will pass the exam
and be able to enter the US legally. However, if you do not have the minimum
Skills and Assets, you will be deported all the way back to your home country
(the first space). If you want to enter the US illegally, you must enter by
means of an Airport, Boat, Tunnel, or Train. You will not need to be assessed
based on your skills and assets if entering the US illegally. When a person is
announced the winner, the other players will continue the game until the next
person reaches the US.