• 2 players: 10 cards
• 3 players: 9 cards
• 4 players: 8 cards

1. Call for a secret vote (if you have at least one meld in play; once per hand).
2. Draw 1 card (from either deck or discard pile; when deck exhausted, reshuffle discard pile to create a new deck; if deck exhausted a second time, the Ripper has escaped and the hand is over).
3. Play (optional):
   1. If there are no cards on the table, you may only play one of: Victim, Scenes, Ripper Strikes, Commissioner Resigns.
   2. If there is any Victim card on the table, you are allowed to play an Evidence Meld of three or more identical cards.
   3. If there is an Evidence Meld on the table, you are allowed to play cards of the same color (or Wild cards) individually, including Alibi.
   • You may play as many Evidence cards as you wish as long as you meet the above restrictions.
   • You may play at most one Gavel card per turn.
   • When an Alibi is played, any other Alibi cards already out are discarded. (Player of the Prince Eddy/Sir Gull Alibi card announces which one it applies to.)
   • When a Scene is played, you must tell the other players what card you took from the discard pile -- you may play the card or take it into your hand, unless it is a Gavel card, in which case you must play it immediately or else put it in your hand and not play it on this turn.
   • If all five Victim cards are in play, then the Ripper Escapes card may be played, even if it is not the holder's turn, (and even if the game is about to end due to Commissioner Resigns) and the hand ends.
   • If Commissioner Resigns empties someone's hand, the hand is over.
   • Cards with a 0 (zero) in the upper right are placed on the discard pile after use.
4. Discard 1 card (if last card, game is over).

Scoring:

• Determine who was the Ripper -- whichever suspect had the most points in related cards on the table. The suspect with an Alibi on the table cannot be the Ripper. Ties go to the lowest number at lower left. If the only possible suspect has an Alibi or if the only evidence cards are Letters, then the Ripper has escaped -- see Ripper Escapes Scoring instead of Normal Scoring.
• Normal Scoring:
  1. Score points in upper right corner.
  2. Receive double score for cards related to the Ripper.
  3. Discard leftover hand cards related to any evidence on the table.
  4. Deduct points for any other cards still in hand.
  5. The holder of the Ripper Escapes does not deduct 35, but instead deducts 2 points for each Victim card in play.
  6. Add 10 points for a correct vote.
• Ripper Escapes Scoring:
  1. Only points for Victims, Scenes and Ripper Escapes cards are received.
  2. No points are deducted for cards leftover in hand.