SUM8 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Setup - Play Disks
  • How to Set Up the Game Board
• Getting Ready to Play
  • Lay All Tiles Face Down
  • Each Player Picks 8 Tiles
  • Choosing Who Goes First
  • Keeping Score
• Playing: Placing Tiles
  • One Continuous Structure
  • Playing: placing tiles
  • If a Player Cannot Take Their Turn
• Playing: Moving Tiles
  • Movement Restrictions
• Scoring
  • Scoring - The First Tile
  • Scoring - Match / Add to 8
  • Scoring - Big 8s
• The End of the Game
  • Totaling the Scores
  • Alternative Game End Scoring
• Other Ways to Play
  • SUM8 Solo Play (or 2 Player Co-operative)
    • Difficulty - Easy
    • Difficulty - Medium
    • Difficulty - Hard
  • Freestyle Gameplay

Setup - Play Disks

Play disks are combined to create the game board upon which the tiles are played. The game comes with 12 disks that can be arranged in any configuration from 9 to 12 disks to vary game play and difficulty.

How to Set Up the Game Board

• Lay out the game disks on a flat surface so that the notched corners on each disk line up.
• Start game play with the "Tweleve" layout shown on the next pages and explore other options as you progress.
• Minimum number of disks to use: 9 (harder).
• Maximum number of disks to use: 12 (easier).

The printed layouts are "Twelve", "Nine", "Plus" and "Make your own". Start with the configuration shown and move to others as you progress.

Getting Ready to Play

Lay All Tiles Face Down

Once the game disks are arranged, place all 36 tiles face down away from the play disks so both players have access to them. Mix them up.

Each Player Picks 8 Tiles

Each player picks 8 tiles to start, setting them so that the other player cannot see.

Choosing Who Goes First

Each player picks one random tile from the face-down tiles. The player with the highest total pip count on their tile goes first. (Place the tiles back into the pile.)

Keeping Score

There are two score disks and cube markers. You can each keep track of your own points or have one player act as the scorekeeper.

On a player's turn they may either place a tile or move a tile.

Playing: Placing Tiles

Players place tiles onto the game board in alternating turns. The first tile can be placed in any space on the board. After placing a tile, that player picks up a new tile from the face-down tiles, always keeping 8 tiles "in-hand" until all tiles are drawn.

One Continuous Structure

With the exception of the first tile placed, all tiles must be placed so that they connect with a tile or multiple tiles already on the board. The tiles must always form one continuous structure. This is true for any in-progress and new circles.

Example (diagram): No connection. The move shown is not a legal tile placement/move, since it does not connect to the continuous tile structure and is referred to as a 'hanging tile'.

Playing: placing tiles

At their connection point(s), the tiles must either:

• Match pips (6 & 6, 3 & 3, 1 & 1, etc.), or
• Add to 8 (3 + 5, 2 + 6, 4 + 4).

All connections must work. If 2 or more points of the tile have connection points, all connections must either Match Pips or Add to 8. (They do not have to be the same; one end could Match and one could Add to 8.)

If a Player Cannot Take Their Turn

• Tiles still available for pickup: If a player cannot place or move a tile, they draw a tile as their turn.
• No more tiles available for pickup: If a player cannot place or move a tile, they pass their turn.

Tip: connection points for tiles are always vertical (up/down) or horizontal (side/side). Diagonals are never used.

Playing: Moving Tiles

• A tile that is currently on the board but not part of a closed circle can be moved to another location as a player's turn (instead of placing a new tile).
• The movement of a tile cannot cause any other tile(s) to be left "hanging" (not connected to the main structure of tiles).
• Once a circle is closed (four tiles connected in a circle), those tiles are locked and cannot be moved.

Movement Restrictions

• Once a tile has been moved, that tile cannot immediately (on the next turn) be moved.
• There is a limit of two consecutive tile moves.* If on turn 1 a tile is moved and then on turn 2 a tile is moved, then the next turn must be a tile placement.

* This rule applies to total moves, not per player.

Scoring

Scoring - The First Tile

For the first tile only. The player laying the first tile will score the following points:

• 2 points if the pips on each end add to 8.
• 1 point if the pips on each end match.
• 0 points if neither of the above is true.

This is the only time this type of scoring is allowed. This is to give the first player the opportunity to score points on their first turn.

All subsequent tile placements and moves must score a minimum of one point if placed correctly.

Example (diagram): in this example, the player scored 2 points for adding the total pips on their tile to 8.

Scoring - Match / Add to 8

All other tiles:

• Matching: if the connection points match pips, you score 1 point.
• Add to 8: if the connection points have pips that add to 8, you score 2 points.
• Fours: if the connection points are two 'fours' (matching and adding to 8), you score 3 points.

If you have multiple connection points, you score for each connection made.

Example (diagram): the black tiles represent an example of two different turns, creating points as shown.

Scoring - Big 8s

After a circle is closed, making a second circle that connects to it is referred to as Making a Big 8 (since it looks like an 8!). In addition to the points created by connecting ends, you score 4 points for Making a Big 8.

Example (diagram): in this example the following points are scored:

• 1 point for Matching
• 2 points for Adding to 8
• 4 points for Making a Big 8

Example (diagram): in this example the following points are scored:

• 1 point for Matching
• 2 points for Adding to 8
• 8 points for Making 2 Big 8s

The black tile represents an example of a tile being placed to score points as shown. You can make multiple Big 8s at once to score big points!

The End of the Game

The game ends when either:

• A) All 36 tiles have been played, or
• B) Neither player can place or move any more tiles on the board.

* The movement restrictions described in 'Moving Tiles' apply to (B).

Totaling the Scores

• Once game play ends, subtract points for each tile not played by each player, based on the following per tile:
  • 2 points if the pips on each end add to 8.
  • 1 point if the pips on each end match.
  • 0 points if neither of the above is true.
• The winner of the game is the player with the most points.
• If there is a tie, the person with no tiles (or the least amount of tiles not played) wins.

Alternative Game End Scoring

• Beginner players: subtract the number of tiles not played by each player.
• Advanced players: subtract the total of all pips on tiles not played by each player.

Other Ways to Play

SUM8 Solo Play (or 2 Player Co-operative)

The object is to close all 9 circles with all 36 tiles. There is no scoring, just win or lose. The puzzle must be complete to win!

• Set up 9 play disks in any pattern to create your game board.

Difficulty - Easy

• Place all 36 tiles face up. Choose and place a tile on the game board one by one from face-up tiles. The tiles must always follow the match / add to 8 and continuous structure rules. You may move any tile, but make sure all connections still work or you will have to remove them.

Difficulty - Medium

• Place all 36 tiles face down. Turn over 8 tiles that will make up your current hand. Place a tile from your hand on the board and draw a new tile until all tiles are face up. The tiles must always follow the match / add to 8 and continuous structure rules. You may only move tiles from open circles.

Difficulty - Hard

• Choose either the Easy or Medium difficulty rules, but you cannot move tiles!

Freestyle Gameplay

• Using the same rules as two player or solo play modes, play the game without the game disks, so that there is no predefined play area.
• A quick and easy way to play anywhere.