Overview

13 Dead End Drive is a deduction and survival board game set in the mansion of the recently deceased Aunt Agatha. Players control secret characters who are potential heirs to Aunt Agatha’s fortune, trying to eliminate opponents’ characters using the mansion’s deadly traps while getting their own characters to escape as the featured portrait on the wall. The game combines bluffing, deduction, and tactical movement.

Components

• Gameboard with assembled traps (3D mansion)
• 12 Character pawns with stands
• 1 Detective pawn
• 13 Character portrait cards
• 12 Character cards
• 29 Trap cards
• 2 Dice
• Rule book

Setup

1. Assemble the mansion on the gameboard (traps must be set up).
2. Randomly place character pawns on the red chairs in the center of the mansion.
3. Place the detective pawn outside the mansion at the starting position.
4. Shuffle the 13 portrait cards. Place them in the wall frame with Aunt Agatha’s portrait at the bottom, facing outward (this is the first displayed portrait).
5. Shuffle the 12 character cards. Deal based on player count:
   • 4 players: 3 character cards each
   • 3 players: 4 character cards each
   • 2 players: 4 visible character cards plus 2 secret (face-down) character cards each
6. Players keep their character cards hidden from other players.
7. Roll dice; highest goes first. Play proceeds to the left.

Turn Structure

On each turn, a player:

1. Rolls both dice.
2. Moves two different characters (one per die), OR in certain cases moves one character using both dice combined.
3. May activate a trap if a character lands on a trap space (see Trap Activation).

Actions

Movement Rules

• Move characters horizontally or vertically only (no diagonal movement).
• Cannot land on the same space twice per turn.
• Cannot move through furniture, other characters, or walls.
• Cannot move a character out of a starting chair until all characters have left their starting chairs (characters must leave chairs before anyone can be moved a second time).
• Secret Passages: Five secret passages on the board allow teleportation between any two passages. Moving into a passage costs movement points; exiting at another passage is free.

Double Rolls

When doubles are rolled, the player may optionally:

• Change the current portrait by moving the displayed portrait to the back of the portrait deck and revealing the next one.
• Move one pawn using the combined total of both dice, OR move two pawns using the shared die number.

Trap Activation

When any character pawn lands on a trap space:

1. The active player may play a matching trap card from their hand (this is optional).
2. If they choose not to play a card (or don’t have a matching card), they draw a card from the trap deck.
3. If the drawn card matches the trap, they may still choose to play it or keep it.
4. Playing a matching trap card triggers the trap, eliminating that character from the game.
5. If a Detective card is drawn instead, the detective pawn moves forward one space toward the mansion.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

A player wins by achieving any one of these conditions:

1. Portrait Escape: Move a character whose portrait is currently displayed on the wall onto the game-over tile (the exit). That character inherits Aunt Agatha’s fortune.
2. Detective Arrival: If the detective reaches the game-over spot, the character whose portrait is currently displayed on the wall inherits the fortune. The player who secretly holds that character’s card wins.
3. Last Character Standing: If all characters except one have been eliminated, the last surviving character’s player wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Portrait Changes: The displayed portrait determines who would win if escaping or when the detective arrives. Strategic portrait changes (via doubles) are key to winning.
• Two-Player Variant: Each player has 2 additional secret characters that cannot be eliminated. Play continues until a win condition is met, then all secret cards are revealed.
• Deduction: Players should track which characters other players are moving and protecting to deduce their secret identities.
• Trap Cards: Keep trap cards hidden. Having the right trap card at the right time is essential.
• Detective Movement: The detective advances only when Detective cards are drawn from the trap deck. The detective’s approach creates time pressure.
• Characters that are eliminated are removed from the board permanently along with their portrait card.

Player Reference

Turn Sequence:

1. Roll 2 dice
2. Move 2 different characters (1 per die)
3. Optionally trigger a trap if a character is on a trap space

Win Conditions (any one):

• Your character escapes while their portrait is displayed
• Detective arrives while your character’s portrait is displayed
• Your character is the last one alive

Doubles Bonus:

• May change the displayed portrait
• May combine dice for one character or split evenly

Player Card Distribution: | Players | Visible Cards | Secret Cards | |—|—|—| | 2 | 4 | 2 | | 3 | 4 | 0 | | 4 | 3 | 0 |