Light Line Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Main Game (LINE)
  • Before You Begin
  • Order of Play
  • Rules for Playing a Card
  • Scoring
  • Drawing Cards
  • End of Game
• Long Line
• Kidz Line
• Solo Line
• Head Line

Contents

• 65 line cards
• 1 example card
• 1 set of game instructions

Main Game (LINE)

For 2 – 6 players aged 7 years and up.

Before You Begin

• Sort all 65 line cards into separate piles according to the numbers on the back. Shuffle each pile separately and place them face down with the numbers showing around the edge of the playing area.
• Place the top card from the number 3 pile face up in the middle of the table as the start card.
• Then each player picks up 1 card from the number 3 pile.

Order of Play

• The eldest player begins.
• On your turn, play your card by lining up one or more lines of your card with one or more cards already lying in the middle of the table.

Rules for Playing a Card

• At least one coloured line must be extended by the card played; the other lines do not have to match in colour.
• Cards must be aligned symmetrically side by side or top/bottom to top/bottom (see example card).

Note: An intended line ends when its colour changes; when it does not connect to another line; or when it stops at the edge of a card. For example, the green line on the example card ends at the edge of the card and where the colour changes. The yellow lines end at the edge of the card and where they no longer connect to another line.

• Each player tries to play his card so as to form the longest line possible. You're allowed to try out different positions before making your final decision where to lay the card.

Scoring

• Each section of the line extended is worth 1 point. The line on a card constitutes one line section, even though it may be divided by another line of a different colour (e.g. the upper red line spread across two cards counts for 2 points).
• If you manage to extend more than one line, each section of all extended lines are counted. Pick up up to 2 cards from the numbered card piles according to the total amount of points earned for the card played. Lay them down in front of you on the table in a pile with the number side facing up.
• You're allowed to pick up a maximum of 2 number cards per turn, even if you've earned more than 10 points.

Note: A maximum of 2 number cards can be picked up per turn to preclude the possibility of a player amassing his points with several small numbered cards and thereby ending the game too quickly.

Example (see example card): Karen places her card and extends the green line by a third section (3 points), and at the same time, she extends the red line by one section (2 points). It doesn't matter that the blue line is continued by a black line and that yellow is not extended. She receives a total of 5 points, and she picks up one card from the number 5 card pile (or one card from the number 2 and one card from the number 3 pile).

Drawing Cards

• If the drawn card cannot be played anywhere, slide it under the pile with the corresponding number (number on the back). Then draw a new card from any card pile and play it immediately (repeat process as necessary until you're able to play a card and receive a point).
• Once you've played your card, pick up the top number card from any of the number card piles, and the player to your left can begin his turn.

End of Game

• The game is over once a player is no longer able to pick up the required combination of number cards (either 1 or 2 cards) according to the number of points earned. The round is played out until each player has had his turn. If the required number cards are no longer available to match the points earned, you receive the number card(s) available that amount(s) to the next lowest point total.
• The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. If two or more players tie for first place, these players count their cards and the one with the least cards wins.

Long Line

For 2 – 8 players aged 8 years and up. Each player plays independently and simultaneously and tries to form the longest line.

• You will need a pencil and a sheet of paper to keep score.
• The game consists of 6 rounds.
• Shuffle all 65 line cards. Each player receives 8 cards, which are placed into a pile in front of each player face down. Remaining cards are not needed in this round and can be set aside.
• At the start signal, each player turns over his own cards and forms his own line independently of the others from his own pile of cards. Unlike the main game, only one line per player counts.
• All players simultaneously try to form the longest line possible in a single colour (see rules for playing a card in the instructions to the main game) using their 8 cards.
• As soon as a player thinks he's formed a long line, he calls out, "LINE!" followed by the number of cards used to complete his line, and then waits for the other players to finish their lines. Numbers that have already been called out in this round may not be called out by other players in the same round!
• All remaining players must complete their lines with more or less cards and call out a larger or smaller number accordingly.

Example: Karen calls out, "LINE 6!". Tim also has a line consisting of 6 cards, but Karen called it out first. Now he can either form a line using 7 or 8 cards, or remove a card and call out, "LINE 5!", before Jenny does, and blocks the 5, too!

• The round is over once all but one of the players have called out their lines.
• Points are recorded on a sheet of paper (not by the number cards). The last player also receives points for his line, but a maximum of one point less than the player with the fewest points in this round.
• Shuffle all 65 cards and deal them out as described above, and the next round begins.
• The player with the most points after 6 rounds wins.

Kidz Line

For 2 – 8 players aged 5 years and up. And for players of different playing strengths.

In KIDZ LINE multiple lines of different lengths are formed. As in the main game, only one of the lines must be extended by the card played.

• Shuffle all 65 line cards. Lay down the first card face up in the middle of the table and give each player 6 cards. These are placed into a pile in front of each player face down. Remaining cards are not needed for this game and can be set aside.
• The youngest player turns over the first card from his pile and uses it to try to extend one of the lines, just as in the main game. Once he's been able to play his card, the player on his left takes his turn.
• If the card cannot be played, the player moves it to the bottom of his pile, and the next player takes his turn.
• The game is over after 6 rounds.
• The player who was able to lay down the most cards wins. There may be multiple winners.

Solo Line

For 1 player aged 8 years and up. Try to form a long line with all your cards.

• Shuffle all 65 cards and deal yourself 10.
• Try to form a line with these 10 cards (see rules for playing a card in the instructions to the main game).
• Black is the joker colour. It can be used to extend the line of a different colour (e.g. black-red-red-black-red-black-red).
• If you manage to use up all 10 cards to extend your line, you win.
• You can also increase the difficulty level by dealing yourself more than 10 cards.

Head Line

For 2 – 4 players aged 10 years and up.

In HEAD LINE, all players simultaneously try to form a line from the turned over cards in their head without touching the cards.

• For this game you will need 4 number 3 cards, 3 number 4 cards, and 2 number 5 cards.
• Shuffle these 9 cards and put them into a pile with the number side facing up in the middle of the table (round pile).
• Shuffle the remaining line cards.
• The eldest player takes the pile of the remaining cards with the number side facing up.
• He turns over one card after another, laying them down side by side in the middle of the table. It's important that the other players see the card being turned over first.
• The card dealer determines the speed of the game in how fast, or slow, he turns over the cards.
• Everyone simultaneously tries to form a line from the turned over cards (see rules for playing a card in the instructions to the main game). However, this time only one line is rewarded with points!
• The top card from the round pile shows how many cards must be used to form a line of a single colour.
• Choosing any one of the turned over cards as the start card, players simultaneously try to imagine how to join the cards to form a line. Cards may not be touched, turned or moved in any way; everything has to be thought out in your head only!
• As soon as you think you've found a solution, call out, "LINE!", and without delay pick up the cards and puzzle them together to show your solution.

Note: To ensure that no one calls out, "LINE!", in advance and only then tries to come up with a solution, it's important that the cards are immediately picked up and placed into the right position as soon as "LINE!" has been called.

• If the player was able to successfully arrange the cards to form a line in a single colour with the correct number of cards, he receives the card from the round pile showing the number. He lays it down in front of him on the table with the number side facing up to show how many points he's won.
• If the cards do not match, or if he was not able to correctly form a line, the player loses one of his number cards that he's already won, placing it into a discard pile. If he hasn't yet won any number cards, he doesn't forfeit any.
• If more than one player calls out "LINE!" at the same time, the round is repeated with new cards.
• All turned over cards are collected and placed at the bottom of the pile held by the eldest player.
• The next round begins, and the top card of the round pile indicates how many line sections the line of the new round must have.
• The game is over once there are no cards left in the round pile.
• The player with the most points shown on his number cards wins.