Santoska
Santoska Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Objective of the game
You have to get the least penalty points of all players. If you accumulate more than 100 penalty points, you're out. The other players play on until there is only one left. He is the winner, BUT ... if during the game one of the players reaches exactly 100 penalty points, then he has won the game.
Preparation for the game
???There are 108 cards in total. 104 cards with the numbers 0 to 8 and 10 and 15. That's 8 cards with each of the numbers, in two different colors. In addition there are special cards (?? Santos cards, one Arriba card per player and one Stop card per player).
??? do you really need a Stop card – why don't you just say stop and the round finishes???
You have to determine who gives out the cards. And, you have to determine with how many cards per row you want to play (3, 4 or 5) and how many levels you want to allow (2, 3 or more). The more cards and the more levels you use, the more difficult the game gets.
2 levels
- 2 rows of 3 cards
- 2 rows of 4 cards
- 2 rows of 5 cards
3 levels
- 3 rows of 3 cards
- 3 rows of 4 cards
- 3 rows of 5 cards
4 levels
- 4 rows of 3 cards
- 4 rows of 4 cards
- 4 rows of 5 cards
etc. etc.
After you have received all cards you place them into rows. In addition every player gets an Arriba card and a Stop card. The dialer makes a pile of the left over cards, place them face down in the middle of the table. He turns over the first card and lays it beside the pile.
Look at your cards on the table. The bottom row is level 1. The row above is level 2 … Now you are allowed to pick up the cards from level 1 only. You can look at the cards for a maximum of 3 seconds. Then the cards have to be placed back in the same position and in the same order. Memorize your cards! And don't forget, your cards are your secret. Santos keeps his cards always to himself. He doesn't let any other player see them.
Now you are ready to go.
Level 1
The person sitting on the left of the dealer may begin. When it's your turn, you may swap one card. You could take the open card, if you can't use that card then take one from the pile. If this is also of no use, then lay it immediately back on the open card pile. Turn after turn you try to swap your level 1 cards with the cards on the pile.
Remember, the objective of the game is to get the least penalty points (or exactly 100). The numbers on the cards represent the penalty points. The trick is now that penalty points can be reduced during the game. If 2 cards of the same value are beside each other, or above each other, then they neutralize each other. Therefore a card only gives you penalty points when it stands alone. The sum of all stand alone cards is the total amount of penalty points you get for the round.
Special cards
Santos cards
Santos cards like to have company. 1 Santos card will give you 5 penalty points. However, if you have more than 1 Santos cards that lay beside or above each other, then you can collect bonus points.
- 2 Santos cards are worth 5 bonus points
- 3 Santos cards are worth 10 bonus points
- 4 Santos cards are worth 15 bonus points
Arriba card
This card brings you to a higher level (Arriba = higher). The Arriba card has to place in the row of the actual level if you want to move up to the next level. You are not allowed to jump over a level – you have to take them one after the other.
Stop card
If you play the stop card then you end the round for all players.
Level 2 and more
If you are satisfied with your results in level 1, then take an Arriba card. Call out "ARRIBA". Lay the card beside the cards of level 2. This is how you finish level 1. Go on now with level 2. The other players continue with level 1 until they are also satisfied. Take care, you're not allowed to see the cards from level 2. Only by swapping you will know which cards are in your level 2. In this round you keep exchanging cards with the pile until you are satisfied. Don't forget which cards are in the first level. Vertical connection is important to the final penalty points.
If you're playing with more than 2 levels, then take again the Arriba card to advance to the next level. It is you who decides when to close a level. But.... if another player stops the game, and you've still not seen the cards from the next level... then you are running the risk of high penalty points.
Finish the round
If you have played on all levels and you are satisfied with the results, then take the stop card to finish the round. The other players may exchange just one more card in the level that they've reached at that moment. They may also use the ARRIBA card and exchange one card from the next level.
Only for the advanced player
Pump the difficulty level right up. Place extra conditions on the cancelling out of the penalty points. 2 or more of the same value cards cancel each other out, now make it same value and same suit! Got it? Let's make a good game of it.