A FREE PRINT & PLAY BOARD GAME

BECOMING THE BOSS

PLAY THE YOUNG BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN IN SEARCH FOR ROCK & ROLL FAME

It’s 1969. You are 19 and left in small town Freehold, New Jersey with a few bucks and a guitar. And the whole life in front of you. You only have one dream; a life of ROCK AND ROLL. You have a notable talent and an untamable will. But New York City is a million miles away and nobody passes New Jersey to spot the next star.

Your first step towards fame is to go to the board-walk town of Asbury Park where an arising rock and roll community is developing. This is the place to hone your talent, meet fellow die-hard rock and roll musicians, form a band and with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work get that breakthrough?

2-4 players

3 hours

No Boss knowledge required

A FREE PRINT & PLAY BOARD GAME

A HEART-STOPPING, PANTS-DROPPING, HOUSE-ROCKING, BOOTY-SHAKING, EARTH-QUAKING SALUTE TO THE JERSEY SHORE

BECOMING THE BOSSA FREE PRINT & PLAY BOARD GAME

OVERVIEW

STREET MUSICIAN

Swap this card for a real Band Card next time you flip a 2 at

The Upstage Club.

Doesn’t count as a band member

THE BOARD

MISSION CARDS

THE FENDER TELECASTER GUITAR

BATTLE OF THE BANDS - CALIFORNIA

HIT STAR

MONEY

BAND CARDS (24)

TRACK CARDS (40)

TAROT CARDS (16)

EVENT CARDS (80)THE COIN

A buck will make life easier

Recruit the best musicians for your band

Write the songs that may get you an audition

Affect the future at Madame Marie’s Temple of

Knowledge on The Boardwalk

GIG BOARDBALL COLLECTOR

Play gigs to earn money, improve your image and the

quality of the band

Improve your song catalogueKeep track of inspiration

for songs, image, quality, gigs and your mood

Invest in the renowned guitar and improve your

abilities

TINKER’S BROOM

Swap this card for a gig next time you flip a 2 at Challenger Eastern Surfboard (Tinker´s).

TINKER’S BROOM & STREET MUSICIAN

Follow your progress by collecting milestone

mission cards

PIECES

1 = Move 1 square2 = Move 2 squares+ = Positive outcome ÷ = Negative outcome

BECOMING THE BOSS

PRINT THE BOARD ON 4 A3-PAPERS

PRINT THE REST OF THE PDFS ON A4-PAPER (MOST ON BOTH SIDES)

GET THE ACCESSORIES (COIN, PIECES, 1 BALL COLLECTOR PER PLAYER

A FREE PRINT & PLAY BOARD GAME

PREPARATIONS

1234 CUT THE CARDS, STARS AND GUITARS AND TAPE THE BOARD TOGETHER

5 FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE RULES, THE BOARD & THE GIG BOARD

6 GATHER 1-3 FRIENDS, TAKE THE NIGHT OFF AND PUT ON THE BOSS!

BALL COLLECTOR*

OR OR OR EVEN

*Must have 5 different kinds of balls or pearls (10 of each), for 1. Inspiration Balls, 2. Quality Balls, 3. Image Balls, 4. Black Balls (mood) and 5. Gig Balls

We recommend that you go to a professional print store and print on quality paper.

Regarding the music you should create a playlist of the first three albums: Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ;The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle and Born to Run.

This can easily take a few hours.

Find an old coin or token and glue or tape the prints of the coin on each side. Borrow pieces from one of your other board games.

We recommend that you go to a professional print store and print on quality paper.

You don’t need to study the rules for hours. Most info is on the board.

Married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991.

MENTAL BALANCE

PATTI SCIALFA

MOOD

DEVOTEDNESS

PERCUSSION

PIANO

GUITAR

Born in Deal, New Jersey. Graduated from Asbury

Park High School in 1971 and hung out around Asbury

Park’s music scene in the 70s. Member of The E

Street Band since 1984.

BONUS INFOLEGENDARY

Aka Mighty Max.Later to become bandleader on tv for Conan O'Brien on Late Night and The Tonight Show – besides playing with Bruce Springsteen.

MENTAL BALANCE

MAX WEINBERG

MOOD

DEVOTEDNESS

DRUMS

Born in Newark, New Jersey. Responded to an

advertisement in the Village Voice in 1974. Member

of The E Street Band since 1974.

BONUS INFO

LEGENDARY


INSTRUCTIONS - BEFORE YOU STARTGOAL OF THE GAME

Collect these four cards to become The Boss and win the game:

1. BATTLE OF THE BANDS Card in Asbury Park2. REDEMPTION Card in California3. RECORD DEAL Card in New York City4. RECORD RELEASE Card in New York City

BEFORE YOU START

� Shuffle the cards and place them in piles as indicated on the board.

� Every player starts out in Freehold with 1 Outtake Track Card (pick from the pile until every player has one) and 20 USD.

� The player who has been to most Springsteen shows starts. If even count continents. Still even, flip the coin.

HOW TO MOVE AROUND

� When it is your turn, flip the coin and move 1 or 2 squares in the direction of the black arrows.

� You can also, when it is your turn, pay your way forward instead of flipping the coin. 10 USD will take you 1 square forward, 20 USD will take you 2 squares forward and 30 USD (the limit) will take you 3 squares forward.

� Your Band Cards and Track Cards should be kept open on the table visible to everyone at all times. Tarot Cards are kept secret.

it is strongly advisable to never be entirely out of cash.

!

You can convert Inspiration Balls to songs at the Tem-porary Home, The Boardwalk and at Petillo Guitars.

!

You can recruit band members at the Asbury Park Press, at the Upstage Club and at Wonder Bar.

!

You can find gigs to play at Challenger Eastern Surfbo-ards (Tinker’s) and at Wonder Bar. There is also the possibility of playing the Pizza Parlour when at Petil-lo Guitars (if you fulfill the requirements). Find the gig that fits your level and needs on the Gig Board.

PLAYING GIGS

Aka Phantom Dan for disappearing after a show following an incident with

the police.

MENTAL BALANCE

DANNY FEDERICI

MOOD

DEVOTEDNESS

GLOCKENSPIEL

ACCORDION

KEYBOARD

Born in Flemington, New Jersey. Member of early Springsteen bands including Child and Steel Mill. Original member of The E Street Band since 1972.

BONUS INFO

LEGENDARY

YOU CAN HAVE MAX 5 BAND MEMBERS AT THE TIME. 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY

PARK (SANDY)

The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle

- 1973

Sandy the fireworks are hailin'Over Little Eden tonight

Forcin' a light into all those stony faces

Left stranded on this warm July…

And Sandy the Aurora is risin' behind us

Its pier lights our carnival life forever

Oh, love me tonight for I may neverSee you againHey Sandy girl

Na na baby

YOU CAN HAVE MAX 8 TRACKS AT THE TIME (7 IF YOU ARE 3 OR 4 PLAYERS).

RETURN ADDITIONAL CARDS TO THE PILE.

CASH

You can have no more than 200 USD at any given time. Why? Because if you have more than that, your fri-ends from town wish to col-lect their debts from you.

BECOMING THE BOSS

BECOMING THE BOSS

50

50

50

50

fift

y

BECOMING THE BOSS

BECOMING THE BOSS

10

10

10

10

ten


INSTRUCTIONS - THE CARDSBAND CARDS 24 IN TOTAL

Aka Little Steven, Miami Steve, Stevie

MENTAL BALANCE

STEVEN VAN ZANDT

MOOD

DEVOTEDNESS

PIANO

BASS

GUITAR

Member of The E Street Band from 1975 to 1983 and again from 1999. Also served as bassist in Steel Mill and guitarist in The Bruce Springsteen Band.

BONUS INFOLEGENDARY

BAND CARDSAka Southside Johnny.

A large number of his tracks were written by Steve van

Zandt and Bruce Springsteen.

MENTAL BALANCE

JOHNNY LYON

MOOD

DEVOTEDNESS

KEYBOARD

GUITAR

Born in Neptune, New Jersey and considered the grandfather of “the New Jersey Sound”. Front man of Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes.

BONUS INFO

Aka Phantom Dan for disappearing after a show following an incident with

the police.

MENTAL BALANCE

DANNY FEDERICI

MOOD

DEVOTEDNESS

GLOCKENSPIEL

ACCORDION

KEYBOARD

Born in Flemington, New Jersey. Member of early Springsteen bands including Child and Steel Mill. Original member of The E Street Band since 1972.

BONUS INFO

LEGENDARY

Aka Big Man. Once a talented football player weighing 240 pounds.

MENTAL BALANCE

CLARENCE CLEMONS

MOOD

DEVOTEDNESS

KEYBOARD

PERCUSSION

SAXOPHONE

Born in Norfolk, Virginia. Played with other bands around Asbury Park. Met Springsteen at The Student Prince in 1971. Member of The E Street Band since 1972.

BONUS INFO

LEGENDARY

INSTRUMENTVan Zandt is a great guitarist but can also cover the bass and the piano - if you have another band member on the guitar.

MENTAL QUALITIESVan Zandt has a fine mental balance, a great mood and a decent devotedness to the band (he also did some lucrative construction work and played with other bands).

You can recruit members for your band at the Asbury Park Press (10 USD), at the Upstage Club (50% chance) and at Wonder Bar. You can have no more than 5 band members in your band (not counting your-self). If you have more than 5 Band Cards, you must return one of your choice to the pile.

TRACK CARDSConvert Inspiration Balls to Track Cards at your Temporary home, at The Boardwalk and at Petillo Guitars. You can have no more than 8 songs at any time (7 if 3-4 players). If you are over the limit you must return a Track Card of your choice to the pile.

TRACK CARDS

GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, NJ

- 1973

I stood stone-like at midnight, suspended in my masquerade

I combed my hair till it was just

right and commanded the night brigade

I was open to pain and crossed by the rain and I walked on a crooked crutch

I strolled all alone through a fallout zone and come out with my

soul untouched

I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd, but when they said, "Sit

down," I stood up Ooh... growin' up

GROWIN’ UP

HIT

4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY)

The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle

- 1973

Sandy the fireworks are hailin'Over Little Eden tonight

Forcin' a light into all those stony faces

Left stranded on this warm July…

And Sandy the Aurora is risin' behind us

Its pier lights our carnival life forever

Oh, love me tonight for I may neverSee you againHey Sandy girl

Na na baby

Born to Run - 1973

The screen door slamsMary's dress waves

Like a vision she dances across the porch

As the radio plays

Roy Orbison singing for the lonelyHey that's me and I want you only

Don't turn me home againI just can't face myself alone again

Don't run back insideDarling, you know just what I'm here

forSo you're scared and you're thinking

That maybe we ain't that young anymore

THUNDER ROAD

HIT

Born to Run - 1973

In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dreamAt night we ride through mansions of

glory in suicide machines

Sprung from cages out on Highway 9Chrome-wheeled, fuel-injected, and

steppin' out over the lineOh, baby, this town rips the bones

from your backIt's a death trap, it's a suicide rap

We gotta get out while we're young'Cause tramps like us

Baby, we were born to run

BORN TO RUN

HIT

HENRY BOY

COUNTS AS A TRACK!

OUTTAKE

THE FENDER TELECASTER

The soon to become legendary guitar can be purchased at Petillo Guitars. It will double the pay when you play gigs, improve your chances of winning Battle of the Bands and ease the way at the audition and in securing a record deal.

Take a card every time you land on an Event Square. The cards may influence you or sometimes other players.

EVENT CARDS

?

EVENT CARDS

After a gig in Asbury Park another musician shares a guitar riff with you.

Take 1 Quality Ball.

TAROT CARDS

TAROT CARDS

BOSS MAJEURE

Keep it secret!

This Tarot Card can be used to cancel one request for swap of

song later in the game.

EVENT CARD

TRACK CARD

BAND CARD

TELEPORT HIT

Card must be played before flipping the coin. You can have a maximum of 3 Tarot Cards at the time.

You can buy cards at Madame Marie’s. You can have a maximum of 3 at any given time. Once the card has been used you put it back at the bottom of the pile. They can be used to:

� Cancel an Event Card at any time – even other players’ cards.

� Cancel one request for swap of band member.

� Cancel one request for swap of track.� Exchange for a Hit Star at any time in the game.

� Teleport you anywhere in Asbury Park or Belmar (not to the paths to Califor-nia and New York City). On Action Squares you may do the action.

HIT

To achieve success, you need hits – also to play the best gigs. Certain songs, such as Born to Run, have a Hit Star. You can also get a “floating” Hit Star at David Sancious’ Mother’s Garage or through a Tarot Card. The Hit Stars can be used on any track and cannot be lost once you have them - even if you lose the track.

HIT STAR

If you flip a “2” with the coin at Tinker’s you take a card. Next time at Tinker’s and if you flip a “2”, you can return the card and play a gig. You always flip the coin first. If you flip

a “1” you keep the broom.

TINKER’S BROOMTINKER’S BROOM

Swap this card for a gig next time you flip a 2 at Challenger Eastern Surfboard (Tinker´s).

STREET MUSICIAN

STREET MUSICIAN

Swap this card for a real Band Card next time you flip a 2 at

The Upstage Club.

Doesn’t count as a band memberIf you flip a “2” at The Upstage Club you take a card. Next time at the Upsta-ge Club and if you flip a “2” again, you can return the card and play a gig. You always flip the coin first. If you flip a “1” you keep the Street Musician.

ALBUM TRACKS 24 IN TOTAL

OUTTAKES 16 IN TOTAL

Outtakes (unrelea-sed songs) count as songs but often have fewer stars.

OUTTAKES


INSTRUCTIONS - THE BALLS

You collect inspiration every time you land on an Event Square. On some Action Squares (Temporary home, The Boardwalk and Petillo Guitars) inspiration can be exchanged for songs. Exchange 5 Inspiration Balls for a song from the pile of Track Cards. You can have a no more than 10 Inspiration Balls at any given time.

IMPORTANT: If you have 10 Inspiration Balls you may (instead of picking two Track Cards from the pile) choose to pick one song from the pile and then swap a song with another player (your choice who). See “Swapping”.

BLACK BALLSYou continuously have to fight dark thoughts. If you have 10 Black Balls, you are paralyzed. Wait one round and let go of 3 Black Balls. You may at any time when it is your turn, drop 3 Black Balls and wait a round.

NOTE: You must have at least 3 Black Balls to voluntarily wait one round and drop 3 Balls.

It may be advantageous to wait one round or more to time your arrival at the Action Squares

with a SWAP icon.

!

QUALITY BALLSImprove your quality by playing gigs or rehearsing with your band at The Garage of David Sancious’ Mother. You can have no more than 10 Quality Balls at any given time.

IMAGE BALLSImprove your image by playing gigs. You can have no more than 10 Image Balls at any given time.

GIG BALLSKeep track of the number of gigs you have played. Only important to monitor until you have reached 3, at which point you may enter Battle of the Bands. Although it does not matter for the game play afterwards, it remains a measure of personal success.

INSPIRATION BALLS


INSTRUCTIONS - ASBURY PARKGETTING AROUND

ASBURY PARK & SURROUNDINGSFREEHOLD: The town where you lived your whole life – and don’t want to spend another second.

ASBURY PARK: The coastal town where the music scene is arising, where you feel at home and the setting of the main part of the game.

BELMAR: The Garage of David Sancious’ mother close to E Street where you have a place to rehearse.

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: The place to be and play gigs for various reasons. Your manager Tinker’s right hand, Billy Alexander went there to study and convinced Tinker to let him arrange a free concert in a public park to pave the way for future payed gigs – and it worked. You have a huge fan base in Virginia. It is vital not to “overplay” the place, though.

EVENT SQUARES

On Event Squares you always take 1 Black Ball, 1 Inspira-tion Ball and an Event Card.

EDGE OF TOWN

?

ACTION SQUARES

On Action Squares you do the action. On some Action Squa-res you can play a gig. Inspect the Gig Board and make your choice.

RECRUITMENT

THE UPSTAGE CLUB

SWAPPINGOn certain Action Squares (marked with a SWAP icon) you can – besides doing the action – swap a Band Card or a Track Card with another player who is there at the same time.

However, both you and the player you wish to swap with need to have at least 3 cards of the kind you wish to swap.

HOW? You randomly pick a Track Card or Band Card of your choice and in exchange give the other player a similar card of your choice. Should more than one player be at the “swapping action square”, You decide, who you would like to plunder.

NOTE: Some Tarot Cards may be able to cancel the swapping.

SWAP

GETTING OUT OF NEW JERSEYWhen you have what is needed to go to California (see map) you may enter the orange track starting from Challenger Eastern Surfboards (Tinker’s).

NOTE: If you lose a band member at the Parking Lot on the way to Califor-nia – and end up not going there because you don’t have what you need – the member must wait at the Parking Lot until you come back from Califor-nia (at Tinker’s). You can still only have five band members (including the one waiting). You can only lose one band member at the time.

Consider building up a buffer since

you can lose things on the way to California.

!

BATTLE OF THE BANDS ASBURY PARK

MISSION

CARD

BATTLE O

F THE BA

NDS

ASBURY P

ARK

Battle the other players on who’s the best band right now.

Requirements for ALL participants: 3 band members on different instruments and 3 played gigs.

Only players who are in Asbury Park, Freehold or Belmar participate (they stay where they are). Players who already won the battle, don’t participate.

Winner gets the BATTLE OF THE BANDS Card - which you need to go to California.

Read further instructions on the board.


INSTRUCTIONS - WINNING THE GAMECALIFORNIACalifornia seems to be the place at the time, if your hope is to be signed by a record label. Here you can test yourself against some of the best bands in the country - and reunite with your parents.

Tinker knows a guy who is into music and besides that, is leading the kitchen at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. A popular getaway-meditation spot for the well-off hippies, which has attracted The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel and Joan Baez.

In 1969 Esalen needs a band to play on New Year’s Eve to round off the 1960s.

And so they went; Bruce and Tinker in Tinker’s pickup and Vinnie Roslin, Vini Lopez and Danny Federici in a station car.

NOTE: If you don’t meet the requirements for California once you try to enter, you must go to Asbury Avenue instead.

NEW YORK CITYYou get the chance of your life: an audition at Columbia Records in New York City. Only a one-hour drive from Asbury Park but to most people it feels like going to the moon.

NOTE: If you don’t meet the requirements for New York City once you try to enter, you must go to Asbury Avenue instead.

Before you go to New York City, consider not only meeting the requirements to enter New York

City (see map), but also to go to the audition and maybe even to record your breakthrough album immediately after the audition.

!

When another player returns from California and plans to go

straight to New York City you may try to intercept and plunder the player for great tracks or band

members at Tinker’s.

!

WINNING THE GAMEThe first player to record an album in New York City and to make the front page of both Time Magazine and Newsweek the same week (October 27th, 1975) wins the game.

RECORD RELEASENEW YORK CITY


BEHIND THE GAME

ABOUT US

We are two high-school friends from Denmark – now in our early 40s. We are both huge fans of Springsteen and the rest of the band and have seen him/them live numerous times in Denmark, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, UK and USA.

We are not locals, but we have a huge interest in the history and culture of Asbury Park and rock and roll in general. Our passion has taken us to Asbury Park and Freehold (and even Flemington) in the footsteps of Springsteen. We view this game as our little tribute.

If people will enjoy playing the game half as much as we have enjoyed developing it, we'd be truly thrilled.

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments please let us know:

Facebook.com/becoming-the-boss or [email protected]

Special thanks to Sofie Asplund for the making of this homepage and to those who helped along the way.

ABOUT THE GAMEDeveloping this game has until recently been an entertaining hobby project for us. But having played and refined the game over and over again, we believe it is worth sharing with fellow fans. We hope you find it fun, educating, exciting and in the spirit of history.

Maybe one day it could be released as a real board game. Until then get your scissors out to play this print & play version.

And if you ARE The Boss, let us know and we will send you a printed version straight away. Enjoy,

Søren Kitaj & Knud Jønsson

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A FREE PRINT & PLAY BOARD GAME