Overview

Riff Raff is a dexterity game in which players attempt to be the first to load all their cargo onto a swaying wooden pirate ship. Players simultaneously select numbered cards to determine where they place cargo items, then carefully balance wooden pieces on the ship’s hull and yardarms. Dropped cargo that is not caught must be added back to a player’s supply, extending the game for them.

Components

• 1 large wooden ship assembled from 10 parts on a movable base system
• 2 wave stands (placed in the game box)
• 3 yardarms labeled with numbers 5-10
• 40 playing cards (4 sets of 10 cards numbered 1-10, one set per player color)
• 32 cargo pieces (4 sets of 8 different wooden shapes: boat, barrel, flacon, box, sailor, plank, rat, chest)
• Wooden ring, ball-bar mechanism, and round bars for yardarm support

Setup

1. Place wave stands in the game box and insert the wooden ring and ball-bar mechanism to create the ship’s rocking base.
2. Assemble the ship on its base and attach the three yardarms to the central mast.
3. Each player takes one set of 10 numbered cards and one set of 8 cargo pieces of matching color.
4. In a two-player game, each player takes two sets of cargo (16 pieces total).

Turn Structure

Each round consists of two phases:

1. Card Phase: All players simultaneously select one card from their hand and place it face-down. Cards are then revealed simultaneously. The player who played the highest number becomes the captain and determines the order of play for the round.
2. Loading Phase: Starting with the captain and proceeding in the order chosen, each player selects one cargo piece and places it on the ship in the area matching the number on their played card.

Actions

Placing Cargo: On your turn, choose any one of your remaining cargo pieces and place it on the ship area matching your card number. Areas on the yardarms correspond to numbers 5-10; areas on the hull correspond to lower numbers.

Two-Piece Bonus: If the area on a yardarm already has at least one wooden piece, you may load two pieces instead of one on that turn.

Placement Rules:

• You may use one or both hands to place cargo.
• Cargo may protrude beyond the edges of its area but may not extend into other numbered areas.
• You cannot physically touch existing pieces already on the ship, though you may push them with the piece you are placing.

Dropped Cargo: If any cargo falls off the ship during your placement, your turn ends immediately. You may attempt to catch falling pieces. Pieces you catch are removed from the game. Pieces you fail to catch are added back to your personal cargo supply and must be loaded in future rounds.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The first player to place all of their cargo pieces onto the ship (having none left at the end of their turn) wins the game.

If all players have used all 10 of their cards without anyone emptying their supply, the player with the fewest remaining cargo pieces wins. In a two-player game, play continues through additional rounds using reshuffled cards until a winner is determined.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Tied card values: If two or more players play the same number, the captain (highest card player) decides the order among tied players.
• If cargo falls during another player’s turn, the pieces belong to whoever caused them to fall; they must catch them or add them to their own supply.
• The ship’s rocking mechanism means that weight distribution across the yardarms is critical; loading one side heavily can cause a chain reaction of falling pieces.

Player Reference

Card Number	Ship Area
1-4	Hull areas
5-10	Yardarm areas

Turn order: Highest card = captain (chooses order) > other players in chosen order.

Cargo set (per player): Boat, barrel, flacon, box, sailor, plank, rat, chest (8 pieces; 16 in 2-player game).