Hachi Train
Hachi Train Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
Not to be the last player left in the game — connect your cars of the same kind and play them. Any number of car cards with the same rank can be played at once, if they are adjacent to each other in your hand. Thinking about the combination of numbers, get rid of all of them from your hand as soon as possible.
Components
- 40 Train Car Cards (5 each of rank 1 to 8)
- 8 Special Car Cards (2 each of rank 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8)
- 5 Asset Cards (front: $200 million; back: $100 million)
Setup
- Adjust the number of train car cards according to the number of players:
- 5 players: use all cars.
- 4 players: remove one each of rank 1–8.
- 3 players: remove two each of rank 1–8.
- Shuffle the remaining train car cards and deal 8 to each player.
- Shuffle all special car cards and make a draw deck. Regardless of the number of players, all special car cards must be used.
- Give one asset card to each player, with the $200 million side facing out.
- Determine the starting player in any suitable way.
Important Rules
Players may not pick up any cards until all train car cards have been dealt. After that, each player takes the car cards dealt as their first hand without changing the order.
Please note again that you are not allowed to change the order of the cards in your hand!
Ending Condition of the Game
The game ends when:
- Someone has lost all assets, or
- The 4th match is over.
At the end of the game, all players with the least assets lose and the rest win the game.
The Flow of the Match
Turns go clockwise around the table. On the turn player's turn, they choose one of two actions:
- Exchange card(s) of hand and on the field.
- Pass the turn (and draw a card from the deck, if any).
Action Details
1. Exchange Card(s) of Hand and on the Field
If there are no cards on the field, you can play any card(s) according to the rules. If there are card(s) on the field, the card(s) you play must be more powerful than the card(s) on the field. If you have several cards of the same rank and they are next to each other in your hand, you can play all or some of those in the same play.
At that time, if you played out the last card from your hand, you have "gone out" and you discard all cards on the field. Your turn will not come again for the remainder of the match.
If you do not go out, you must take the card(s) on the field and add each of them to your hand, in any position you prefer. It means, if you take several cards, you may add them to different positions in your hand.
Anyway, the card(s) you played become the new cards on the field.
Which Card(s) Are More Powerful?
- Higher rank beats lower rank.
- More copies beats fewer copies.
- If the same number of copies, the higher rank is more powerful.
In short: the more copies, the more powerful. If the same number of copies, the higher rank, the more powerful.
When everyone but one player has gone out from the match, execute the "End of the Match" process.
2. Pass the Turn (and Draw a Card from the Deck, if Any)
Don't play a card and finish your turn (after that, the turn of the next player comes). You are still allowed to play cards (or pass again) when your turn comes again during the same match.
At that time, if there is a draw deck, you draw a special car card from the top of the draw deck and add it to any position in your hand.
Each special car card in the draw deck has two ranks and can be played as either rank. When arranged as shown in the rules diagram, you can play two 3s or three 4s using a single special 3/4 card alongside matching cards.
You cannot pass if no card is on the field (when you are the starting player).
Clearing the Field
For the sake of your last card(s) played on the field being too powerful, if all other players pass, you must discard the card(s) on the field. After that, if you are still in play, you become the new starting player. If not, the next player still in play becomes the new starting player. (The starting player must exchange, not pass.)
For example: if after you played an 8 card and all other players choose to pass, you must discard the 8 on the field and play card(s) of your choice at your next turn.
End of the Match
When everyone but one player has gone out, the player still in play loses $100 million of assets. If it is the first time, flip the asset card to the $100 million side. If it is the second time, lose the asset card and the game ends.
Preparing the Next Match
After a match, if the game did not end yet, collect all train car cards and special car cards separately. Shuffle the train car cards and deal eight cards to each player. Shuffle the special car cards and make a draw deck. The player who lost $100 million in assets at the last match becomes the new starting player and starts a new match.
Credits
Hachi Train — Second Edition
- Game Design: Toshiki Arao
- Artwork: Orion
- Published: May 2019
- Planning & Production: Ateam