Oss
Oss Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Throwing the "Jack"
Except in rare cases, all tricks have the same basic handling: the player takes one of the jacks in his hand (traditionally white, called "the Jack"), then throws it up, and must catch it with same hand.
Every trick requires another particular action, that must be performed during the short moment in which the Jack is airborne. For example, the simplest trick is to pick up one or more jacks on the table. Even if the player succeeds in his action, he must always catch the Jack: if not, he has failed and it's the next player's turn. As long as he catches the Jack, he can continue to play, even if he didn't successfully perform the required action.
Game Components
- Trick Cards (20). They show the different tricks to be attempted by the players. They are sorted by colour into 4 families: 3 families of tricks for solo play and one family of tricks for duel play.
- Tribe Cards (48, 6 Tribes of 8 cards). Each player gets a set of 8 tribe cards. These cards will be played by the player and indicate which trick he wants to attempt (by placing his tribe card in front of the trick chosen), and at which level (the number on the card states the number of jacks required to succeed).
- Challenge Cards (5). These are collective tricks to be attempted by all the players at the end of each round.
- Chief Card (1). Give it to the first player.
- Drum Cards (6). Keep them within reach, they're used as accessories for some tricks.
- Jacks (6 jacks of different colours) and one bag.
Set Up
The Trick cards are sorted by the colour on the back, shuffled, and placed face-down on the table in four different decks, the Duel deck on one side. Reveal the first card of each deck.
The Challenge cards are shuffled too and put down slightly away from the others, face-down to form another deck.
2 players: remove the WarnOss card.
Each player chooses a Tribe. He shuffles the 8 cards and places them in front of him, face-down in one deck. He draws 5 cards and keeps them in his hand.
The first player is the most big-boned. He places the Chief card in front of him, face-up.
Summary of Play
A game lasts 4 rounds.
During each round:
- play Tribes cards
- attempt Tricks
- Challenges (all together)
- draw a Tribe card
- new Tricks
1. Play Tribes Cards
In each round, beginning with the Chief and following in clockwise order, each player plays one of the Tribe cards from his hand by placing it below one of the 3 Tricks decks (never below the Duel deck). This determines which Trick he will attempt and how many jacks he will use (the number on the card). When everyone has played a Tribe card in this manner we determine how the tricks will be executed.
- Solo: if a player played alone one of the 3 Tricks, he will do the trick alone.
- Duel: if more than one player has chosen one specific Trick, the two players whose cards are closest to the Trick card (i.e. those who laid their cards first) will fight in a duel. Their Tribes cards are immediately placed below the Duel deck.
Be careful: the following players' cards placed on this same deck will stay and they will play this trick in solo mode.
2. Tricks
Note: on the back of each card, a QR code gives you access, if needed, to an explanatory video.
The Tricks are attempted in the turn order, beginning with the Chief.
- Solo: the player tries to pick up as many jacks as the number on the Tribe card played. If successful, the player wins his Tribe card and places it in front of him face-up. If unsuccessful, the Tribe card is lost and removed from the game.
- Duel: the two players fight in a duel. The values of the Tribe cards are never taken in account. The first player of the duel is always the one who has played his Tribe card first (the closest to the Tricks deck).
The winner of the Duel wins his choice of one of the two Tribe cards and puts it in front of him, face up. The other Tribe card is out of the game.
In the case of a tie, the players restart the Duel from the beginning.
- Replay: after having attempted a trick in solo mode or duel, a player has the right to replay if he failed or if he's not satisfied of the result. To be permitted a retry, he must discard a Tribe card from his hand. No more than two replays per round are permitted.
Note: be careful, the Tribes cards discarded to enable a replay attempt are lost permanently. Moreover, the player will have one card fewer in his hand for the rest of the game; he still draws only one card at the end of the round!
3. Challenge (All Together)
When all the players have tempted their Trick or Duel, the top card of the Challenge deck is revealed. All players attempt this challenge simultaneously. The winner takes the challenge card and places it in front of him. He's the new Chief.
Note: challenges cannot be replayed.
4. Draw
Each player draws the first card of his Tribe deck and adds it to his hand.
5. New Tricks
The 3 Tricks cards and the Duel are removed from the game. Reveal the next cards from each of the four decks.
End of the Game
At the end of the 4th round the game ends and scores are calculated! Every player sums the value of both the Tribe and Challenge cards (worth 4 points) he won.
The player who has the most points wins the game and is declared Big Chief!
List of Tricks & Challenges
Solo (1st Family)
Aslik Set up: toss the jacks on the table. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: pick up one by one the jacks on the table.
Ehfel Set up: take all the jacks in the hand. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: put down one jack on the table while keeping the others in your hand.
Kuda-Kuda Set up: toss the jacks on the table. Throw up the Jack the classic way, but always grab with the other hand. Do: pick up one by one the jacks on the table with the hand that hasn't been used to throw up the Jack. Reverse the hands each time you succeed in a throw.
Takh-Takh Set up: toss the jacks on the table. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: set upright one by one the jacks on the edge. Won: the number of jacks set upright on the edge corresponds to the number of the card played OR all the jacks are on the edge.
Wollo Set up: put your "second" hand on the table to form a wall. Toss the jacks close to your hand. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: throw one by one the jacks over the wall.
Solo (2nd Family)
Cumi-Cumi Set up: toss the jacks on the table. Then join the hands, fingers crossed except the index fingers. No throwing up of the Jack. Do: by using the index fingers as pliers, take a jack off the table, throw it up and grab it between your hands crossed.
Gurnia Set up: put the other hand with the fingers apart on the table and place a jack on the table in between each finger and close to the base of the figures. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: push under the hand the jacks one by one.
Nampan Set up: put together the palms of the hands, holding 4 jacks between them. No throwing up of the Jack. Do: throw up the jacks by opening the hands and grab the maximum of jacks into the main hand.
Numa Set up: put 5 jacks on the back of the hand. No throwing up of the Jack. Do: throw up the 5 jacks together and catch as many as possible in the palm of the same hand.
Polopo Set up: put 4 jacks between the fingers, palm face down. No throwing up of the Jack. Do: by moving only the fingers, transfer all of the jacks into the palm of the same hand. Lost: a jack falls.
Solo (3rd Family)
Ariac Set up: put the 4 jacks in a row on a table, spaced out a hand's width. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: hit with the edge of the hand on both sides of a jack to win it.
Glodoc Set up: toss the jacks on the table. And then put the hand into the bag. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: pick up one by one the jacks on the table. Note: Glodoc is like Aslik with the hand in the bag!
Labah Set up: throw up the father and grab it on the back of your hand. Start again if it falls. Do: take one of the jacks on the table and put it in the palm of the hand without allowing the Jack to land. Start again until you get as many as the number on the card played.
Maradono Set up: put on the table 2 drum cards spaced out a hand's width – this is the goal. Toss the jacks at about one hand's length from the goal. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: throw one by one the jacks in the goal.
Meja Set up: put on the table 2 drum cards side by side. Toss the jacks at about one hand's length from these cards. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: put down one by one the jacks on one of the two drum cards.
Duels
In the case of a tie, the players restart the Duel from the beginning.
Bagi! (simultaneously) Set up: each player takes a Jack (the white Jack or the black Jack) in his hand. The 1st player of the duel tosses 4 jacks on the table between the two players. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: simultaneously, but by throwing up / grabbing each time his Jack, each player tries to put the jacks one by one on the side of his choice (left or right). Winner: the player that grabbed his Jack while the other failed. Or, if there are no more jacks at the centre, the player that put aside the most jacks on his side is the winner. If a tie: start again.
Bola-Bola! (consecutively) Set up: put on the table between the players 2 drum cards spaced out a hand's width, this is the net. Put a jack other than the Jack (the ball) in front of the 1st player of the Duel. Throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: hit the ball over the net one after the other. Winner: as soon as the other fails.
Kat! (simultaneously) Set up: toss the jacks between the two players. Each takes a Jack (the white Jack or the black Jack) in hand. At the top, throw up/Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: pick up the maximum of jacks on the table. Winner: the most jacks. If it is a tie: start again.
Manu! (consecutively) Set up: take 5 jacks in the hand. No throwing up of the Jack. Do: one after the other, throw up the jacks and get them on the back of the hand. Winner: the player that grabs the most. A tie: start again.
Naik! (consecutively) Set up: toss 5 jacks on the table. Throw up / Grab the Jack in the classic way. Do: pick up in one time jacks the Aslik way. 1st round: 1 jack, 2nd round: 2 jacks … Winner: as soon as the other fails. If a tie: continue starting back at 1.
Challenges
BadabOss Do: the first player puts a jack at the centre of the table. The next player has to balance a jack on the jack placed by the previous player. And so on until one player brings down the tower of jacks by trying to balance a jack. This player is eliminated. We start again until there's only one player left: he's the winner.
Kiri KanOss Set up: every player places a jack on the back of his hand. Do: at the top, each player throws up his jack and tries to grab it on the back of the other hand. All who have failed are eliminated. Start again. Winner: the last survivor.
Los LobOss Set up: the Chief tosses the 6 jacks on the table and announces at the same time "Hollow" or "Bump". Do: the players have to locate how many jacks have their edge on the "Hollow" or the "Bump" side, depending on what the Chief said. As soon as a player said a number, we check: if true, he eliminates the player of his choice, if false: he's eliminated. Start again. Winner: the last survivor.
TargOss Set up: place the TargOss card at the centre of the table and place one jack in front of each player. Do: at the top, each player kicks his jack with flick toward the target. The closest eliminates the player of his choice. We start again without him. Winner: the last survivor.
WarnOss (2 players: remove this card) Set up: toss at the centre of the table as many jacks as there are players. Do: the Chief announces a colour of jacks. Straight away, the players attempt to take a jack on the table. The player that has no jack or takes the jack with the colour announced is eliminated. Start again (the player eliminated announces the colour). Winner: the last survivor.
Card Symbols
- Throwing up of the Jack: classic
- Throwing up of the Jack: unusual
- No throwing up of the Jack
- Player's main hand
- Player's second hand
- 1st player's hand of the Duel
- 2nd player's hand of the Duel
- The players simultaneously
- The players consecutively
- Victory: most jacks picked up
- Victory: elimination