Math Rush: Addition & Subtraction
Math Rush: Addition & Subtraction Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 90 Number Cards
- 23 Advanced Cards (with the Advanced icon)
- 15 Goal Cards
- 4 Advanced Cards (with the Advanced icon)
- 3 Help Cards
Setup
- Shuffle the Number Cards (showing sums and differences) and Goal Cards into separate decks and place them face down, in one or more piles, within reach of all players. Place the 3 Help Cards next to the play area, face up.
- Each player draws a starting hand of Number Cards based on the number of players in the game. This is the players' hand size for the game.
- 1-2 Players: 5 Cards each
- 3 Players: 4 Cards each
- 4 Players: 3 Cards each
- 5 Players: 2 Cards each
- Draw 3 Goal Cards and place them face up in a column in the middle of the table, with enough room to play cards to the right of each one.
- Set a Timer for 3 minutes. Once players are familiar with their hand of Cards and starting Goals, start the Timer and begin playing.
Overview
Each round, players will race to play cards into Sets that complete as many Goal Cards as possible in 3 minutes. There are no turns: the players all play at the same time, playing Cards and discussing strategy however they would like.
The Goal Cards each show how many Number Cards they require, the direction for the Number Cards to be played (ascending or descending), a Victory Point value, and any additional restrictions for Number Cards in that Set.
Each player has a hand of Number Cards which show either sums or differences. At any point during a round, players may play any Cards from their hands into a Set and they may always draw back up to their starting hand size whenever they have fewer cards.
Playing Cards
Cards may be played in one of two ways:
- Play a Number Card in Order. Players may play a Number Card to the right of a Goal Card and all other Number Cards in that Set, as long as it meets the requirements shown on that Goal Card, including the ordering. So, for an ascending Goal (showing up arrows), Number Cards played to the right of the Set must be larger than every card played so far in that Set, and smaller values may no longer be played there.
- Play A Number Card On Top of Another Card of Equal Value. Number Cards may always be played into a Set on top of already-played Number Cards with equal values, even if other Cards have already been played.
Once a Number Card has been played, it cannot be picked up, even if the players realize it is out of order or doesn't meet the Goal's requirement (such as playing an odd sum in an "Evens Only" Set). It must either be removed using a Help Card (see below), or will prevent the Goal from scoring. Number Cards may not be intentionally played into a Set with restrictions they do not match, or out of order.
Players may draw back up to their starting hand size at any time.
Completing Goal Cards
A Goal Card is complete once it has the required quantity of Number Cards in its Set (to the right of the goal), including any stacks of cards with equal values. When this happens, flip the completed Goal Card face down (but leave its Set of Number Cards in place). Then, add a new Goal to the bottom of the column of Goal Cards and continue playing.
Some Goal Cards have no additional restrictions and may be completed by any of the Number Cards. Other Cards have restrictions for the Number Cards that may be placed in their Set: some require only sums (addition), only differences (subtraction), only Cards with results that are even or odd, or only Cards with results greater than 11 or less than 9.
Help Cards
In each full game, the players have 3 total Help Cards which may be used at any time over the 3 rounds. Unused Help Cards will score additional points at the end of the game. The Help Cards may be used in one of two ways (then are flipped face down):
- A Help Card may be used to remove any quantity of Number Cards in a single Set.
- A Help Card may be used to allow all players to discard any number of Cards from their hands and redraw Cards to their starting hand sizes.
End of a Round
The round is over when the Timer runs out. Players must verify that the Goal Cards were correctly completed. They may be verified by flipping them over and checking the letters in the bottom corners. The Cards played to ascending Goals should be laid out in alphabetical order while the Cards with descending Goals should be in reverse alphabetical order.
If all the requirements of a Goal Card have been met, players score points equal to the stars shown on the Goal Card. If the requirements are not met, the Goal Card is discarded and scores 0 points.
After all Goal Cards have been verified and scored, it's time for the next round. Reshuffle all the Cards into their respective piles and set up for the next round as normal. Used Help Cards are not reset between rounds.
Scoring and Game End
At the end of 3 rounds, add together the points scored in each round and bonus points from any unused Help Cards:
- 3 points for 1 unused Card
- 5 points for 2 unused Cards
- 6 points for all 3 unused Cards
Score bands for the 2-5 Players table as printed:
| Points | Rating |
|---|---|
| 0 - 20 points | Needs Work |
| 21 - 35 Points | Good |
| 36 - 50 Points | Great |
| 51 - 60 Points | Amazing! |
| 61+ Points | Hall of Fame |
You can check your score and progress to the right. Score bands as printed in the second table:
| Points | Rating |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30 points | Needs Work |
| 31 - 45 Points | Good |
| 46 - 65 Points | Great |
| 66 - 85 Points | Amazing! |
| 86+ Points | Hall of Fame |
Transcriber note: the printed page labels the two score tables with the headings "2-5 Players" and "1 Player", but the text layer does not place each heading unambiguously over one table. The first table is transcribed as the 2-5 Players table and the second as the 1 Player table, following the printed order (the second table is introduced by "You can check your score and progress to the right:"). Check this against the printed page if in doubt.
Younger Players and Variants
Math Rush is an intense game of quick mental arithmetic. Younger players who are still mastering these skills might prefer any or all of the following adjustments:
- Remove the Advanced Cards (with the icon) before playing.
- Allow younger players to use the "Help" abilities as much as they would like. These players may discard Number Cards from their hands or from Sets at any time. (Shuffle discarded Number Cards as needed.)
- For the youngest players, work toward only one Goal Card at a time, allowing rearranging of the Number Cards on the table. The players may discard and redraw any cards that don't fit the Goal Card restrictions. They may play with or without a timer.