Trickarus
Trickarus Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Getting Started
Assign player pieces and summary cards to each player.
Shuffle the deck and deal according to the number of players:
- 2 Players — Deal 10 cards to each player. Save the remaining 20 cards for the second round.
- 3 Players — Take out the Pink/Blue zero card. Deal 13 cards to each player.
- 4 Players — Deal 10 cards to each player.
- 5 Players — Deal 8 cards to each player.
(Watch the How-to-Play Video via the QR code on the printed rules for a visual walkthrough.)
The Playing Cards
The playing cards have four different colors (suits): Yellow (sun), Pink (cloud), Blue (rain), White (moon).
Each playing card has a light "Day" half and a dark "Night" half, each with its own number value.
Arrange all cards in your hand with the light "Day" side on top.
The Day/Night Marker
The Day/Night Marker shows whether it is "Day" or "Night", and which side of the cards is currently "active":
- The Day side has a light background.
- The Night side has a dark background.
Place the Day/Night Marker in the center of the table with the Day side face up.
The Scoring Track
Line up the three scoring track cards vertically within reach of all players. Place the player pieces on the ground level at the bottom of the scoring track.
The youngest player becomes the first Leader.
Gameplay Flow
Each new "trick" starts with the Leader playing any card with the active side of the card pointing towards the center of the table. The color they've played becomes the "lead color."
Going around the table in a clockwise direction, players must play the lead color if they are able, with the same active side. When all players have played a card into the center, the winner of the trick is determined.
Example: The Leader (A) leads the Yellow (sun) 8. The next player (B) has Yellow cards so follows with the Yellow 6. If a player is unable to play the same color as the Leader, they may play any other card. The next player (C) doesn't have any Yellow cards. They play a Pink (cloud) 9 card. The last player (D) plays the Yellow 3. The Leader's Yellow 8 is the highest card of the leader's color, this card is the strongest and will win the trick.
The Strongest Colors of the Day or Night
Depending whether it is Day or Night, one of the colors becomes more powerful than the other colors.
When it is Day, Yellow (sun) is the most powerful: Even a low Yellow will win over higher cards of the other colors. When it is Night, White (moon) is the most powerful color: Even a low White can win over a higher card of another color.
Example: The Day/Night Marker shows it is Night. The Leader (A) leads the Blue (rain) 3. The next two players (B & C) play stronger Blue cards. The last player (D) doesn't have any Blue cards so chooses to play the White 1. Even though it is the lowest number, because White is the strongest color during the Night, the last player (D) wins this trick.
Changing Between Day and Night
Whenever a number 5 card is played, the Day/Night Marker is immediately flipped over signifying a change from Day to Night, or vice versa.
A player holding a hand with the Day side active will flip their whole hand around so the Night side becomes active and pointed upward instead.
As soon as a 5 card is played, all cards currently in play on the table are also immediately turned around so that the other side of each card becomes active.
Example: At the start of the trick, it is Day. The Leader (A) leads the Pink 6. The next player (B) doesn't have any Pink cards, so plays the Yellow 1 trying to win the trick with a stronger Yellow card. The third player (C) has a Pink card and plays the Pink 0. The last player (D) plays the Pink 5 card. This immediately changes the active side of all cards on the table in the current trick: flip the Day/Night Marker from Day to Night, and rotate all cards in the current trick so that the dark sides of the cards are now active and facing the center of the table. Now that it is Night, Yellow is no longer the strongest color. The last player (D) wins with the Pink 5 as it is the highest card of the Leader's color.
Advancing Along the Scoring Track
The winner of the trick advances their Player Piece up the Scoring Track to the next open space above them towards the sun.
Only one player can fit on each space of the scoring track.
If a player piece is in the space above them, the player will swoop up around to the next open spot.
Example: The Red player won the trick so moves up the Scoring Track. Because the Green player was in the space above them, Red will swoop up around Green to the next open space.
Flying Into the Sun
If a player wins a trick and flies into the sun, their wings are damaged and they fall to the space below the bottommost player on the scoring track.
Example: The Purple player won the trick so swoops up around the Red player and into the sun! Wings burnt, Purple immediately falls to the space below Green.
The Lightning Card
The Lightning Card can be played if a player is unable to play the lead color, or by the Leader. If the Lightning Card has been played, the winner of the current trick will move to the next open space below them on the Scoring Track.
Playing the Next Trick
After the trick winner has moved along the Scoring Track, discard the played cards face down to the side of the table. The trick winner becomes the next Leader and begins the next trick.
Playing the Next Round
When all cards have been played, it is the end of the round. If no player has yet flown into the sun, deal another round. The player who won the last trick will be the first Leader of the next round.
End of Game
When a player flies into the sun, the game ends at the end of the current round!
Once the remaining cards in the current round are played and the last trick winner's player piece moved, the player highest on the Scoring Track is the winner of the game.
Example: In this example, a player has already flown into the sun, so this is the last round. The Orange player ends the round highest on the Scoring Track so is the winner of the game.
Co-operative Mode
All players are on the same team with the shared goal of landing everyone safely back down on the ground within the limited number of rounds:
- 3 Players — Take out the Pink/Blue zero card. Play two rounds.
- 4 Players — Play three rounds.
- 5 Players — Play four rounds.
Once any player has flown into the sun, winners of all following tricks will now move downwards on the Scoring Track to the next open space below them back towards the ground.
When the Lightning Card has been played, the winner of the trick will move to the next open space below them regardless of whether the players are currently flying up to the sun or already heading back down to the ground.
The team collectively scores 1 million points for each player who lands safely back down on the ground before the last round ends.
Questions?
What is the lead color if a Leader plays the Lightning Card? The lead color is determined by the next card played.
What if the lead color changes because of a 5-card? If the Leader plays a zero card and then a 5 is played by another player in the same trick, the lead color will change. Players who have not yet played into the current trick must play the same color of the newly active side of the Leader's card.
Can you go below the ground level? You cannot go below ground level. And you cannot plunge into the sea and die a mythic death.
Should we play Competitive or Co-operative first? If you're playing with kids, drunks, or folks unfamiliar with trick-taking, co-operative mode can be a nice way to avoid tears.
Who is Icarus? In the Greek myth, Icarus and his father craft handmade wings to escape from an island prison. Things do not end well.
Summary
In this trick-taking game, players must follow the same color as the lead card if they can.
Every card has two sides: a Day side and Night side. When it is Day, Yellow is the strongest "trump" color. When it is Night, White is the trump color. Whenever a number 5-card is played, the active sides of all cards held and on the table are immediately flipped.
The winner of each trick will fly up to the next open spot on the scoring track. If the trick includes the Lightning Card, the winner of that trick will instead fall down to the next open space below them.
When a player flies into the sun, a) they immediately fall down to just below the bottommost player, and b) the current round will be the last.
Whoever is highest in the sky at the end of the last round wins.
Components
- 40 Playing Cards
- 1 Day/Night Ceramic Chip
- 3-card Scoring Track
- 5 Wooden Icarus Meeples
- 5 Summary Player Cards
- 2 Game Rules (Japanese & English)
Credits
Game by Bajir Cannon.
Art by TANSAN DESIGN STUDIO (Wakana & Tomoaki Mizuno).
Manufacturing by Meland.
Management & Translation by Maki Itami.
Friends & family, I am grateful for your ideas, feedback, & play-testing. Thank you for helping me bring this game to life! ~Bajir
© Bajir Cannon