Numberwang± Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• 0. Short Summary
• 1. Setup
  • Number Deck Composition
• 2. Deal
  • Numberwang-
• 3. Bid
  • Numberwang-
  • Numberwang-
  • Numberwang-
• 4. Play
  • Numberwang-
  • Numberwang+
• 5. Score
  • Numberwang-
  • Numberwang-
• End of the Game
• Variants
  • Numberwang±
  • Numberwang ± (with bot)

Components

• 65 number cards: 1x 1-10 in each of 4 suits; 2x 1-13 in each of 4 suits; 1x 14 in 1 suit
• 5 player indicator cards (1 each of 5 colors)
• 5 player indicator tokens (1 each of 5 colors)
• 1 Play First card
• 1 Play First token
• 3 score pads
• 5 pencils
• 1 rulebook
• 1 bot program card

0. Short Summary

Numberwang is a must-follow trick-taking game with a trump suit.

Trump cannot be led until it has been broken.

During bidding, players will look at and bid on all hands.

Players receive points for each correct bid.

For 3 or 5 players, there are some slight rule differences:

• With 3 players, play Numberwang-
• With 4 players, play Numberwang
• With 5 players, play Numberwang+

1. Setup

Number Deck Composition

• Numberwang-: Use 52 number cards: 1 each of 1-13 in 4 suits.
• Numberwang: Use 52 number cards: 1 each of 1-13 in 4 suits.
• Numberwang+: Use all 65 number cards.

All players take a score sheet matching the player count, a pencil, and a set of matching player indicators (card and token).

Write the names of each other player in the spaces across the top of your scoresheet, starting with the player to your left and moving clockwise around the table.

Give the Play First token and card to the player who most recently crossed a bridge.

Create the Number Deck according to the composition guide above.

2. Deal

Shuffle the Number Deck and deal 13 cards to each player.

Pass your player indicator card to the player next to you, following the direction of the arrow on the scoresheet. If you have the Play First card, pass it along with your player indicator card. Keep your player indicator token in front of you throughout the game as a reminder of your player color.

During the bidding phase, player indicator cards stay with each hand as they get passed around the table and identify which player's hand you are holding.

Numberwang-

Choose one of the two bots and place the bot reference card with the corresponding side face-up to the right of the First Player.

In addition to dealing for each player, deal a hand of 13 cards to the bot.

After dealing, reveal the bot's hand to all players.

3. Bid

Each player will bid on every hand (including their own) in order. During bidding, look at each hand and guess how many tricks that player will win with it.

The sum of a player's bids for each round must equal exactly 13, and bids are final. Players may not change a bid once they have written it down.

Example: Purple player's first bid is for Yellow player's hand; Purple player's second bid is for Teal player's hand.

Numberwang-

Each player must record a bid for the bot first, before looking at the player hand that they were dealt.

The player indicator card that accompanies the hand you were dealt should match the player name in the first column on your scoresheet.

Look at this hand and record your bid: the number of tricks you expect that player to take with this hand during the round.

Then pass the hand (together with its player indicator card) following the direction of the arrow on the scoresheet. In rounds 1 and 3, this is to the right; in rounds 2 and 4, this is to the left.

• Rounds 1 and 3: pass right (as shown)
• Rounds 2 and 4: pass left

Repeat this process for all hands, finishing by bidding the hand with your own indicator card; this is the hand you will play.

Remember, your bids must sum to 13 exactly!

Numberwang-

The bot's hand is not passed around the table during bidding.

After bidding for all hands, pass 2 cards from your hand, face-down, in the opposite direction of the arrow on the score sheet. These cards will be added to the first hand you saw. Be sure to pass cards simultaneously.

• Rounds 1 and 3: Pass 2 cards left
• Rounds 2 and 4: Pass 2 cards right

Numberwang-

The bot does not pass cards.

4. Play

A round is made up of tricks played from your hand of cards. Each player, beginning with the starting player and moving in turn clockwise around the table, plays a card from their hand into the trick.

The lead card of the trick determines the suit. You must follow if able, playing a card of the same suit into the trick. If you do not hold any cards of the trick's lead suit, you may play any card from your hand.

The highest value card of the lead suit wins the trick, unless a trump card has been played, in which case the highest value trump card wins. The squiggle suit is the trump suit.

After you win a trick, set it face-down in your play area and lead the next trick.

Each round, trump cannot be played as the lead card of a trick until it has been played off-suit into a trick ("broken"). If trump has not been broken but the starting player of a trick holds only trump cards, they may lead trump.

Use the Play First token to show when trump has been broken: flip it to the side showing the squiggle once a trump card has been played into a trick.

Numberwang-

When it is the bot's turn to play into or lead a trick, follow its program. Remember, the bot cannot lead trump until it has been broken (or if it has no other suits to lead).

If there is a tie for longest or shortest suit, follow the suit priority across the top of the bot card.

Numberwang+

If two identical cards (same rank and suit) are played into the same trick, they cancel each other out. The identical cards are ignored when determining the winner of the trick.

If this results in the trick having no winner, all cards in the trick are discarded and the lead player of the discarded trick leads the next trick.

5. Score

After all 13 tricks have been played, the round ends. Score points only for bids that were met exactly.

Each bid is worth the number of points indicated in its space on the score sheet. Earlier bids are worth more points!

Your bid on your own hand is worth 1 point per player that missed their bid on their own hand. You can use the player indicator tokens to easily show everyone if you made (face-up) or missed (face-down) your bid on your own hand.

Numberwang-

Your bid on the bot is worth 1 point per player that missed their bid on the bot.

Some bids are eligible to score bonus points. For bids of 0, and bids of 6 or higher, you earn 3 additional points if the bid is met exactly. All bids of 0 or 6+ have potential to score these bonus points.

After scoring, pass the play first token clockwise and deal for a new round. Be sure to pass your player indicator card in the direction of the arrow.

Numberwang-

Move the position of the bot anticlockwise between rounds. The bot leads the first trick of the 4th round.

End of the Game

At the end of 4 rounds, the player with the most points wins. In the case of a tie, the player who got more bids correct throughout the game wins. If this is also tied, share the victory.

That's Numberwang!

Variants

For advanced players, consider these additional variants:

Numberwang±

Use the Numberwang+ rules with 4 players. Remove ranks 1-3 of the three regular suits and ranks 1-4 of trump suit to make a 52-card Number Deck.

Numberwang ± (with bot)

Use both the Numberwang- and Numberwang+ rules with 4 players. The bot is the 5th player.