Der Räuber Hotzenplotz

Kai Haferkamp's Der Räuber Hotzenplotz is another game based on the Otfried Preußler children's book of the same name.

In this game the Hotzenplotz robbers have stolen a wagon of gold, but thankfully Kasper and Seppl – characters from the story apparently – had rigged this wagon ahead of time by filling it with sand and drilling a hole in the bottom. If the players can trace this sand trail properly, they'll find and capture the robbers.

To set up the game, shuffle the eight forest chips and place them face-down in the box. Shuffle the 24 sand chips, place three of them in a row behind the wagon cart (assembled by the players or their parents), then place the remaining sand chips in the wagon.

On a turn, the active player reveals the last sand chip in the line (unless it's already face-up), then reveals the forest chip that she thinks matches the image on the sand chip. If they match, she claims the sand chip and turns the forest chip face-down again, then the next player takes his turn. If they don't match, she hides the forest chip again, then rolls the die. On a red result, the robbers advance, moving the wagon forward with another sand chip falling through the hole in the wagon and adding to the trail; on a yellow result, the robbers are resting, so the good guys luck out and don't fall further behind.

If the players reach the wagon – that is, if no sand chips lie between the players and the wagon – the robbers are captured and the players collectively win, with the one who collected the most sand chips receiving special commendation. If the last sand chip falls out of the wagon, each player takes one final turn, and if they catch the wagon they win. If not, the robbers escape and the players are run out of town as bungling galoots.

The rules include a few variants to make the game easier or more difficult based on the skill level of the players.