STEVE JACKSON GAMES

Stock #37-2013 Version 1.51 March 2013

Short Rules
Follow the spirit of the rules, which is: The letter of the rules is more important than the spirit.
Dont cheat unless you have a Cheat! card. The cheat only according to the rule on the card.
Whatever the event organizer says, goes.
Follow Wheatons Law.
For the much longer and less amusing Long Version of the Munchkin Tournament Rules, see p. 2.
Munchkin Tournament Rules by Steve Jackson Illustrated by John Kovalic 2012 Update by Andrew Hackard
Chief Operating Officer: Philip Reed Munchkin Czar: Andrew Hackard Munchkin Baron: Leonard Balsera
Production Manager: Sam Mitschke Production Artist: Alex Fernandez Prepress Checker: Monica Stephens
Marketing Director: Ben Williams Director of Sales: Ross Jepson
Munchkin, the all-seeing pyramid, the Super Munchkin character, and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license.
Munchkin Tournament Rules is copyright 2008, 2012, 2013 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved.
www.worldofmunchkin.com

2 MUNCHKIN TOURNAMENT RULES

The Munchkin Tournament Rules help maintain fair
and consistent worldwide tournament play for all
Munchkin games. In order to maintain this tournament
system, participants and officials must treat each other in
a fair and respectful manner, following both the rules
themselves and the spirit in which they were created. A
Munchkin Tournament must use these rules in order to be
recognized by SJ Games as official.
(People who wish to organize other types of competi-
tive Munchkin events are welcome to do so, but they
cannot call them Tournaments and they cannot claim or
imply any official sanction by SJ Games or any entity
thereof, including the Men In Black.)
General Munchkin
Tournament Rules
Player Eligibility
Any player is eligible to participate in an open, non-
invitational Munchkintournament except for the following:
The Tournament Organizer (TO) of record;

Any other listed judges of record;

Employees of Steve Jackson Games (unless the game
is billed as a celebrity tournament);
Other players specifically prohibited from participa-
tion by Steve Jackson Games or the hosting event (if any).
A person who receives compensation from SJ Games
for working on or with Munchkin in any capacity
(including, but not limited to, freelance artists, contrac-
tors, and Men In Black) may participate in tournaments if
otherwise eligible, but must disclose this status to the
other players at the start of the game.
Any ineligible player participating in a Munchkin tour-
nament will be subject to removal from the Tournament.
Event Knowledge Responsibilities
Competitors, judges, and organizers involved in
sanctioned tournaments are responsible for knowing and
following the most current version of the Munchkin
Tournament Rules (youre reading them!) and other
applicable regulatory documents, including:
The current game rules for all sets and expansions
being used in the tournament
(www.worldofmunchkin.com/rules);
All official errata for all sets and expansions being used
in the tournament
(www.worldofmunchkin.com/errata);
All pertinent rulings from the official Munchkin
FAQ (www.worldofmunchkin.com/faq).
Note that the Listening At The Door faster-play rule
(see below) is mandatory in all Munchkin tournaments.
The TO should read the Listening At The Door rule
before each tournament match, and judges should make
sure all players understand the rule before cards are dealt.
The TO should print out at least two copies of all
relevant information and put them in binders that will be
available at the tournament site.
Tournament Organizer Responsibilities
The TO for an event is ultimately responsible for all
tournament operations, including, but not limited to, the
following:
Selecting the site for the event;

Providing all materials to operate the event (rules,
decks, level counters, dice, and so on);
If sleeves are to be used, ensuring that each deck is
sleeved in identically colored and textured sleeves;

Printing any online rules material (FAQ, errata, and
so on);
Staffing the event with appropriate personnel;
Advertising the tournament sufficiently in advance
of the event date;
Remaining in the location of the Tournament during
play to adjudicate disputes, interpret rules, assign
penalties, and make other official decisions; and
Reporting the names and contact information of the
winners to control@sjgames.com (national and interna-
tional championships only).
Munchkin Tournament
Rules, Long Version
Listening At The Door
Tournament play adds a phase 0 called Listen At
The Door. At the start of your turn, draw a face-down
Door card, which you may play or not. Then arrange
cards and Kick Open The Door normally. If you Loot
The Room, draw a face-down Treasure, not a Door.
MUNCHKIN TOURNAMENT RULES 3
The TO may choose to delegate some or all of these.
Such delegations should be made in writing whenever pos-
sible. Exception: The TO is required to remain at the
tournament site from start to finish of each round, except
for brief breaks of biological necessity. If the TO is
unable to do this, pick another TO!
Player Responsibilities
Players must follow the rules interpretations and
guidelines for play set forth by the Official Munchkin
Tournament Rules, the TO, and other tournament offi-
cials. Players are required to behave in a respectful and
sportsmanlike manner at all times. Players may not waive
penalties on behalf of their opponents. The judge must
ensure that the appropriate penalty, if any, is imposed.
Judge Responsibilities
All judges shall deliver fair, impartial rulings and assist
the TO and other tournament officials to ensure a smooth
tournament. Judges must take action to resolve any rules
infraction they notice, or that is brought to their attention,
in a timely manner. If a ruling takes more than one minute,
the judge may extend the game time (see Round Time
Limits, below) to compensate. The extra time must be
clearly communicated and recorded immediately.
Appeals to the TO
If players disagree with a judges decision, they may
appeal the ruling to the TO, who has the right to overrule
the judges decisions. Players may not preemptively
appeal to the TO before the judge renders an initial
decision. The TOs decision is final.
Tournament
Mechanics
Round Structure
The following rules assume a large tournament open to
all who choose to participate. Single-table invitational
games (such as a celebrity game or a tournament of
champions) will obviously ignore the round system.
Munchkin tournaments shall consist of a minimum of
three scheduled rounds. (In the event of low attendance,
one of the preliminary rounds may be canceled in the in-
terest of expediency, but the rounds must be scheduled.)
After the preliminary two (or more) rounds, the players
are ranked according to their cumulative Tournament
Levels. Ties for any of the top rankings shall be resolved
using any fair random method. No fewer than four and
no more than six of the highest-ranked players shall ad-
vance to the final round; the TO sets the actual number of
advancing players once the tournament begins. (If there is
a tie for sixth place, the TO may resolve that tie by any
means agreeable to all parties, or may choose to run a
seven-player final table. In this case, the final table must
use at least one full tuckbox expansion or a second core
set, so that there are sufficient cards in the game.)
If there are four or more rounds scheduled, the TO
may choose to designate the next-to-last round as a semi-
final match. Each semifinal table should have at least four
players, and advancement to the semifinals will follow the
same rules as for the final round. No player may receive
a bye into the semifinal or final rounds of a tournament.
If there are 12 or fewer players registered for a tourna-
ment, the TO may choose to have a single semi-final round
followed by a final round. This variance must be commu-
nicated to all players before the start of the tournament.
The TO or a designated Judge should seed the start-
ing tables, either by random draw before the tournament
begins or by some other method that does not put people
who sign up together at the same table. (For instance, if
you have four tables, write 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 next to the
names, moving down the page. All people with 1 are at
table 1, and so on.) This avoids any temptation for one
person in a losing position to throw a game so a friend
or relative wins.
Round Time Limits
Each round in the tournament has a time limit. The
minimum time limit used in Munchkin rounds is 60
minutes. The time limit must be announced before play
begins. The semifinal and final rounds may last longer
than the preliminary rounds, at the TOs option.
When the round is over, the TO and judges will
direct all players to put their cards down. All play must
cease immediately. A player who is winning a combat as
time expires is entitled to the level(s) gained from that
fight.
Pre-Game Procedure
The following steps must be performed, in order,
before each game begins.
The TO announces the version(s) of Munchkin to be
used, along with any supplements, promotional cards,
and/or special items allowed. (Ideally, this declaration will
be made available in writing at every table.) The TO
reminds players that the Listening At The Door rule is in
effect. Printed rules, including the FAQ and errata, should
be made available for reference. The tournament listing
should indicate what, if any, player-supplied promotional
items will be valid for [each round of] the tournament.
(See Promotional Items Allowed, p. 5, and Universally
Allowable and Banned Supplemental Items, p. 4.)
4 MUNCHKIN TOURNAMENT RULES
The TO declares the time limit, Starting Level, Level
Goal, number of rounds, and number of players in the
final round.
Judges shuffle all decks. A judge may separate the
decks into halves and allow the players to shuffle, as long
as no player shuffles one entire deck.
Players set all Level Counters to the Starting Level of
the round (1, unless otherwise stated).
Determine which player will go first by random roll or
other thematically appropriate selection method.
Tardiness
Players are expected to be in their seats
when each round begins. Players arriving at
their seats after the round begins may be
dealt into the game after all other players
have taken a turn, effectively causing the tardy
player to lose a turn. Players who fail to arrive
at their seats within 5 minutes of the scheduled
start of a round will not be allowed to play in
that round.
In-Game Breaks
Players should take any necessary personal breaks be-
fore rounds begin. If it is necessary for a player to take
a break during the game, a judge should be called first to
ensure that the proper amount of time is given to the game
(extending the time limit for that table as needed). A
player who takes more than one break, or who is judged
to be taking excessive time, may be deemed to have left
the game early (see below).
Leaving Early
If a player must leave a round before the end, that
player is disqualified from that round. He is considered
Dead, and his body may be looted.
Determining a Game Winner
The player reaching Level Goal first is the Game
Winner. In the case of a game halted due to the time limit,
the player(s) with the highest Level is the Winner. There
may be multiple Winners. Each Winner receives 2
Tournament Levels for each Level the player had at the
end of the round.
Each other player receives Tournament Levels equal to
the number of levels that player had at the end of the round.
Tournament
Game Rules
Cards Allowed
All cards in the decks must be genuine, unmodified
Munchkin cards. (Exception: Blank cards filled out and
signed by Steve Jackson, John Kovalic, or Andrew
Hackard; Evil Stevie Changes the Rules cards filled out
and signed by Steve Jackson; and John Kovalic Draws a
Wandering Monster cards filled out and signed by John
Kovalic may be allowed, at the discretion of the TO. Such
cards must be presented and approved before the beginning
of a round.) For national and international tournaments, we
strongly recommend opening fresh sets at each table in the
first round (and subsequent rounds, if different
Munchkin varieties are used in
different rounds). The ver-
sion of Munchkin to be
used must be announced
in the Tournament
listing and at the start
of each round.
Unless a Tournament is
advertised as a Blender
Tournament, decks should
be limited to one Munchkin
core set and its expansions,
boosters, or other supplements,
including any promotional cards for
that set. Exception: Cards from
Munchkin 7 Cheat With Both Hands and Munchkin
Reloaded! may be added to any deck.
Universally
Allowable and Banned
Supplemental Items
Some promotional and supplemental items are
always allowed in tournament play. Others are never
allowed. The rules in this box supersede any and all
restrictions in individual tournaments.
The following items are ALWAYS legal in tourna-
ment play:

The official smartphone Munchkin Level Counter,
and all Boons contained within

A single Munchkin Sherpa or Munchkin Zombies
Sherpa, chosen by its owner at the start of the game

A championship certificate signed by Steve
Jackson or Andrew Hackard and embossed with the SJ
Games logo
The following items are NEVER legal in tournament
play:
The Official Munchkin Cthulhu Bookmark of
Udder Ridiculousness
Promotional Items Allowed
Tournament listings must be explicit about what
promotional items may be used, either by using one of
the shorthand descriptions below or by explicitly listing
allowed and banned items. (However, no description may
override Universally Allowable and Banned Supplement
Items, above.) Under no circumstances do the rules below
supersede rules provided with the promotional items
themselves.
Standard: Players may use no more than ONE of any
given type of item (promotional card, bookmark, T-shirt,
Mask of the Munchkin, Munchkin promotional coin,
etc.) unless the item rules explicitly permit more.
(A Tournament listing or announcement that does not
otherwise specify promotional item usage is automati-
cally a Standard tournament.)
Stud: No promotional items of any
sort may be used, except for those speci-
fied as always allowable.
Plus-One: Players must reveal all
promotional items at the start of the
game. Players are limited to a total
number of items equal to the least
held at their table, plus one. For ex-
ample, if one player has two promo-
tional items, no other player may
use more than three.
Unlimited: There are no restric-
tions on the use of promotional items
(other than items specifically banned for
all tournament play) except those given in
the item rules themselves.
Bookmarks, shirts, and other official SJ
Games items which have Munchkin game rules are al-
lowed, but it is the responsibility of the player who owns
an item to bring the official rules for that item if they are
not printed on the item itself. Exception: Boons from the
official smartphone Munchkin Level Counter are always
legal and do not require documentation. However, a
player who claims a Boon should either summon a Judge
or show another player at the time he gets the Boon.
Rules on Promotional items requiring them to be de-
stroyed or given away must be enforced.
English-language promotional items are valid in all
Tournament rounds that allow promotional items at all.
Promotional items in other languages are allowable if that
language is a primary language of the region where the
Tournament is being held. Exception: Any Tournament
designated as international must restrict itself to
English-language promotional items.
Game Rules
The Tournament must use the most recent edition of
the Munchkin rules for the version in play. Local, re-
gional, and national tournaments may use either the most
current English rules and cards, or any rules in a language
commonly recognized as a national language of that area.
(The language to be used should be part of the tournament
announcement.) Local language notwithstanding, all
Munchkin Tournaments must use card sets and rules dated
April 2010 or later, with the exception of Munchkin Fairy
Dust and Munchkin Waiting for Santa. Sets that have
been updated with Munchkin Go Up a Level are not
sufficient for Tournament play.
International tournaments must use the most recent
English rules and cards. In all cases of conflict between
the English rules and licensed translations, the English
rules shall take precedence.
Tournaments using Munchkin Fairy Dust,
Munchkinomicon, Munchkin 6 Demented
Dungeons, or Munchkin Cthulhu 4 Crazed
Caverns should list these supplements in the
Tournament announcement and suggest that
players read the rules ahead of time, to
avoid bogging down the game.
Tournament Rounds which use only
Munchkin Cthulhu cards at all tables
may use the More Scary Cultist Rules.
Rounds that combine Cthulhu with other
sets, either at a single table or with different sets
at different tables, should not use those rules, to
avoid disparity in Tournament Levels. In ei-
ther case, whether those rules are used should
be announced to all players, and (if the rules are used)
the rules should be explained before the games begin.
The TO may choose to vary the Level Goal from the
standard 10 to 20, or to vary the Starting Level from 1 up
to 5. If the Level Goal is set at 20, the Tournament should
be designated Epic and will use the most current version
of the Epic Munchkin rules from the SJ Games website
(www.worldofmunchkin.com/epic). The Level Goal for
the preliminary rounds may be different from the Level
Goal for the Final Round.
The TO is the final authority regarding card and rules
interpretations.
Players who make an agreement about splitting treas-
ure must follow the letter of that agreement after the
combat, to the best of their ability to do so. Judges are
encouraged to interpret vague wording to the benefit of
the helper, so be specific! Neither the basic game rules
nor the tournament rules enforce or regulate other deals
made between players.
MUNCHKIN TOURNAMENT RULES 5
6 MUNCHKIN TOURNAMENT RULES
Tournament
Violations
Cheating
Cheating will not be tolerated. The TO reviews all
cheating allegations, and if he determines that a player
cheated, the TO will assess the appropriate penalty. All
disqualifications are subject to later review, and further
penalties may be assessed.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following
intentional activities:

Receiving outside assistance or coaching

Misrepresenting rules or card texts or errata

Drawing extra cards

Intentionally drawing from the wrong deck (Judges
call, in case of dispute)

Manipulating which cards are drawn from the deck

Misrepresenting or hiding cards in hand, cards in
play, or character Level
Misrepresenting or hiding the results of any die roll,
coin flip, or other randomizer
Marking cards or using a loaded or hacked randomizer
Introducing cards or other game components from
outside the game, except as allowed in Promotional Items
Allowed, p. 5.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Judges, players, and officials must behave in a polite,
respectable, and sportsmanlike manner. In addition, play-
ers must not use profanity or similar offensive language,
argue, harass, or otherwise act belligerently toward tour-
nament officials, spectators, or one another.
Players must answer direct questions about their
abilities or equipment honestly and completely, Any card
in play may be read by any player at any time.
In particular, while players are not obligated to reveal
that they are in a position to win the game, they may not
intentionally conceal an impending victory from the other
players if asked directly. A player who is judged to have
done so shall be deemed to have lost that combat, pro-
ceeding directly to the Run Away phase. All other play-
ers may reclaim any cards played during that fight or may
draw replacement cards from the same deck, as they
choose. Play passes to the next player.
The TO may choose not to allow players to partici-
pate with electronic devices (such as cellular phones
and/or portable audio units) turned on. Exception: a
device which has the official Munchkin Level Counter
installed must be allowed, but must be placed into
airplane mode or otherwise cut off from outside signals.
A device that cannot have its wireless functions shut off
should be muted.
Players must take their turns in a timely fashion. Tak-
ing a reasonable amount of time to think through game
strategy is acceptable, but playing excessively slowly or
stalling for time is not. Players may not halt the game to
decide which promotional item to deploy. Conversely,
players may not rush their opponents all players must be
allowed a reasonable time to decide how (or whether) to
respond to a situation. Judges, and ultimately the TO, are
the final arbiters of what is considered reasonable. A
players request to read a card or have a card read must be
honored, unless a Judge deems it to be an unfair delaying
tactic, but such a reading does not relieve players of the re-
sponsibility of acting within a reasonable time.
Penalty Guidelines
As soon as they observe or are made aware of cheating,
unsportsmanlike conduct, or other Tournament Violations
as defined above, Judges and the TO should assess appro-
priate in-game penalties, to include any or all of: loss of level,
loss of cards from hand or in play, character Death, or re-
moval from the Tournament. (Very minor violations, at the
discretion of the Judge, may be handled with a single warn-
ing. A player may not be warned about the same infraction
twice.) If the event generating the penalty could be reversed
by unplaying a combat or a whole turn (returning played
cards to the proper players hands, discarding any acquired
Treasure, and/or altering Levels as appropriate), a Judge may
choose to do so. The Judge may also allow a played card to
be discarded and a replacement drawn. In this case, both
decks should be reshuffled.
Penalties for blatant or repeated cheating, or extremely
unsportsmanlike conduct, may include being barred from
future Munchkin tournaments or removal from the event
location entirely. In these cases, the players full name should
be reported to local and regional Men In Black, and an inci-
dent report detailing the infractions and penalties assessed
should be sent to Control no later than one week after the
conclusion of the Tournament.
Judge/TO Misconduct
If a player feels that a Judge or Tournament Organizer
abused his authority, either by inaction or by
inappropriate action, he should make such complaints
known to convention staff and to MIB Control
(control@sjgames.com) in writing (e-mail shall suffice)
no later than 48 hours after the conclusion of the
Tournament. A Judge or TO who is found to have com-
mitted willful misconduct shall be removed from the
MIB program. If the offending Judge or TO is not a Man
In Black, then the convention staff will be made aware of
the substantiated allegations and asked to provide details
of any disciplinary action taken.