Connecto Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Content
• Set Up
• Presentation
  • Gameplay
  • Tutorials
    • Game 1 to 3 - Tutorial #1: Straight lines
    • Game 4 to 6 - Tutorial #2: Isolated circle
    • Game 7 to 9 - Tutorial #3: Curve
  • Deciphered challenge
  • Earning stars
  • Next challenge
  • End of the game
  • Express tutorial
• Alternatives
  • Team mode (4 to 10 players)
  • Cooperative mode (3 to 6 players, from age 6)
  • Solo mode (from age 8)
• Answers

Content

96 cards, 5 double sided individual boards, 5 erasable pens with built-in eraser, 1 30-second hourglass, this rulebook.

Set Up

Important! Do not shuffle the cards: they are sorted to ensure a progressive immersion in the game.

1. Each player takes a pen and an individual board, coloured side up.
2. The hourglass should be easily accessible to all players.
3. If a number card is on top of the deck (as it was during your first game), place it at the centre of the table.
4. Pile up the first 5 cards of the deck between the players (the generic card hiding the 4 cards of your game).

Example: set up for 4 players.

Presentation

Gameplay

A game is made of 8 challenges, each of them showing items distributed on one or several paths.

After revealing a challenge, players simultaneously connect items on their board following the order shown on the card.

Each player who guesses what they are drawing, even before connecting all the items, circles 1 star (or 2 stars if they were the fastest player).

After 8 challenges, the player with the most circled stars wins.

Tutorials

To ensure a progressive immersion into the game, we recommend you follow our 3 tutorials of increasing difficulty.

In Tutorial 1, you will play 3 games to help you get familiar with the general principle: connecting items.

In Tutorial 2, you will again play 3 games, but with an additional rule: circling items.

In Tutorial 3, you will play 3 new games with the last rule: drawing curves.

At the start of each tutorial, turn the number card to see an example on the back.

Note: A reminder of the difficulty and of the current game is shown in the corner of the card.

Game 1 to 3 - Tutorial #1: Straight lines

Example at the back of card number 1.

When the path is open: Starting with the item at one end, follow the path and connect all corresponding items on your board.

When the path is closed: Start from any item, follow the path in the direction you want and connect all corresponding items on your board. Remember to connect the last item to the first one you chose.

Game 4 to 6 - Tutorial #2: Isolated circle

Example at the back of card number 2. When an item is not on a path, it should only be circled.

Game 7 to 9 - Tutorial #3: Curve

Example at the back of card number 3. Sometimes an ingredient is represented with a shooting star: it means you must draw a curve passing through this item.

Deciphered challenge

As soon as a player thinks they have guessed what the drawing is (even if all the items of the challenge have not been connected!), they write down their answer on the side of their board and turn it over. Then they turn the hourglass over in front of them. They can no longer change their answer.

The other players then have 30 seconds to connect their items and write down their answer.

Hint: Sometimes, looking at your board from a different angle will help you guess!

Earning stars

When the time is up, each player reveals their answer (if they wrote one!).

If players disagree or are not sure about what the shape represents, they can check the answer on page 6 of this rulebook by using the number in the corner of the challenge card.

Note: Synonyms are accepted. For instance, "boat", "ship", "vessel", etc. are all correct. However, the answer "lorry" or "truck" is not enough to describe a tanker lorry or a garbage truck.

For the player who turned the hourglass:

• If their answer is correct, they circle 2 stars on their board.
• If their answer is wrong, they erase 1 star! If the player has no circled stars, nothing happens.

For the other players:

• If the answer is correct, they circle 1 star on their board.
• If they are wrong, nothing happens.

Tip: If players have different levels, the most experienced ones turn their board 180 degrees when they win a star.

Next challenge

1. Players clean their boards (but not the stars they have circled!).
2. If a player won 2 stars during the last challenge, they turn their board, grey side up. The other players use their board, coloured side up. Note: For each new challenge, only one player can play grey side up.
3. Move on to the next challenge. When everyone is ready, turn over the challenge card (or discard it if you have already played with both sides).

End of the game

After the 8th and last challenge (so 4 double sides cards), the player with the most circled stars wins. In case of a tie, victory is shared.

Setting up the next game: Discard the 4 used challenge cards and put them back in their bag so you don't play with it again before solving all 184 challenges of the game.

Place a generic card on top of the deck of challenge cards that have not been played yet.

Note: If a number card is on top of the deck, place the generic card underneath this card.

Express tutorial

For explaining quickly to new players how to play Connecto, train them with one card of each level (in this order): the Tutorial 1, Tutorial 2 and Tutorial 3 cards.

Alternatives

Team mode (4 to 10 players)

Team up in pairs composed of one illustrator and one guide. Illustrators sit at one side of the table and guides sit in front of them.

Use the box to hide the card from illustrators. Note: For more comfort, guides can take a picture of the challenge on their smartphone.

When the game starts, each guide describes to their illustrator the items to find and the type of lines. Players of a same team can freely communicate, but it is forbidden for the guide to tell the illustrator where an item is on the board. However, they can wait until the illustrator has drawn their line to have them erase it if they realise that the wrong item has been used.

The guide cannot give the answer to the illustrator, who is the only one who can write a possible answer.

The end of a round and the scoring are then identical to a normal game.

Players switch roles for the next round.

The game stops after 8 challenges.

Cooperative mode (3 to 6 players, from age 6)

Each player takes a card, a board and a pen except for one player designated as time master who takes the hourglass and the time card (other side of the generic card).

The time master turns the hourglass on square 1 of the time card, and players can start drawing on their board according to their challenge card.

When time is up, the time master says, "time's up!" and everyone passes on their material to their left neighbour (board, challenge card and pen or hourglass and time card). The new time master turns the hourglass on the next square of the time card and drawings can be resumed.

After 4 rounds (the hourglass is on square 4 and time is up), place all boards with their corresponding card at the centre of the table and make a joint suggestion together for each card.

You win the game if you find all the answers (solutions p. 6).

Depending on players' level, you can add or remove one round.

Solo mode (from age 8)

You must find the answer with as little connected items as possible!

Take a board and a first card. Stop drawing as soon as you think you have found the solution and write it down. Check the answer:

Right answer, circle:

• 1 star if you connected all items.
• 2 stars if one or two items are not connected.
• 3 stars if at least three items are not connected.

Wrong answer, erase 1 previously circled star.

After 4 drawings, count your score:

• 0 to 5 stars circled: Apprentice
• 6 to 9 stars circled: Champion
• 10 to 12 stars circled: Master

Answers

• 1. SHIRT
• 2. MEDAL
• 3. BEANIE
• 4. CHRISTMAS TREE
• 5. CROWN
• 6. MAN
• 7. YACHT
• 8. KITE
• 9. TENT
• 10. HAND
• 11. CRANE
• 12. FOLDED PAPER