Mystery Rummy Case #5: Escape From Alcatraz

Alcatraz Island houses one of the most daunting federal prisons in history, where no escape was ever officially recognized. As guards in the game, your mission is to stop escape attempts. You'll do this by gathering intel on escape plans and capturing the masterminds. Mystery Rummy: Escape from Alcatraz, the fifth game in Mike Fitzgerald's 'Mystery Rummy' series, comes with 129 cards split into two decks. The Plans Deck has 84 escape - plan cards and 14 escapee cards, while the Action Deck holds 31 action cards. The game's goal is to score points by foiling escape plans. Players collect information by melding matching plan cards or building on existing plans. Once you've gathered eight matching plan cards and identified the mastermind, you can foil the plan, capture the culprit, and earn points. The first player to reach 100 or more points at the end of a round wins.

How to play: Start the game by dealing cards from both the Plans Deck and the Action Deck to all players. To gather information, meld matching plan cards in your hand or play off an existing plan on the table. When you manage to collect eight matching plan cards and figure out the plan's mastermind, you can foil the escape, capture the culprit, and score points. Keep playing rounds until a player reaches 100 or more points and wins. Note: Handle the cards carefully to avoid damage. After each game, shuffle the cards well to ensure a fair play next time. Store the cards in a cool, dry place to keep them in good condition.