Double Side Play Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Overview and Objective
• Components
• How to Play
  • Game Setup
  • Round Setup
  • Trick Flow
  • End of Round
  • End of Game
• Optional Rule: Trump Cards
• Glossary

Game Overview and Objective

Double Side Play is a trick-taking card game for 3 or 4 players. Each card shows two numbers, and the number used changes between the first half and the second half of the round. Each player rolls dice and aims to make the number of tricks they win match one of their dice results. The first player to achieve this goal twice wins the game.

Components

Number cards: 48 total (12 in each of 4 colours)

• The cards come in 4 colours, and each colour depicts its corresponding planet.
• The numbers run from 1 to 12. Each card shows a black number (the Astronaut side) and a white number (the Alien side).
• On every card, the difference between the Astronaut side number and the Alien side number is always 6.

6-sided dice (star stones): 8 total (2 in each of 4 colours)

Trump display cards: 2 total (double-sided). Used with the optional trump rule.

How to Play

Terms are explained in the Glossary at the end.

Game Setup

Each player places 2 dice of their chosen colour in front of them.

Round Setup

Shuffle all the number cards thoroughly and deal 12 to each player as their hand.

• With 4 players, the whole deck is dealt out.
• With 3 players, 12 cards are left over. The leftover cards are not used in this round.

Each player rolls their 2 dice. If both dice show the same number, roll both dice again until the two numbers are different.

The goal of this game is for one of your dice results to match the number of tricks you win in the round (your tricks won).

• If a die shows 6, treat it as "6 or 0".
• For example, if your dice show 2 and 6, you aim to win 2, 6, or 0 tricks.

Dice results are public.

The player with the lowest total of dice results becomes the lead player, who plays the first card.

• If totals are tied, the tied player with the lowest single die result becomes the lead player.
• If that is also tied, the tied players play rock-paper-scissors (janken), and the winner becomes the lead player.

Trick Flow

In this game, the first 6 tricks use the black numbers on the Astronaut side. After the first 6 tricks are finished, all players flip their hands upside down, and the last 6 tricks use the white numbers on the Alien side.

1. The lead player plays any one number card face up.
2. Going clockwise, each next player plays one card. If the player has a card of the same colour as the lead player's card, they must play a card of that colour (must-follow). If the player has no card of the lead player's colour, they may freely choose any card to play. Passing is not allowed; you must always play one card. You do not need to play a card higher than the cards already played.
3. When playing a card, read out its colour and number so everyone knows which card was played. If you play a different colour because you have no cards of the lead player's colour left, it helps to announce that you have no more cards of that colour in hand. Played cards are not placed on top of other players' cards; place them in front of yourself.
4. After every player has played one card, determine the winner of the trick.
5. The player who played the highest-numbered card in the lead player's colour wins the trick and takes it.
6. The player who won the trick turns its cards face down and places them near themselves as a pile. If you already have trick piles, make a new pile so that it is clear how many times each player has won.
7. The player who won the trick becomes the next lead player. Continue until hands are empty.

The colour of each played card represents the planet the player arrived at. The planet of the lead player becomes the battleground. Players must gather on the battleground planet whenever possible. A player who has gone to another planet always loses. Among the players who gathered on the battleground, the player who played the highest card wins.

End of Round

The round ends when 12 tricks have been played and all players' hands are empty.

Each player compares their dice results with their tricks won. A player whose tricks won matches either of their dice results achieves their goal and gains 1 point. (Remember that a die showing 6 counts as "6 or 0.")

Repeat the sequence from Round Setup through End of Round until some player has gained 2 points.

End of Game

The first player to gain 2 points wins the game. If several players gain 2 points at the same time, they share the victory.

Playing several games and competing for the most game wins is also enjoyable.

Optional Rule: Trump Cards

This game can optionally use the trump card rule. Trump cards are stronger than other cards, and this rule adds more strategy and tension to the game.

At the end of Round Setup, perform the following.

5. Compare the total of each player's dice results. The player with the highest total chooses the trump colour. If totals are tied, the tied player with the highest single die result chooses the trump. If that is also tied, the tied players play rock-paper-scissors (janken), and the winner chooses the trump.
   • Place the trump display card of the matching colour in the centre of the table so that all players can see it.
   • Return any unused trump display cards to the box; they are not used this round.

Replace step 5 of the Trick Flow with the following.

5. Check whether a trump card was played in this trick.
   • If a trump card was played, the player who played the highest-numbered trump card wins the trick and takes it.
   • If no trump card was played, the player who played the highest-numbered card in the lead player's colour wins the trick and takes it.

Glossary

Trick-taking: A style of play in which players play cards in turn, and a winner is decided by specific conditions. In this game, every player plays one card, and the player who played the highest-numbered card in the lead player's colour wins the trick.

Lead player: The player who plays the first card of each trick. In this game, the first lead player is determined by dice results, and later lead players are the players who won the previous trick.

Trick: The sequence of play from the lead player going clockwise with each player playing a card, until the win is determined. Winning a trick is called taking the trick, and the number of tricks won is called tricks won.

Must-follow: The rule that if you have a card of the same colour as the lead player's card, you must play a card of that colour. If you have no card of that colour in hand, you may play any card.

Trump: A card with a special effect during the game. In this game it is used as an optional rule. When a trump colour is determined, cards of that colour are stronger than all other cards.