Makoto Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Game Preparation
• How to Play
  • A) Play Card(s)
  • B) Pass
• End of the Round
• Rewards for Going Out
• End of the Game
• Play Again?

Contents

113 playing cards:

• 64 Ronin cards (4 × 1–16), with a black symbol on the back
• 16 Sword cards (1–16), with a black symbol on the back and a sword symbol under the white numbers
• 16 Oracle cards (1–16), with a golden symbol on the back
• 5 reward cards (10, 20, 30, 40, 50)
• 12 overview cards (in different languages)

The overview cards are a pictorial summary of the turn structure; their content is covered by the How to Play section below, which is transcribed from the printed rules text.

Game Preparation

1. Prepare the Oracle cards (golden symbol on the back): If you are playing with 2, 3, or 4 players, remove the numbers 14–16. Shuffle the remaining Oracle cards and place them face down to form the Oracle deck.

2. Prepare the card deck according to the number of players. All cards in the deck have the black symbol on the back:

   • For 2 or 3 players, remove all Sword cards (with a sword symbol under the numbers) from the game. Also, remove all Ronin cards (black symbol on the back) with the numbers 14–16. You will not need them for your game.
   • For 4 players, remove the Sword and Ronin cards (black symbol on the back) with the numbers 14–16.
   • For 5–6 players: Use all cards.

   Shuffle the remaining cards to form a deck. Deal each player a hand of cards according to the table below.

3. From the remaining cards, place the number indicated in the table below, face up in the center of the table – preferably arranged into columns of the same numbers. These form the Blind. Note that with 2 players only, there will be some cards left which should be placed to one side until the next game.

4. Place the score cards ready and give an overview card to each player.

Setup table (the column headings in the printed table are icons; they are labelled here by the step they correspond to):

Players	Deck	Cards in each hand	Oracle cards	Cards in the Blind
2	52 Ronin cards (1–13)	15	13 Oracle cards (1–13)	7
3	52 Ronin cards (1–13)	15	13 Oracle cards (1–13)	7
4	13 Sword- and 52 Ronin cards (1–13)	14	13 Oracle cards (1–13)	9
5	16 Sword- and 64 Ronin cards (1–16)	14	16 Oracle cards (1–16)	10
6	16 Sword- and 64 Ronin cards (1–16)	12	16 Oracle cards (1–16)

How to Play

The player sitting to the left of the player who dealt begins. Play proceeds clockwise.

When it's your turn, choose ONE of the following actions:

• A) Play card(s) and optionally use the Blind
• OR
• B) Pass and optionally draw a card from the Oracle deck

A) Play Card(s)

You must play one of the following combinations:

1. A single card (e.g. 2)
2. Two or more cards with matching numbers (e.g. 3 – 3 – 3)
3. Three or more cards in ascending order (e.g. 2 – 3 – 4)
4. A "Kensei": exactly four cards of the same number (e.g. 2 – 2 – 2 – 2)

The motifs on the cards do not matter except when playing a "Kensei".

The first player to play cards in a round has a free choice of which combination to play.

All subsequent players must then play the same combination type and the same number of cards, but with at least one higher card. (Exception: a "Kensei".)

So, if two or more cards with matching numbers was led, EXACTLY THAT MANY matching-numbered cards must be played in the current round. You cannot play less or more cards, nor change the combination type. The same principle applies to cards in ascending order, or to a single card.

Example: Simon begins the round. He plays 3 – 3. This means that everyone else must also play the combination of TWO OF THE SAME CARDS, each with a higher number than the previous player.

Exception: Playing a "Kensei"

A Kensei (Master swordsman) is a combination consisting of exactly 4 cards of the same number. In a game with 4–6 players, at least one of the 4 cards must show a sword symbol. For 2–3 players, a sword is not required. When it's your turn, you may ALWAYS play a Kensei, regardless of the previous combination played. Then, only a higher combination Kensei may be played.

Example: Silvia starts the round and plays 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6. Patrick then takes his turn and plays 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8. Stefan now takes his turn and plays a Kensei: 1 – 1 – 1 – 1, including one card with a sword symbol. Simon then plays an even higher Kensei combination: 9 – 9 – 9 – 9, also with a sword symbol. No one plays a higher Kensei, so the round ends immediately with Simon winning.

Example 1: Simon starts the round. He plays 2 – 2, i.e., two identical cards. Silvia then takes her turn. She must either:

• play a higher combination of two identical cards, e.g. 3 – 3 or 4 – 4, etc.; OR
• play a Kensei combination, e.g. 2 – 2 – 2 – 2. Don't forget: at least one card must show the sword symbol (4–6 players only); OR
• pass.

Example 2: Patrick begins the round. He plays four cards in ascending order: 2 – 3 – 4 – 5. Stefan then takes his turn. He must either:

• play a higher combination of four cards in ascending order, e.g. 3 – 4 – 5 – 6; OR
• play a Kensei, e.g. 1 – 1 – 1 – 1. Don't forget: at least one of the four cards must show the sword symbol (4–6 players only); OR
• pass.

Using the Blind

As soon as you have played one or more cards on your turn (even with a Kensei), you may:

• Discard a card: You place exactly one card from your hand face up into the Blind. This card must be lower than the lowest card you played this turn.

  OR

• Take card(s): You take one or more cards from the Blind into your hand, according to these rules:

  • You may not take more cards than you have played this turn (but you can take less).
  • The cards you take must all show the same number.
  • The cards you pick up must be lower in value than the lowest card you played this turn.

Example: The Blind contains the cards 13, 11, 2, 1, 1. Simon starts the round and plays 3 – 3 – 3 from his hand. He now takes the one 2-value card from the Blind. Silvia then plays 6 – 6 – 6 and decides to place a 1 from her hand into the Blind. Patrick takes his turn and plays 13 – 13 – 13. He then takes the three 1-value cards from the Blind into his hand (because he already had a 1-value card in his hand and now has four 1-value cards for a Kensei).

There is no limit to the number of cards that can be in the Blind. You cannot take cards from the Blind if it is empty.

B) Pass

If you cannot, or do not want to play any cards, you may pass – as long as it is not your turn to start the round.

If you pass, you may draw exactly one face-down card from the Oracle deck (not from the Blind!). If you want to keep this card in your hand, you must discard another card from your hand to a discard pile next to the Oracle deck. You may also discard the card you just drew.

If the Oracle deck is empty, shuffle the discarded cards and form a new Oracle deck (which can now also contain cards with a black symbol on the back).

After passing, you are NOT automatically eliminated from the round. On your next turn, you can decide again whether to play cards or pass.

End of the Round

When all players except one have passed, that player wins the round. They take all the cards played in this round and place them face down next to them as their winnings. These cards will be scored at the end of the game.

If you win the round, you now start a new round with A) Play card(s).

Note: The Blind cards remain in place and are not changed at the start of the round.

Rewards for Going Out

When you have played all the cards in your hand, you automatically go out of the game. You then take the highest reward card still available (e.g. 50) and will no longer participate in the subsequent rounds of the game. Everyone else continues playing. If the last player remaining in a round (see "End of Round") goes out, the player to their left begins the next round.

The next player to go out receives the next highest reward card (e.g. 40), and so on. If the second-to-last player goes out, the remaining player may have one more regular turn, if possible. If they can, they win all the cards played in that round as per the normal rules. However, the last player to go out does NOT receive a reward card! They put any remaining cards in their hand to one side and will not score them. The game then ends.

Example: Stefan and Patrick are the last remaining players. Silvia went out first and took the 50-point reward card. Simon then went out and took the 40-point reward. Now, Stefan plays 5 – 5. Patrick plays 12 – 12 and discards an 11, which was his last card. He has now also gone out and receives the 30-point reward. Stefan has one last turn; he plays 13 – 13, winning the round and the cards he and Patrick played. However, he doesn't receive a reward card because he has gone out last. At least he still secures the points for the two 5-Ronin cards (see scoring).

End of the Game

When everyone except one player has gone out, the current game ends. Then you score:

• The reward card you took for going out, if any.
• The points on the cards you collected during the game. Only the following cards score points:
  • 2's = 20 points
  • 5's = 5 points
  • 10's = 10 points

Bonus scoring: Whoever went out first may also score all 2-, 5-, and 10-value cards still in the Blind at the end of the game.

Then, whoever has the most points wins the game.

Play Again?

For 3–6 players, we recommend playing until everyone has had a turn to be the dealer. For 2 players, we recommend playing four games.

When you start a new game, whoever has scored the fewest points in the previous game receives the lid of the game box. During the game, that player may put the lid back at any time in exchange for taking any one card from the Blind (even if it is not their turn).

After all the games have been played, add up your total points to determine the winner.