The Game of Life Rules and Instructions (Shop Life Board Game)

The Game of Life, also known as a Life board game, is a cellular automaton game devised by mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970. It is a zero-player game, meaning that its evolution is determined by its initial state and requires no further input. The life board game is played on a two-dimensional grid of square cells, each of which can be in one of two states: live or dead.

The Game of Life Board Game

The Game of Life Rules

“The Game of Life” is a board game designed for kids, teens, and adults, which simulates the journey of a person’s life, from early adulthood to retirement. The game includes different aspects of life, such as college, jobs, marriage, and children, which players experience as they move forward.

Components

1. Grid: The game is played on an infinite, two-dimensional orthogonal grid consisting of square cells, which are either alive or dead.
2. Initial Configuration: The game starts with an initial pattern called the seed, which consists of live and dead cells. The seed determines the starting state of the game.
3. Neighbors: The cells can interact with their eight neighboring cells, which are the cells that are horizontally, vertically, or diagonally adjacent.

Setup

• Each player chooses a car token and places it in the starting space.
• Decide on the number of players and distribute the money, career cards, salary cards, and action cards accordingly.
• Place the Life tiles, cards, and spinner within reach of all players.

Taking Turns

• The youngest player starts the game, and it progresses in a clockwise direction.
• The number of spaces to move is determined by the spinner rolls on spaces.
• Move your car token along the board toward the arrows.
• Follow the instructions on the space you land on, which may involve making choices, taking actions, or receiving money.

Career and Salary

When you land in a career space, you have the option to pursue that career by taking a career card. Careers have different salaries and requirements. When you land on a payday space, collect your salary from the bank or another player if they are your employer.

Family and Life Events

Throughout the game, you may encounter spaces that trigger family or life events. These events can have various effects, such as getting married, having children, or facing unexpected expenses.

Making Choices

The game presents players with choices at various points, such as whether to go to college, invest in stocks, or take risks. These choices can impact your finances, career, and overall success in the game.

Collecting Life Tiles

Whenever you land on a Life tile space, you can draw a Life tile. These tiles represent unique achievements, experiences, and assets that contribute to your overall wealth and success.

Retirement

Once all players reach the retirement space, the game enters the last phase. The players calculate their total wealth, including money, Life tiles, and other assets. The winner of the game is the player with the highest aggregate of wealth, as declared by the game.

How To Play The Game Of Life

The game starts with the youngest player going first. On each turn, players spin the spinner and move their car to the number of spaces marked by the arrow. However, players cannot move backward by the number of spaces they spin.

If they pass a green payday space, they must collect their salary as pointed out on their career card. And if they land on a green payday space, they collect an additional 100k bonus.

When a player lands on an action space, they must take the top action card from the deck and follow the instructions. Players must keep the action cards they draw on a face down pile.

To win the game, players must choose to retire at either Millionaire Estates or Countryside Acres. If they retire at Millionaire Estates and are the richest person to retire there, they have the chance to receive four additional LIFE tiles.

At the end of the game, all players must repay their loans, including the $5,000 interest, before they retire. When the draw pile runs out, players cannot pick up tiles from their discard pile unless they land on Life spaces.

All players must turn their Life Tiles message-side-up and add up the dollar amounts shown on their tiles. The player with the highest dollar amount wins.

Additional Life Board Game Rules

Apart from these basic life board game rules, there are other things players must understand during the game. For instance, if your opponent’s spin lands on your bonus number, other players must pay you money, and if you land on a yellow action space, you must take an action card and follow the instructions.

When you stop at an attraction, you must pay the entry fee to the bank. And if you’re playing with more than two players, on subsequent turns, you have to move to the space just ahead of another player if that space is already taken. After you complete your tasks or directions, your turn ends, and the play passes on to the next player.

When it’s your opponent’s turn to spin, you must place the amounts you want to bet on one or more numbers on the board. Each time you pick the right number, the Banker pays up to ten times the amount you set on that number.

For each spin, you cannot bet more than $20,000, nor cover more than two numbers on the board. When multiple players spend money on the same number, each will inform the Banker how much they have placed on that number.