Hau La
Hau La Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
About HAU LA
HAU LA is a game about building the highest building. The rules are very simple. But to win, you need some planning, some dexterity, and above all, the power to imagine a result.
Architect area control game. About 15 minutes. 2–4 players. Ages 8–99.
Components
- 10 big joint pieces
- 4 small joint pieces
- 4 big end pieces
- 4 small end pieces
- 4 colour tags in 4 colours (red, blue, yellow, orange)
- 1 board
How to connect the pieces: The pieces are easy to connect by folding their tip. Slip the pieces all the way, so that they grab hold.
Preparation
Preparations vary a bit depending on the number of players. Each player takes the following pieces.
For 2 players (each player uses 2 colour tags)
- Each player takes: 1 big joint piece, 2 small joint pieces, 2 big end pieces, 2 small end pieces, 2 colour tags.
- 8 big joint pieces will remain. Place them beside the board.
For 3 players
- Each player takes: 1 big joint piece, 1 small joint piece, 1 big end piece, 1 small end piece, 1 colour tag.
- 7 big joint pieces will remain. Place them beside the board.
- On top of that, the remaining 1 small joint piece, 1 big end piece and 1 small end piece are distributed by any reasonable method among the three players (you may choose in turn order). They must be used during each player's first turn.
For 4 players
- Each player takes: 1 big joint piece, 1 small joint piece, 1 big end piece, 1 small end piece, 1 colour tag.
- 6 big joint pieces will remain. Place them beside the board.
The game board's starting set up
As a starting set up, three big joint pieces must be set in the middle of the game board as follows.
- Place the first big joint piece like this. These are the four holes that the set up pieces should be placed in.
- Place the second big joint piece like this.
- And the third big joint piece like this. One of the tips must be in the ground.
Now the game can start!
Decide start player in any suitable fashion, and players take turns clockwise around the table.
How to play
The game proceeds according to this chart. For details, please refer to the following pages.
- Place pieces: Starting with the start player and in clockwise order, players place one of their pieces and their colour tag.
- Judge height: When all players have done, check whose colour tag reaches highest.
- Bonus joint piece: The current topmost player gets to place a bonus joint piece.
Then the current topmost player becomes the start player of the next round. Repeat steps 1 to 3.
Game end: When all players have placed all their pieces, the game ends. The player whose colour tag reaches highest is the winner.
Placing pieces
When it's your turn, choose one of your pieces and place it.
- If you have no colour tag placed, choose any hole(s) in which you place your piece, and then stick your colour tag on the piece you placed.
- If you have your colour tag on the board, then you remove your colour tag, and place your piece in the hole you just took your colour tag from.
The end pieces: Remove the colour tag. Place the colour tag in any of the holes.
The joint pieces: One end can go in any hole. One end has to go in the hole the colour tag was. Remove the colour tag. Place the colour tag in any hole of the piece.
Attention!
- You may not move other player's colour tags.
- For a 3-player game, you are forced to use a certain piece during the first round. See Preparation.
Judging height
When all players have placed, it's time to measure.
Look at the HAU LA building from the side, and search for the colour tag that reaches the highest. The highest colour tag is First, the next is Second, then Third.
The current topmost player becomes the start player for the next round. This player will also place the bonus joint piece before he takes his normal turn. (Please refer to the "Placing bonus joints" section on the next page for details.)
Attention! In a 2-player game, at first players take two turns each (alternating), placing one colour tag each turn. After each player has placed both colour tags, do the first measuring. After that, measuring takes place after both players have placed one piece each.
Bonus joint pieces
Before a new round starts, current topmost player takes one of the big joint pieces from the stock and places it as a bonus joint piece. After the bonus joint piece has been placed, current topmost player takes his normal turn as the start player and play then goes clockwise around the table.
There are certain rules for how to place the bonus joint piece:
- Use a big joint piece from the general stock (not your own).
- Place in any two holes, but one of the joint tips must be on the ground, and the other may not be on the ground.
- No colour tags are used.
The bonus joint piece is placed by the current topmost player after each round. Use them wisely to get an advantage.
Game end
The game ends when everyone has placed all their pieces. Look at the Haula construction from the side and see which colour tag reaches the highest. The owner of that colour tag wins the game.
Penalty for pieces that touch
Pieces may only touch each other at their connectors (hole and grip). If any two or more pieces end up touching each other in any other way after someone has placed his/her piece, the current player is punished. This is called the touch penalty.
This includes the case that any colour tag touches a piece, or two colour tags touch each other.
Touch penalty
Remove the latest placed piece, so that the construction reverts into the legal position, with no touching pieces. The faulty piece is given to the current topmost player. If the culprit is the current topmost player, the piece goes to the second top player. The player who got the piece may place it in any hole he/she wishes. Do not place any colour tag. Play then continues with the player in turn after the culprit.
Joint announcing
You cannot change your choice of holes just because you notice you will cause a touch of pieces. To avoid argument, please be sure to announce in beforehand which hole(s) you intend to connect your piece to.
Supplement
Can I place a piece on the ground?
Yes. In your first turn, you can choose to place an end piece in the ground. Also, you may always choose to connect one end of your joint pieces to the ground (the other must go in your previous colour tag's hole).
In a 2-player game, may I connect a joint piece to both my colour tag holes?
Yes, you may. Remove both, and replace only one of them. The other is put out of the game.
What happens if there is a touch during the bonus joint piece placement?
If that happens, first remove the bonus joint piece. Then give the bonus joint piece to the second highest player, who gets to place it. The start player does not change.
May any piece touch the ground?
Yes, there is no penatly for a piece touching the ground.
What happens if we notice a touch that probably was there before?
You must at all costs avoid letting pieces touch. In the rare case of a touch being impossible to avoid wherever you place your piece, or if you suddenly notice a touch you didn't see before, as long as all players agree, you may make an exception for that specific touch and continue the game as is.