Hanabi
34 questions players ask about Hanabi. Pick one for the answer. See also the full rulebook.
Updated 2026-11-05.
Setup and components
- How many cards does each player start with in Hanabi?
- How many fuse (strike) tokens are there, and how many mistakes end the game?
- How many clue tokens and strike tokens does Hanabi use?
- Are the fireworks shared by all players, or does each player build their own?
- Is the discard pile public, and can I look through it at any time?
Giving clues
- Can you give a clue saying a player has zero cards of a colour or number?
- Must a colour or number clue point to every matching card in the hand?
- Can a clue be a comparison like 'these are less than 4', or name more than one colour or number?
- Can you give a false clue, for example call a 1 white, to signal a discard or save a token?
- Can you point to the matching cards one at a time or in a set order when clueing?
- What happens to the clue tokens when I give a clue or discard?
Playing and discarding
- Can you play or discard more than one card in a turn?
- Do I have to name a card's colour or number before playing it?
- Which cards may be played, and can a firework start with a card higher than 1?
- Is playing a second copy of a card already on the table a strike?
- Do I get a clue token back after a failed play?
- Do I get a clue token back for any 5, or only when a 5 completes a firework?
- Can I discard when all eight clue tokens are on the table, or clue when there are none?
- Can I point out that a firework can no longer be finished because of the discards?
Table talk and memory aids
- Can I rearrange or turn my cards after receiving a clue?
- Can I rearrange or turn a card to signal it is safe to discard, or because of a card someone just drew?
- Can I ask another player what they know about their hand?
- Can I say what I know about my hand if I worked it out from the cards I can see?
- If I ask what someone knows and they are wrong, can I correct them?
- Can I ask which card a player will discard next, or announce my plan for my turn?
- Is it cheating to write down the clues I was given?
- Is always discarding your oldest unclued card cheating?