Level 8 Master
Level 8 Master Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 108 playing cards: 90 number cards (1–15 in 6 colours), 9 jokers and 9 special cards
- 6 double-sided level cards
- 6 level indicators
Please note: before the first game, carefully cut the level indicators along the two dashed lines with a paper knife or carpet knife.
Object of the Game
Each player tries, over several exciting rounds, to collect the card combinations for their eight levels as quickly as possible and lay them out. The first player to do so wins.
Setup
Each player receives one level card and one level indicator. They slide the level card, front side up (= 1 star), into their level indicator so that the window shows the first level ("4 pairs"), as shown in the illustration.
The eight levels are printed on the level card. The front side (1 star) reads:
- 4 pairs
- 1 triplet + 1 run of four
- 1 triplet + 4 cards of one colour
- 1 triplet + 5 cards of one colour
- 1 triplet + 1 run of six
- 7 cards of one colour
- 2 quadruplets
- 1 triplet + 1 quintuplet
Note: the level list is taken from the printed level card illustration; the back side (2 stars) levels are printed only on the physical card and are not transcribed here.
One player is chosen as the first dealer. They shuffle the 108 cards and deal them face down, one at a time in turn order, to each player (including themselves). Each player receives 10 cards. The remaining cards are placed in the middle of the table as a face-down draw pile.
The dealer then turns over the top card of the draw pile and places it face up beside the draw pile, so that it points towards them. This is the first card of their personal discard pile. During the game, every other player will also form their own discard pile, always oriented towards that player (see illustration).
Note: players who know the game well and want more of a challenge may play with the levels on the back of the level cards (= 2 stars).
Course of Play
The player to the dealer's left begins. Play then proceeds clockwise. On their turn, a player does the following:
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First, they must draw a card: either the top card of the draw pile or the top card of any discard pile.
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Then they may lay down their level: they lay out, face up and visible to all, all the cards required for their current level. For example, on level 1 this is 4 pairs.
Important: it is not permitted to lay down only part of a level (for example, only two of the four pairs on level 1). It is also never permitted to add further "partial tasks" to your level (for example, a fifth pair on level 1).
Once a player has laid down their level, they may add further cards from their hand to cards already on the table that fit. They may do this both with their own cards and with those of their fellow players. This applies from the moment they lay down their cards, and for all their later turns in the current round.
Their aim here is to play their remaining hand cards as quickly as possible, because only in this way can they claim the bonus (see "End of a Round").
Examples:
- A run of three (4, 5, 6) is on the table: the player may add a 7 (and then an 8, and so on) and/or a 3 (and then a 2, and so on).
- Four pairs (2-2, 3-3, 6-6, 6-6) are on the table: the player may add any 2, 3 or 6 that fits.
- A run of four (8, 9, 10, 11) and two pairs (3-3, 9-9) are on the table: the player may add a 7 (and then a 6, and so on) and/or a 12 (and then a 13, and so on), or any 3 or 9 that fits.
- A colour run of three (6, 7, 8) is on the table: the player may add a red 9 (and then a red 10, and so on) and/or a red 5 (and then a red 4, and so on). Numbers of other colours are not allowed!
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Finally, they must discard a card: the player must end their turn by discarding one card from their hand, face up, onto their own discard pile.
Note: if the last face-down card is drawn from the draw pile during a round, each player returns all cards from their discard pile except the top card (which remains as their discard pile). The returned cards are shuffled and placed as the new draw pile.
The Combinations
Runs are several cards with consecutive numbers in any colour (such as 4-5-6 or 8-9-10-11). Note: there is no connection between 15 and 1!
Pairs, triplets and so on are several cards with the same number (such as 4-4-4 or 11-11-11-11).
X cards of one colour are any numbers of the same colour (for example 7-2-11-15 or 12-13-4-8-1).
Colour runs are several cards with consecutive numbers in one colour (for example 4-5 or 10-11-12).
End of a Round
A round ends immediately as soon as a player discards their last hand card onto their discard pile. That player may then, as a bonus, advance their level card by two levels (that is, they skip a level!).
All other players who have also laid down their current level advance their level card by one level.
Players who have not laid down their level do nothing.
Important: for levels 5, 6, 7 and 8 (numbering on a gold background; front and back), the following special rule applies at the end of a round: a player on levels 5–8 who has not yet laid down their level may keep up to four hand cards. They take these into the next round, which increases their chances of completing their level. Of course, these players then receive only as many new cards as needed to have 10 hand cards again.
New round: the left-hand neighbour of the old dealer becomes the new dealer. They collect all cards on the table and all hand cards, shuffle the cards anew and deal out (up to) 10 cards to each player. They turn over the top card of the draw pile and place it as the first card of their discard pile. Then the dealer's left-hand neighbour begins the next round...
Jokers (3 × 3)
There are three different jokers: 1-5, 6-10 and 11-15 (3 of each). Each of these jokers may stand in for any number or colour within its number range.
Example illustration: a joker from each number range stands in for the cards shown.
Several jokers may be used in one level. For every joker laid out, it must always be clear what it is standing in for. If necessary, the player laying it out must state which number or colour a joker represents. Jokers that have been laid out may not be exchanged for matching cards.
Example: the four cards shown below form a red four-card colour run (4-J-J-7).
Special Cards
Instead of discarding a card onto their own discard pile as the third action of their turn, a player may play a special card. Important: after that, their turn ends in every case, just as normal.
There are three kinds:
"I'll take that!" – "Die nehm' ich!" (2×): the player who plays this card slides it face up under the draw pile. Each other player must, in turn, starting with the player to the left of the one who played it, lay out three of their hand cards face up in front of them. The player who played the card may, if they wish, then take exactly one of these face-up cards into their hand (so that they now have one card more!). If they do, the "robbed" player must then take the top card of the draw pile into their hand as a replacement. The other face-up cards are then also taken back into hand by the other players.
Note: if a fellow player no longer has three cards in hand, they simply lay out fewer cards.
"I'll swap that!" – "Die tausch' ich!" (3×): the player who plays this card slides it face up under the draw pile. The player may now place up to 3 of their hand cards, one after another and in any order, onto their discard pile. They then draw from the draw pile (not from face-up discard piles!) as many cards as they have discarded.
"I'll keep that!" – "Die behalt' ich!" (4×): the player who plays this card lays it face up in front of them until the end of the round. When the round ends, this player may keep up to 3 of their hand cards, that is, take them into the next round. This applies only if they have not yet laid down their level. See also "End of a Round" above. For players who have laid down their level by the end of a round, these cards have no effect.
Such cards may also lie in front of a player several times; they then take effect accordingly several times. Moreover, the cards that a player may keep in this way count towards the four cards they may keep anyway on levels 5–8.
Example: the round ends. A player has two "I'll keep that!" cards in front of them and is on level 7, but has not laid down that level. They may now take up to 10 of their hand cards (4 + 3 + 3) into the next round, if they wish.
Note: if a special card is discarded as the last hand card (that is, the round ends), it has no effect.
End of the Game
A player wins immediately if they are on their 8th level and lay it down (they must therefore get rid of all their hand cards!).
A player also wins if they have laid down their 7th level and complete the current round. In this way they skip the 8th level and move their level card onto the word "WIN" ("Sieg")!