4 1/2 Minuten
4 1/2 Minuten Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game materials
95 Playing cards, consisting of:
- 70 Number cards (two each of numbers 1 to 7 in five different colours)
- 25 Special cards: "It's your turn", "Change direction", "Draw two cards", "Blocked!", "Change colour"
You will also need paper and pencils for noting down your points later.
Aim of the game
You play together against the clock and try to play all 95 cards into the middle. If, on your turn, you are not able to play any card at all, then everyone gets minus points. If you still have cards left at the end of the allotted time, you get minus points for those, too. Together as a team, can you all manage to crack the game?
How to set the game up
Note: The modifications for a game of two players can be found at the end of the rules.
Shuffle all 95 cards. Each of you gets 4 cards. To start with, lay them ace down side by side before you. [Printed as "ace"; evidently "face" — a typo in the source sheet.] This is your personal display. Have the remaining cards ready face down in a draw pile.
Set a timer to 4 1/2 minutes. For example, you could use the timer function on your smartphone. Or use the music included with the game as your time indicator. To do so, scan the QR code on the underside of the drawer. You can either stream or download the music. If you don't have a QR scanner on your smartphone, you can also download the music from www.moses-verlag/viereinhalb. We recommend playing with the music.
What must you pay attention to when playing the cards?
As the starting player, you lay any random card from your display into the middle, thus beginning the first of two discard piles. The following players may either lay their card on the first discard pile or begin the second discard pile with any random card. As soon as you have begun the second discard pile, play continues with these two piles. A third discard pile is not permitted.
The following always applies: Do you want to lay a card on an existing pile? Then it must have the same colour or the same number or bear the same symbol as the top card.
Only the special cards with the white background may be laid on any card.
Start either the music or the timer. Then, all of you simultaneously reveal the cards in your displays and off you go.
How to play
The youngest player begins. Continue playing in a clockwise direction. However, the direction of play can change several times during the course of the game.
If it's your turn, you must play one of the cards from your display into the middle. Then, immediately draw one card from the draw pile and lay it face up in your display. Thus, you replenish your display and have 4 cards again. Then it's the next player's turn.
Note: If, as a result of playing the special cards, you have more than 4 cards in your display, do not draw another card until you have only 3 cards left in your display, following your turn. You only ever make the number up to 4 cards.
So, always try to play so that the next player can lay a card! Then draw 4 new cards which you lay face up before you. Now, play goes straight to the next player.
What happens, if I can't play any card?
Is it your turn and you can't or don't want to lay any of your cards in the middle? If so, you must immediately lay your complete display face up to one side. At the end of the round, these cards score 2 minus points each!
What do the special cards do?
It's your turn (5x) When you play this card, you call out the name of any one of the players. That also includes yourself. This player is now next in turn.
Change direction (5x) If you play this card, the direction of play changes immediately. If you have previously played in clockwise direction, you now continue in anti-clockwise direction and vice versa.
Draw two cards (5x) The next player immediately draws two cards from the draw pile and lays them face up in their display. In this exceptional situation, they are allowed more than 4 cards in their display.
Remember: Both the following special cards "Change colour" and "Blocked!" have a white background. You may lay these cards on top of any other cards, including white ones.
Change colour (5x) The next card played onto this pile may have either of the two colours shown.
Blocked! (5x) With this card, you can block the discard pile for 3 turns!
During these 3 turns, you may only use the other discard pile. Only after 3 cards have been discarded onto the other pile, may you play with the blocked discard pile again. The colour of the "Blocked!" card indicates which colour must be played next (a white card is, of course, also permitted).
If during these 3 turns, one of you can't or doesn't want to discard any of your cards, you must lay your display to one side, face up as usual. After that, the blocked pile is immediately free again.
Beware: It is not permitted to block both discard piles at the same time. If this should be your only possible option, then you are not able to play any card and must lay your display to one side, face up. With this, the blocking ends immediately as described above!
Note: So that you can keep a check on the 3 turns, simply count down during these 3 turns. The player to take the first turn calls out "Three", the second one "Two" and the third one "One".
End of the game
The game ends as soon as the 4 1/2 minutes are up or if you manage to play through the whole pile of cards and you no longer have any cards in your displays. Then the scores are counted up for this round. For every card still on the draw pile or in the personal displays, you must write down 1 minus point. For every card, which you had to lay face up to one side during the game, you even have to write down 2 minus points. The two together give you your score for this round.
We always recommend playing 3 rounds in sequence. The sum of these 3 rounds is your total score. Here, you can see how well you did:
| Minus points | Result |
|---|---|
| 0 minus points | Unbelievable! You are the champions! |
| 1 to 15 minus points | Good job! You are the real deer! |
| 16 to 35 minus points | You're getting the hang of it! |
| 36 to 60 minus points | Not bad! Deer for more? |
| 61 to 90 minus points | Better luck next time! |
| 91 and more minus points | Don't give up! Keep on trying! |
Modifications for a game with two players
In a game of two, each of you gets 5 cards for your display. Following your turn, make your display up to 5 cards – of course, only if just 4 cards are lying there. If you have to lay your display face up to one side, then you draw 5 cards again. All other rules remain unchanged.
Note: The special card "Change direction" has no special effect in this case.
Do you want a greater challenge?
Once you are familiar with the game procedure, you can try the following variation: After you have started the music and revealed your cards, you decide yourselves, who begins. At the end of your turn, you do not automatically draw more cards! Instead, you may not make your display up to 4 cards (in a game of two, make up to 5 cards) until only 1 card is left in the display. [Printed as "may not"; the sense appears to be "do not make up". Transcribed as printed.] If you have to lay your display face up to one side, then that only affects the cards currently lying there. In this variation, that can mean that you have to lay fewer cards face up to one side. Afterwards, you still draw 4 cards as usual (5 cards in a game of two). All other rules remain unchanged.