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Notes: 1 / 1 year ago
Official Yellow Car/Slug Bug Rules
Many years ago I “invented” the game of Yellow Car/Slug Bug. I use the term invented loosely however, because I essentially took what many people call “punch buggy” or what my Mid-West (meaning South Dakota not Ohio) friends call Slug Bug and threw yellow cars into the mix.
To be fair, we also made the game point based and not about hitting people. Furthermore, my only real reason for added the yellow car was because it stands out and I was hoping people would focus more on yellow car, leaving me the victor in the slug bug points.
However, in recent years I have noticed that some people have attempted to make amendments to the rules, even going so far as to add additional cars and point values to the game.
So to clear up an confusion I have decided to post the official rules and point values for the Yellow Car/Slug Bug Game.
Yellow Car: +1 Point
This is one half of the basic construct of the game. Without the yellow car you really only have a slug bug game and that’s not fun for anyone. Any time you spot a yellow car, call it out for +1 point towards your score.
Slug Bug: +1 Point
This is the second half of the game. It’s a Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately known as a “slug bug.” In order to get points for a Beetle you must refer to it as a slug bug. Punch buggy does not count. Nor can you call it a Beetle or a Bug.
Yellow Car Slug Bug: +3 Points
Now the yellow Volkswagen Beetle is worth 3 points. 1 point as a yellow car, 1 point as a Beetle and a 3rd bonus point. It must be noted that the phrase “Yellow Car Slug Bug” must be used in order to get the points. ”Yellow Slug Car Bug” does not count. You just sound silly. ”Slug Bug Yellow Car” officially does not count, however if you are playing with some lenient people.
Convertible: x2 Points
Now this is where the game gets more interesting. Convertibles are considered a multiplier. By this I mean that you cannot call a convertible by itself, but if either a yellow car or a slug bug is also a convertible then you double your points.
Example: If you call a yellow car convertible you will get 2 points. 1 point for the yellow car, then the convertible will double that point, making it 2 point.
However, if you happen to find a “yellow slug bug convertible” that would give you 6 point since the yellow car slug bug is a 3 point car, multiplied by the convertible.
It should also be noted that you can only call a convertible multiplier when the top is down. If the top is up, it is simply a yellow car or slug bug respectively.
Old School: x2 Points
The Old School multiplier works the same as the convertible and can actually multiple the convertible multiplier. However, the rules at this point are semi-vague on what classifies as an “old school” car. While there is no definitive year where old school cars begin, the general idea is that the car must look as if it is obviously old. Thus, a 1997 yellow mustang does not count as an old school car. However, a yellow hatchback from 1975 definitely counts. The major difference between the old school multiplier and the convertible is when it must be said in the phrase. While convertible is placed at the end of the string, old school is placed at the beginning. Thus, you would have an “old school yellow car” compared to a “yellow car convertible.”
Old School Yellow Car Slug Bug Convertible: 12 Points
This elusive car is the mack daddy of the Yellow Car/Slug Bug game. Due to multipliers, this car is worth 12 points total. First of all, it is a yellow beetle, which make it a 3 point car, which is multiplied to 6 points by being an old school car and multiplied again to a 12 point car for being a convertible.
Additional Rules:
1 - The order of naming a car is very important. If you fail to name the car in the correct order you are not awarded any points. In which case if someone else can call out the order before you manage to correct yourself then they have stolen your points.
2 - All cars must be verbally recognized unless physically unable to do so. Therefore, you cannot simply point to a car without calling it unless you have duct tape over your mouth, a burrito in your mouth, or some other speech impairment. Generally speaking it is a good idea, although not required, to call out and point out the car in question.
3 - You have the ability to trump other players in a car call. For example, if Player A sees a yellow beetle from 1973 and simply calls a Yellow car, Player B could call a Yellow Car Slug Bug and steal the points from Player A regardless of the fact that Player A saw the car first. However, if neither player realizes the car is also an old school car then only the 3 points are award to Player B. But if either player, or potentially Player C realizes the car is also old school the call can be trumped again.
4 - Parked cars do not count. Cars must be on the road, or at the very least attended too, in order to be called. Thus, the slug bug getting gas at the local QuickTrip counts, so long as the driver is still near the vehicle. If he is inside paying for the gas, it doesn’t count. Furthermore, the yellow beater that has been sitting in your neighbours driveway since 1993 also doesn’t count. Nor does the car parked at Wal-mart, unless people are actively getting out of it.
5 - A car can be called more than once, provided at least 20 minutes has passed and visual contact has been lost between the cars at least once. Therefore, the yellow beetle someone drives around town for advertising can be called on a daily basis. However, the white beetle you are trailing on the highway cannot be called twice during the 6 hour trip unless you lose visual contact.
6 - Cars that traditionally always yellow (i.e., a yellow school bus or yellow construction vehicle) can not be called as a yellow car.
7 - In order to be considered a “yellow car” at least 50% of a car must be yellow. Therefore, the car that is yellow with some blue trim counts. However, the red car with yellow flames on the front does not count.
8 - Along a similar vein, semi-trucks are only considered a “yellow car” if both the truck and trailer are yellow. So a yellow cab with a white cab does not count, nor would a white cab and yellow trailer.
9 - While this is a point-based game, there is really no time limit and the score is rarely tallied, so the game continues pretty much forever. However, a group could decide to play a game for a pre-determined amount of time. For example, during a road trip to Boston to see Jimmy Eat World in concert.
Those are all of the official rules for the Yellow Car/Slug Bug game. If you’re read through the whole post, I’m super surprised and feel I owe you a cookie. Have fun playing the game.
Notes
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