2-4 Players 60 minutes From 12 years old
In 1923 the bootlegger Owney Madden acquired an establishment in Harlem, New York, and named it the “Cotton Club”. His idea was to use it as a cover to sell alcohol during Prohibition, but the place grew in popularity, and talented artists such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters and Cab Calloway turned it into a jazz mecca.
In 1923 Cotton Club you will oversee a club during the complex times of Prohibition. To smuggle in alcohol, you will have to look for partners in the criminal world and invest money to hire artists and improve your club. All to attract the most important and influential celebrities of the era...
COMPONENTS 2 boards (tracks and actions). 4 club boards. 12 wooden pawns in 4 colours. 20 wooden discs in 4 colours. 4 turn order tiles. 110 cards: - 17 improvements. - 17 gangsters. - 17 smuggling. - 17 artists. - 17 celebrities. - 25 events.
THE CARDS Acquisition cost Card type Influence, initiative, and Initial card icon criminality track modifiers Supplied resources box (weapons, Reputation points income, drink types, for the end of artist types...) the game. 1 SETUP
1 Place the track board on the left of 5 Give each player a club board, as the action board. Make sure they well as 5 wooden discs and 3 pawns are flipped to the correct in the same colour. side, according to the number of players. 6a The last player (according to the turn order tiles) places a disc on the“0” 2 Prepare one stack of cards per card value of the initiative and criminal- type (events, improvements, gang- ity tracks, and on the “5” value of sters, smuggling, artists and celebri- the reputation track. The rest of the ties) and set aside the event cards. players, in reverse turn order (from the highest to the lowest turn order For each card type, sepa- tile), place their discs on top of the rately shuffle the initial previous player’s discs. cards (marked with two arrows) and then shuffle 6b For the influence track, the first the rest of the cards. Place the initial player (turn order tile 1) places a cards on top of the rest of the cards. disc on “0”, the second player places This will create a single face down theirs on “1”, the third player on “2” stack of cards for every type, with the and the fourth player on“3”. initial cards on top. 6c The players place their fifth and last 3 Draw and place a row of four cards disc on the money track on their of every type to the right of the club board: the first player will start corresponding action on the action with $6, the second with $7, the board. Place the stack of remaining third with $8 and the fourth with $9. cards face down at the end of the row. 7 Shuffle the event cards previously set aside and prepare a stack of five 4 The player who listened to jazz facedown cards to form the event music most recently will be the draw pile. starting player. Give them the turn order tile with the number “1”. Deal the other turn order tiles clockwise in ascending order.
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2 HOW TO PLAY 8 Deal another five face down event The game is played over a maximum of cards to each player. They will six rounds. Each round has four phases: secretly select three to keep and discard the other two face down. PHASE 1: EVENTS Place the rest of the events cards with the discarded ones back into Don’t play this phase during the first the box, they will not be used during round of the game. this game. Take the top card of the event draw pile Everything is now ready to and place it face down to start the row of start the game! round events. In turn order, each player, can add one of their event cards to the THE ICONS right side of the row, also face down. Influence. You will use it to get celebrity cards. Initiative. It will establish the new turn order at the end of each round. Criminality. It will be increased when obtaining PHASE 2: ACTIONS gangsters and smuggling. Some events, and the Each action, except the loan, final scoring, will penalise has several spaces depending whoever has the most. on the number of players. Only one pawn can occupy Reputation. Represents how famous your club is. each space. The top spaces The player with the high- are more beneficial than the est reputation at the end lower ones. of the game wins. Following the turn order tiles, each player, must: 1.- Place one of their pawns in the first 2 available uppermost space of the desired action. When all spaces are full that action cannot be used.
2.- If there is one, receive the bonus or penalty in the chosen space. 3.- Perform the action for the chosen space: improve your club, associate with a gangster, smuggle alcohol, hire an artist, attract a celebrity, ask for a loan, 6c or get a tip-off.
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Setup for a three player game. 3 1 2
3 Example: Carla (yellow) is the first to place a pawn on the artist action and doesn’t get any penalty. She hires Ethel Waters for $7. Rafa (blue) places second and pays the penalty of $1 to hire Willie Bryant for $8. Jesus (red) is the last placing and must pay $2 as penalty. He chooses to hire Bill “Bojangles” Robinson for $6 out of the two remaining artists.
When every player has placed one pawn IMPORTANT: the players must complete and performed the associated action, the action where they place their pawn. the players repeat the previous steps in You cannot place a pawn just to occupy a the same order until they have placed all space and slow down a rival. three of their pawns. Improvements Finally, if one or more players have placed There are five different pawns on the tip-off action space, they improvement card types: now reposition them in another available action space. The pawn in the uppermost Logístics: improves your tip-off space choses their action first and initiative, sometimes by performs that action. These pawns will paying dollars, some- therefore perform two actions this round times raising your crimi- (the tip-off and the and the action associ- nality. ated with the new position). Club reforms: increases your club reputation by Example: after all the spending dollars. players have placed their Bribery: decreases the 1 pawns, Rafa (1) will repo- sition his pawn from the criminality by paying tip-off action to a different dollars, or increases the 2 one. Then Carla (2) will do influence by getting the same. criminality. Advertising: increases your influence by paying dollars RESOLVING TIES Security: supplies extra If several discs are on the weapons in addition to same influence, initiative those from your gang- or criminality track space, sters (see below). the player with the disc on top of the others is Select one of the available improvements considered first on and perform its action. Leave the card in a that track. face down stack close to your club board. However, “Security” improvements will be Example: the first player in placed like other cards, tucked in your club. the initiative track is Jesús Some improvement cards give reputation (red), the second Carla points at the end of the game. (yellow) and the third Rafa (blue). NOTE: Some cards present two improve- ment options. You must choose one. 4 Gangsters, Smuggling, Some smuggling cards Artists and Celebrities require you to have a certain number of weap- Choose one of the available ons to acquire them. cards in the row correspond- ing with the action and pay NOTE: the weapons are not discarded the cost in dollars (or influ- when they are used, you just need to ence for celebrities). Then, have them. adjust your tracks. The reputation points will only be taken into account at The initiative track awards the end of the game. an immediate bonus when you reach the following IMPORTANT: by raising levels marked level: above the maximum or lowering Level 4. You gain 1$. them below the minimum, you Level 6. You gain one gain or lose reputation points as influence point. indicated on the board. Level 8. You gain one reputation point.
PLACING CARDS To attract a celebrity, you will need to Tuck any acquired cards under pay with influence. Each celebrity has your club board so the illustration their own preferences about drinks and is covered and the icons on the artists, so they can be attracted more right are visible. This way the icons easily by certains clubs. Each icon in your used during the game can be seen club matching the icons on the left of by every player but the reputation the celebrity card will equal a discount of points are hidden. one influence point. If the icon appears two times, it will give double the discount.
Example: to attract Gloria Swanson to your club will cost 12 influence points. Every singer and musician icon you already have in your club will dis- Example: if you associate with count one point, and every beer icon Charles “Lucky” Luciano you pay $8 will discount two influence points. You and increase your criminality and have one beer and three singer icons initiative tracks by two. It will give in your club, therefore you attract you two reputation points at the Gloria Swanson by spending 12-5=7 end of the game. influence points. 5 Loan END OF THE GAME This action space can hold any number of pawns. When you The game can finish in two different ways: take out a loan increase your money track by $5 and increase when finishing the sixth round (and the your criminality track by one. event stack with it). or, if any draw pile is empty when Tip-off filling-up the rows, the next round will Secretly look at the cards in be the last one. the row of round events. Don’t change their position. At the end of phase 2 you will repo- sition this pawn to another POLITICIANS available action (see page 4). When the game is over, before scor- ing, each player in reverse turn order (from higher to lower turn order PHASE 3: EVENTS RESOLUTION card) decides if they want to bribe the politicians they have among Don’t play this phase during the first their celebrities. round of the game. Players can choose to pay $3 for each The first player reveals the event card on politician icon to the left and all players carry out the action drop one level of on the card. Repeating this process for criminality. each card, one by one, from left to right.
EVENTS Events affect all players. IMPORTANT!: If you must pay dollars because of an event and you don’t have Secret Stash enough, you will have to pay with one Gain one reputation point reputation point for every 2 dollars you for every icon of the indi- are lacking (rounding down). cated type (wine, beer or whisky) displayed on your PHASE 4: INCOME AND MAINTENANCE club cards. Jazz Time! All players recover their pawns from the Gain one reputation point boards. Each player then receives the for every icon of the indi- following income and adds it to their cated type (dancer, musi- money track: cian, or singer) displayed as many dollars as there are on your club cards. income icons displayed on the Prohibition cards tucked in their club. Gain $2 for every icon of and as many dollars as cards remaining the indicated type (wine, in the event stack. beer, whisky) displayed on your club cards. Fill-up the empty spaces for every row by Live Music! drawing cards from the corresponding stack. Gain $2 for every icon of the indicated type (dancer, Distribute the turn order tiles among musician, or singer) dis- the players by giving tile 1 to the player played on your club cards. with the most points on the influence track, tile 2 to the second and so on. 6 FINAL SCORING The Cotton Club opened in 1923. Starting with the points the players have Initially, it did not allow black people already achieved on the reputation tracker, to enter, although it did host the they add or subtract points based on the largest ensemble of black music, following conditions: dance and singing talents. Add reputation points on theirclub cards, In 1935, due to social pressure, it including the improvements cards. opened its doors to everyone and Add one reputation point for everyfive remained that way until 1940. remaining dollars on their money track. Changes in fashions, high rents and pressure from the federal The player with the highest influence level government (who were pursuing wins three additional reputation points. tax evasion from nightclub owners) The player with the highest initiative level led to its closure. wins two additional reputation points. Many replica clubs emerged over The player with the highest criminality the following decades. Despite loses five reputation points, the second its relationships with the criminal highest loses three. world, and its racial problems, the Cotton Club left a musical and artis- The player with the highest reputation is the tic legacy that has been influential winner. In the event of a tie, the player among around the world. them with the most weapons is the winner. If there is still a tie, the victory is shared.
More Raids! Second Amendment The player(s) with the most Gain $2 for every weapon criminality level loses two displayed on your club reputation points. The cards. player(s) with the least, gains two reputation points.
Harlem Fever Police Tribute The player(s) with the most The player(s) with the most artist cards displayed on criminality level loses two their club gains three influence points. The reputation points. player(s) with the least, Last Drink gains two influence points. The player(s) with the most Mob Shooting smuggling cards displayed The player(s) with the most on their club gains three weapon icons in their club reputation points. gains two reputation points. The player(s) with the least, Glamour Night loses one reputation point. The player(s) with the most celebrity cards displayed on Night Theft their club gains three Each player pays $8. Reduce reputation points. this cost by $2 for every weapon you have displayed Cosa Nostra on your club cards. Remem- The player(s) with the most ber, that you will have to pay gangster cards displayed on with one reputation point for their club gains $5. every $2 you are lacking (rounding down). 7 TWO PLAYER GAME The rules are the same, but a third fic- PHASE 4: INCOME AND MAINTENANCE titious player namedSalvatore will also play. Apply the following changes to the Discard the left most card for every normal rules: Salvatore pawn in each row. Next slide to the left the remaining cards and fill-up SETUP each row with new cards from the corre- sponding stack. Allocate Salvatore three pawns of an unused colour. Place one on the tip-off As well as their own pawns, each player action at the beginning of the game and also recovers one Salvatore pawn. give another one to each player. NEW ROUND PHASE 2: ACTIONS Each round, the first Salvatore The turn order will be the same as pawn will be placed in the top described before (by using the turn order space of a different action: tiles), but the players will also place their Salvatore pawn, just before the rival Round 1. Tip-off. player will place their second pawn. Players do not receive any bonus/penalty Round 2. Improvements. Round 3. Gangsters. Example: Carla (yellow) starts the round with more initiative than Jesús Round 4. Smuggling. (red). Salvatore is the blue colour. The Round 5. Artists. order to place their pawns will be: Round 6. Celebrities. 1 2 + 3 4 + 5 6 7 8 SCORING Salvatore does not score. Count the final reputation points as per the normal game. The only change is that the player Jesús places his blue pawn 3 just before Carla places her second with the highest criminality level will lose three reputation points and the other pawn 4 . Carla will place her blue player will lose no points. pawn 5 just before Jesús places his second pawn 6 .
nor perform any action when placing 1923 COTTON CLUB the Salvatore pawn. Try to guess which Game Design: Pau Carles actions are best for your rival and place Ilustration & Design: Pedro Soto your Salvatore pawn accordingly. But be Development and rules: careful! If you place it on an action space Perepau Llistosella and Pako you are also interested in, Salvatore Cantarero could hinder you too. Translation: Pako Cantarero and Board Game Review UK
Designer’s thanks: To all those that encouraged me to design games. It was probably not the best advice, but I thank you anyway! All photographs used in event cards are royalty free and public domain. The copyright Published by: Looping Games S.L. belongs to their respective authors. (www.loopinggames.com) 8 Count Basie (1904-1984) Was a pianist and big-band leader. His musical innovations ensured that his modest band possessed Adelaide Hall (1901-1993) the most influential swing style Jazz singer, she made her debut at of the era. a very young age. Duke Ellington saw her talent and incorporated Duke Ellington (1899-1974) her into his band. She achieved Composer, bandleader and pianist. great success with her soprano In 1923 he settled in New York with voice and a dense timbre. his quintet The Washingtonians. His time at the Cotton Club brought Aida Ward (1903-1984) him fame and allowed him to make Jazz singer, rose to fame during films and tour the world. the 1920s and 1930s in New York, on Broadway and at the Cotton Earl “Snakehips” Tucker Club, where she regularly per- (1906-1937) formed with Duke Ellington and By exploiting his great flexibility, he Cab Calloway. created a particular style of dance, similar to the movement of snakes. Bessie Dudley (1904-1999) This signature style and gave him Authentic Jazz dancer, worked his stage names “Snakehips” and closely with Earl Tucker and “Human Boa Constrictor”. adopted his signature “Snakehips” moves combining them with tap. Ethel Waters (1896-1977) She was the highest paid New Bessie Smith (1894-1937) York singer of her day. She was She was known as the “Empress the first black actress in a white of the Blues” and was one of the Broadway show and was nomi- most influential singers of the era. nated for an Oscar as supporting A tireless worker, she became actress at the 1949 Oscars for Elia the highest paid black artist of Kazan’s Pinky. her time. “Fats” Waller (1904-1943) Bill “Bojangles” Robinson Born in Harlem, Thomas Wright (1878-1949) Waller was a great pianist, organ- Remembered for his signature ist, singer, and jazz bandleader, staircase number, this tap dancer as well as a consistently good-hu- had a long career that spanned moured musician. vaudeville, Broadway, film, radio and television. Florence Mills (1896-1927) Singer, dancer, and actress. She Cab Calloway (1907-1994) shone on Broadway in 1921 with Singer, musician, orchestra direc- the show Shuffle Along, which con- tor, actor, dancer, and composer. tributed to the Harlem revival. She His signature style helped pro- died young and is remembered as mote the zoot suit to become the “The Queen of Happiness”. peak of pre-war fashion. Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) Chick Webb (1905-1939) Dancer and choreographer with a Jazz and swing percussionist from background in anthropology. She the age of 17. In 1935, he began founded her own school where promoting a still teenage Ella she was a teacher and director, Fitzgerald as a vocalist in his band. and between 1965 and 1966 she was an advisor to the Senegalese Ministry of Culture. 9 Leonard Reed (1907-2004) Fanny Brice (1891-1951) As a young man he entered and Jewish singer, stage, and film won a Charleston contest for actress. For more than 20 years white men. That victory changed she performed on radio playing his career path and, together an irritating little girl named with Willie Bryant, he created the “Snooks”. routine known as Shim Sham. Gloria Swanson (1899-1983) Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) Actress, best known for her roles Master of the trumpet, he is in the silent films of the 1920s and renowned for his virtuosity in 1930s. The advent of talkies, and improvisation. He began to be a poor scripts, stalled her career, but great influence on New York jazz she regained her success in 1950 musicians with his own group, with “Sunset Boulevard”. until he became world famous. Irving Berlin (1888-1989) Willie Bryant (1908-1964) One of the most prolific compos- He started out as a dancer and ers in history. He scored over 1500 trumpeter before setting up his songs, including 20 scores for first big band where he performed Broadway shows and 15 Holly- as a soloist. He was the master of wood films. ceremonies at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem in the 1950s. James Cagney (1899-1986) The most important film star of the 1930s. His success in Public Enemy (1931) will be remembered for his role as a gangster, but he had a flair for dance, drama, and comedy.
Charles Chaplin (1889-1977) James Farley (1888-1976) English actor, comedian, screen- One of the first politicians of Irish writer, producer, director... Catholic origin. He was Roosevelt’s a cinema legend. He made his campaign manager and was debut in silent films with his responsible for his victory. For character Charlot in 1914, and his over 30 years he was head of films The Gold Rush, City Lights, Coca-Cola. Modern Times and The Great Dictator were all notable. James John Walker (1881-1946) After serving in the US Senate, Christopher Morley (1890-1957) he was elected mayor of New Intelligent, lucid, and sophisticated, York from 1926 to 1932. During he travelled throughout the United his term of office, he discouraged States as a columnist and reporter. prosecution of Prohibition viola- He was one of the most prestigious tions. Corruption cases led to his writers of his time, with his refined resignation. style and subtle humour. Jimmy Durante (1893-1980) Edward J. Flynn (1891-1953) Actor, singer, pianist and come- Sheriff of Bronx County, he dian, who became a star of show pursued a political career with the business and radio. His large nose Democratic Party. He went on to and his constant jokes about accompany Roosevelt to the Yalta it earned him the nickname conference and later had a key “Schnozzola”. role in Truman’s election. 10 Jimmy Hines (1876-1957) One of Tammany Hall’s most powerful leaders. He had access to many Mafia-related busi- nesses. His power waned with Al “Scarface” Capone (1899-1947) the resignation of James J. Walker His nickname was because he as Mayor of New York. had several slashes to his face. He was the mob boss in Chicago Langston Hughes (1901-1967) and, as a jazz lover, opened his Poet, novelist and playwright own “Cotton Club” there, putting who began as a journalist for the his brother Ralph in charge. Eliot NAACP (National Association Ness sent him to Alcatraz prison for the Advancement of Colored for tax evasion, from which he was People) and participated in the released ruined and ill. Harlem Renaissance cultural movement of the 1920s. Albert “Mad Hatter” Anastasia (1902-1957) Mae West (1893-1980) Crime boss and hitman who One of the first actresses to was charged for murder on become a sex symbol. She battled several occasions, but was always censorship throughout her career, acquitted because witnesses with her unique brand of wit and disappeared. Became a US citizen risqué references causing upset for his assistance in World War II among the conservative ideals and lived in a 25-room mansion held by many. on a hill.
Robert F. Wagner (1877-1953) Bugsy Siegel (1906-1947) Long career politician and New Ukrainian Jew and one of the York state election winner, founders of “Murder, Inc.”, a Democratic state senate leader, national hitman organisation. Supreme Court justice, senator Founder of Las Vegas, he directed and close associate and strong the construction of the Flamingo supporter of President Roosevelt. Hotel and was a friend of cinema stars such as Clark Gable, Cary Stanley Walker (1898-1962) Grant and Gary Cooper. Editor of the New York Herald Tribune during the first half of the Carlo Gambino (1902-1976) 20th century. His first book, The Albert Anastasia’s right-hand man, Night Club Era, published in 1933, until he had him killed so that he chronicled the colourful nightlife could succeed him as head of the in the outlaw clubs of NY. Gambino family. He hated drugs and was involved in trucking, Sophie Tucker (1886-1966) construction, unions, and rubbish Sonya Kalish was a Russian-born collection. American singer, comedian, actress and radio personality. Her Charles “Lucky” Luciano fame spread across Europe and (1897-1962) in 1926 she performed for King Considered the most important George V and Queen Mary at the gangster of his time and one of London Palladium. the creators of the Cosa Nos- tra. He survived a big beating, Thomas E. Dewey (1902-1971) hence the nickname “Lucky”. He Relentless prosecutor fighting betrayed two bosses in one year corruption and organised crime to be the family leader. in New York. He achieved great success against Lucky Luciano. 11 Dutch Schultz (1901-1935) Joseph Bonnano (1905-2002) Bloodthirsty and impulsive, As a child, he left Italy on a fishing he engaged in bootlegging, boat and, years later, became one racketeering, and swindling. He of the youngest Mafia bosses at was persecuted by prosecutor the age of 26. He was a millionaire Thomas E. Dewey (a candidate thanks to his many business ven- for the White House) and Schultz tures but led a very austere life. wanted to kill him, but the Crime Syndicate didn’t let him do it and Owney Madden (1891-1965) solved it by murdering him to Nicknamed “The Killer”, he was the avoid trouble. owner of the “Cotton Club”, which acquired the heavyweight boxing Frank Costello (1891-1973) champion Jack Johnson after his Head of Luciano’s family while release from prison. He was one of Luciano was in prison, he never car- those responsible for the murder of ried a gun because as a young man Mad Dog Coll when the latter tried he was imprisoned for it. Called to extort money from him. “The Prime Minister of the Under- world” for his political influence. Salvatore Maranzano (1886-1931) George “Big Frenchy” De Mange He was sent to New York from Sicily (1896-1939) by Don Vito. A highly educated and He was Owney Madden’s right- well-read person, he organised hand man, and with him, owner the Mafia in the image of the of the Cotton Club and other New Roman Empire, creating the 5 great York clubs. He would later become families, and proclaimed himself a boxing promoter and manager “capo di tutti I capi”(Boss of all of champions such as Max Baer bosses). Shortly afterwards he was and Primo Carnera. assassinated in his office.
Jack “Legs” Diamond (1897-1931) Tommy Lucchese (1899-1967) Bootlegger and gangster famed Smuggler and head of the “Luc- for his ability to dodge assassi- chese” family. He managed the nation attempts for 15 years. He textile and trucking industry thanks travelled to Europe to buy whisky to the control of trade unions and on the pretext of getting a cure, trade associations. As a young man but he was unsuccessful and he lost two fingers in a workshop deported. and was nicknamed “Three Fingers”.
Jacob Shapiro (1899-1947) Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll Russian-born mobster, he (1908-1932) infiltrated labour unions and Irish hitman nicknamed “Mad assassinated their leaders to Dog” for allegedly accidentally control industrial workers for two wounding four children and killing decades, extorting money from one. He was acquitted in a media unions and companies. Jailed for trial but died at the age of 23, shot conspiracy in 1944, he died in in a pharmacy phone box. prison of a heart attack. Vito Genovese (1891-1969) Joe Masseria (1886-1931) He worked for Joe Masseria and Head of one of the two Italian would later be one of his assas- families that fought for control sins on Lucky Luciano’s orders. of New York. He was nicknamed When Luciano went to prison, he “the man who can dodge bullets” remained in charge of the family. He because he survived two attacks. died in prison for heroin trafficking. 12