Phase 10: Das Brettspiel
Phase 10: Das Brettspiel Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 game board (with 32 spaces)
- 6 game pieces (large)
- 6 phase markers (small)
- 2 dice
- 110 cards: 96 number cards (two each of 1–12 in 4 colours), 6 German phase/overview cards, and 8 international phase/overview cards
Note to everyone who already knows the PHASE 10 card game: two essential components of the card game ("laying down a phase" and "discarding a card") are regulated in the same way in the board game. When studying the rules, you can therefore simply skip the points "Step 2" (including page 6 with the explanations of the phases) and "Step 3".
Setup
- The game board is laid out in the middle of the table. It shows a circuit of 32 action spaces (eight different kinds of space) as well as 10 phase spaces and the goal space with the laurel wreath. In the centre are two areas: one for the discard pile and one for the draw pile.
- Each player chooses a colour and receives:
- the large game piece, which they place on the larger blue action space with the stars;
- the small phase marker, which they place on the first phase space ("Phase 1");
- one phase/overview card, which they place face up in front of them. The front side lists the 10 phases; the back side shows the overview of the eight actions.
- Then the first round is prepared:
- All 96 number cards are shuffled well.
- Then, one at a time and clockwise, 10 cards are dealt face down to each player. Each player should pick up their cards so that the other players cannot see them.
- Five further cards are placed face up in the centre of the board as the start of the discard pile, so that all players can see only the top card of these five.
- The remaining cards form the draw pile, placed face down in the centre of the board.
- The youngest player receives the two dice and begins the first round.
(Labels on the board diagram: "Rundkurs" (circuit), "Phasenfelder" (phase spaces), "Fläche für Ablagestapel" (discard pile area), "Fläche für Aufnahmestapel" (draw pile area). Card labels: "Phasen" (phases) and "Übersicht" (overview).)
Course of a Round
Play proceeds clockwise. The player whose turn it is takes one turn. Every turn consists of the same three successive steps:
- Step 1: The player rolls both dice, moves their game piece, and carries out the action of the target space.
- Step 2: Independently of which action they carried out, the player may lay down their phase.
- Step 3: Finally, the player must discard one card face up on the discard pile.
Step 1 (Mandatory): Move the game piece and carry out the action
The player first rolls both dice. Then they choose one of the two dice and move their game piece clockwise by the number of spaces shown on that die.
Exception: If the same number is rolled twice ("doubles"), the player may move their piece either by the single or by the double value.
Note: When moving, game pieces already standing on a space are always skipped and never counted.
The space on which the game piece lands indicates which action the player must then carry out. There are eight different kinds of action; they are explained in detail under "The Actions" below.
Step 2 (Optional): Lay down a phase
Once a player has carried out the action of their space, they may lay down the phase in which they currently stand (indicated by their phase marker), face up in front of them. To do so, they must lay down all cards required for that phase from their hand face up in front of them. The cards should be fanned out on the table so that all players can clearly see them.
Note: A player must always lay down the complete phase. Laying down only part of their phase is forbidden.
Example: Anna's phase marker is on the space "Phase 2" ("4 pairs"). She has two 4s, two 11s and three 8s in her hand, and has just received another 8 through her action. She therefore now holds the required 4 pairs (4·4, 8·8, 8·8, 11·11) and may lay out these 8 cards face up in front of her. Had Anna not received the fourth 8, she would not yet have been allowed to lay down her phase.
Once a player has laid down their phase, they should try to get rid of their remaining hand cards as quickly as possible by laying them off on phases already on the table. To do so, during Step 2 of their turns they may lay off one or more matching cards, both on their own phase and on the phases already laid out by their opponents. A card counts as matching if it extends one of the laid-out card combinations, but does not create a new combination!
Important: Matching cards may already be laid off in the same turn in which the phase is laid down.
Reminder: Only once a player has laid down their own phase may they lay cards onto the phases of opponents.
Example: Björn has laid down his 8th phase (two four-of-a-kinds: 8·8·8·8, 11·11·11·11) and Carla her 9th phase (run of nine: 3·4·5·6·7·8·9·10·11). Björn and Carla may now lay any number of 8s and 11s onto the corresponding sets, and onto the run one 2 (and then one 1) and one 12. However, they may not lay any other set, such as 4·4·4·4, or a new run such as ...5-6-7-..., since these would create new combinations.
Note: In the example just given, Carla could lay down a run of more than nine cards directly and additionally lay one or more 8s or 11s on Björn's phase straight away.
Step 3 (Mandatory): Discard one card
Regardless of whether a player laid down their phase in Step 2, they must, to conclude their turn, discard one of their hand cards face up on the discard pile. The next player in turn then takes their turn (Steps 1 to 3).
Exception: the action "Take one card. Make another turn." (see page 5).
Clarification (box on page 5): After a player has carried out the action of the space on which their game piece landed (Step 1), they may lay down their phase or lay off matching cards (Step 2), and must finally discard one card face up on the discard pile (Step 3). This applies to every action! Then the next player takes their turn (Steps 1 to 3) and so on. (Exception: the action "Take one card. Make another turn.")
The Actions
The space on which a game piece lands determines the action. The overview card on the back of the phase card lists the eight kinds of action by their colour:
- grey: take 1 (or 2, or 3) cards from the draw pile and/or the discard pile
- green: choose 1 card from the entire discard pile
- orange: ask (clockwise or counter-clockwise) for a specific number card
- light blue: use the top card of the draw pile as a joker (turned face down)
- magenta: place 1–4 cards on the discard pile and take 2–5 from the draw pile
- lavender: all players take 1 card from the draw pile in turn
- pink: take 1 card from the draw pile or the discard pile (make another turn)
- rainbow: move forward to the next free space of your choice
The actions are explained in detail below. (The printed rulebook shows each action only as a coloured icon on the page; the subheadings below name the colour and the action for ease of reference.)
Grey: Take cards (+2 or +3 cards)
The player must take exactly as many cards from the draw pile and/or the discard pile into their hand as the space indicates.
For "+ 2 cards" the player may first take the first card and then decide from which pile to take the second card. The same applies in corresponding form to the action "+ 3 cards".
Light blue: Draw a joker
The player takes the top card of the draw pile. They look at it briefly and then place it face down in their hand, so that they now see its back (and the other players see its face). This face-down card is now a joker, that is, the player may use it as any number or colour they like.
(Further rules for jokers can be found on the next page.)
Pink: Take a card and make another turn
The player takes the top card from the draw pile or the discard pile into their hand, then lays down their phase or matching cards if they wish, and finally discards a card on the discard pile. Afterwards they make a complete further turn (repeating Steps 1–3). If that turn again lands them on such an action space, this action applies again, and so on.
(Note: If a player with such an action already ends the round in their first turn, they lose the second turn in this case!)
Orange: Ask for a number
The player asks their fellow players (clockwise or counter-clockwise) for a card with any number between 1 and 12. A colour cannot be asked for! The first player who has a number card of that number must give it to the player whose turn it is. In return, that player immediately receives the top card of the draw pile as a replacement in their hand, whether they want it or not. If nobody has a card with the requested number, the player whose turn it is must take the top card of the draw pile.
Attention: If a joker shows the requested number (every player can see it!) and, when its turn comes, the affected player has no other matching number card in their hand, they must hand over the joker (and then draw a normal replacement card). The player whose turn it is must then take this card into their hand with its face (the front side) towards them, that is, it is no longer a joker for them!
Green: Choose from the discard pile
The player takes the entire discard pile and chooses any card from it. They take this card into their hand (without showing it to their fellow players). Then they place the discard pile back in the centre of the board (without changing the order of the remaining cards).
Magenta: Discard and draw more
First the player discards up to four of their hand cards on the discard pile (so that the other players can see only the top card). Then they take one more card from the draw pile into their hand than they have just discarded.
Lavender: Everyone draws
The player takes the top card from the draw pile into their hand. Immediately afterwards, all other players in turn must also each take one card from the draw pile into their hand. (Note: In this way the other players receive one more card in their hand.)
Rainbow: Move to another action
The player may choose any of the other actions by moving their game piece to the next free space of that action clockwise, and then carrying out that action. If all spaces of the desired action are occupied (for example, all joker spaces), the player must choose a different action.
The Phases
(The phase card "Die 10 Phasen" lists the 10 phases as follows; the explanations follow below.)
| No. | Phase |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5 cards of one colour, 1 run of three |
| 2 | 4 pairs |
| 3 | 1 three-of-a-kind, 1 run of four |
| 4 | 2 runs of four |
| 5 | 6 cards of one colour, 1 three-of-a-kind |
| 6 | 1 run of eight |
| 7 | 1 pair, 1 three-of-a-kind, 1 four-of-a-kind |
| 8 | 2 four-of-a-kinds |
| 9 | 1 run of nine |
| 10 | 1 five-of-a-kind, 1 three-of-a-kind |
All phases are different, and they become harder from round to round. Only a player who has successfully laid down a phase may turn to a new phase in the next round.
Cards of one colour
Phases 1 and 5 require, among other things, at least five or six cards of the same colour. The numbers of these cards are irrelevant.
Runs
A run consists of three or more cards with numbers that directly follow one another. There is no connection between 12 and 1. The colours of these cards are irrelevant.
Example: Phase 6 requires a run of eight. This could be, for example, 1·2·3·4·5·6·7·8 or also 4·5·6·7·8·9·10·11 (in any colours).
Sets
A set consists of cards with the same number. Pairs, three-of-a-kinds, four-of-a-kinds and five-of-a-kinds are required. The colours of these cards are irrelevant.
Note: If several sets are required, the same number may be used more than once for them. For example, in Phase 2 ("4 pairs") it is allowed to lay down 3·3, 3·3, 7·7, 7·7.
The jokers (= face-down cards; see page 5)
- Jokers can be used in all phases for any number or colour, by laying them down with their back side facing up.
- Jokers may not be exchanged for matching cards in phases already laid down.
- Jokers may also still be laid off on sets or runs even when these are actually "full".
Box: For example, if a set with all eight 9s (with or without jokers) or a complete run (cards 1–12; with or without jokers) is already laid down, any number of jokers may still be laid off here!
Attention: If only such "full" combinations are laid down, all players who have already laid down their phase may, at the end of their turn, discard two cards (in any order) on the discard pile instead of the usual one.
- Jokers may never replace all cards of a partial combination of a phase. That is, for each partial combination at least one "proper" number or colour card must always be laid down. In the case of a run, the jokers should also always be laid down so that it is clear which cards they represent.
Box: For example, if a player lays down a run of three as 3·J·J, this means that the two jokers represent the numbers 4 and 5, and so the only cards that can be laid off next here are the 2 and the 6 (or jokers). For J·3·J it would be the 1 and the 5, and for J·J·3 only the 4, which could be laid off.
End of a Round
A round ends as soon as a player, in Step 3 of their turn, discards their last hand card. This can also happen when the player has just laid down their phase in Step 2 of that turn. That ends the round and the round is evaluated:
- This player is rewarded: they may move their phase marker forward by two phase spaces. In doing so they skip a complete phase!
- Then, in turn, every player who also has their phase laid down may move their phase marker forward by one space. Their remaining hand cards are placed on the discard pile.
- All players who have not laid down their phase leave their phase marker where it is; they must therefore attempt the same phase again in the next round. As a small consolation, they may each keep up to 5 of their hand cards (including jokers) in hand; all other hand cards must also be placed on the discard pile.
(Note: Hand cards count for no minus points in this game at the end of a round, unlike in the card game!)
Starting a New Round
A new round can begin: all cards (draw pile and discard pile together) are shuffled again, with the exception of the up to 5 cards each player kept in hand. Then, one at a time and in turn, cards are dealt to the players until each player again has 10 cards in hand. The open discard pile (with 5 cards) and the face-down draw pile are placed again in the centre of the board.
The game pieces remain where they are (they are therefore not placed back on the larger action space with the stars).
A new round always begins with the player to the left of the one who ended the previous round.
End of the Game
As soon as a player, during the evaluation of a round, moves their phase marker onto the space with the laurel wreath, the game ends immediately, and that player is the winner.
The evaluation of a round always takes place in this order: first the player who ended the round moves their phase marker forward 2 phase spaces; then, going around from that player, every other player who has laid down their phase moves forward 1 space. The first player to reach the laurel wreath in this way is the winner.