Tricky Twist Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Anatomy of a Number Card
• Setup
• Gameplay Overview
  • Round Preparation
  • Round Play
    • The First Card
    • Subsequent Cards
    • Rules for Playing Cards
  • Trick Resolution
    • The 7 Cards
  • Bonus Cards
    • Permanent Bonuses
    • Variable Bonuses
  • End of Round
  • End-of-Round Scoring
  • Scoring Cards
• End of Game

Components

65 cards:

• 48 Number cards: four suits of 12 cards each (values 1 to 12), including one 7 card in each suit (7 cards feature a special icon).
• 9 Scoring cards (a scoring reminder is on the back of each one).
• 8 Bonus cards: 4 Permanent Bonus cards and 4 Variable Bonus cards.

Anatomy of a Number Card

• The value of the card.
• The suit of the card, associated with a symbol, a color and a design.

Cards come in two faces: face without frame and face with frame.

Setup

Shuffle the Scoring cards and place them in a face-down pile next to the play area. Reveal the top card.

Arrange the 8 Bonus cards nearby. Make sure the 4 Variable Bonus cards match the revealed Scoring card's face (with or without a frame). Flip them as needed according to the chart (the chart shows, for each Scoring card face, without frame or with frame, the matching Variable Bonus card side, front or back).

Randomly choose the first player.

Gameplay Overview

Round Preparation

1. Skip this step during the first round! Reveal the top Scoring card from the pile and place it on top of the previous round's card.
2. Skip this step during the first round! Set up the 8 Variable Bonus cards, making sure that their visible sides correspond to the revealed Scoring card (with or without a frame, see page 3).
3. Shuffle the 48 Number cards and deal the same number face down to each player to form their hand of cards. Players may look at their own hand but must keep it hidden from others.
4. Each player selects 5 cards from their hand, shuffles them, and places them face down nearby as their Reserve pile. This pile cannot be examined during the game.

Round Play

IMPORTANT: Before the first card of the turn is played, and starting with the first player, all players may add the top card of their Reserve Pile to their hand.

The First Card

The first player selects a card from their hand and places it face up in the center of the table.

Subsequent Cards

Clockwise and in turn, choose and add, face up, a card from your hand to the one(s) already placed at the center of the table. As soon as there are as many cards as there are players, the turn ends.

Rules for Playing Cards

If possible, you must always play a card from your hand belonging to the same suit as the one played by the first player, regardless of its value, even if the previous players were unable to follow this rule.

If you cannot play a card from the same suit, you may play any card of your choice.

Example: Earl, the first player, plays the 7 card. Elsa, if able, must also play a card from the same suit; she plays the 9 card. Sam, having no cards from this suit, she chooses to play the 2 card. Finally, Lucas, if he can, must also follow this suit; he plays the 2 card.

Trick Resolution

If you played the highest value card in the suit of the first card, you collect all cards of that suit only from the center of the table (if you are the first player, it is possible that you only get your own card back).

The card or cards thus collected constitute a "trick." Place it face down in front of you, keeping it separate from any other tricks.

If you didn't play a card from the same suit as the first card, retrieve your card and place it face up in front of you. These are called "false tricks."

During the game, tricks and false tricks you collect must remain separate in front of you (this will be important for end-of-round scoring).

The 7 Cards

Cards with a value of 7 feature the 7 icon.

If you collect a card with a value of 7 (through a trick or a false trick) during the Trick Resolution, you may take a Bonus card from those available. The effects of these cards are explained on page 10.

If multiple 7s are collected during the same turn, the players involved each choose a Bonus card in turn, clockwise, starting with the player who won the trick.

Example: Continuing from the earlier example... With her 9 card, Elsa wins the trick and collects all three cards from the suit. She flips them over and places the trick in front of her. Sam, having not played a card of the suit, retrieves her card and leaves it face up on the table in front of her; it is now considered a false trick. Earl and Lucas do not collect a trick or a false trick.

Additionally, since Elsa collected a card with a value of 7 in her trick, the 7 icon on this card allows her to immediately choose a Bonus card and apply its effect (see page 10).

Bonus Cards

You are not required to use a Bonus card.

Two timings are marked on the cards: Immediate Use, and End-of-Round Use.

Permanent Bonuses

• (Immediate Use) You can immediately take back one of your false tricks into your hand. Remove this Bonus card from the game after use or if you choose not to use it.
• (End-of-Round Use) You can flip one of your tricks or false tricks to change its status. If a trick consisting of two or more cards becomes a false trick, choose which card you place on top of the false trick; this card will be considered for the end-of-round scoring.
• (End-of-Round Use) This card counts as either a trick or a false trick with no value or suit. Choose its status.
• (End-of-Round Use) Gain 1 victory point at the end of the round for each trick in your possession. The number of cards in each trick does not matter.

Variable Bonuses

• (End-of-Round Use) These sides all work the same way: each counts as a false trick. Choose its symbol from the two available.
  • This side counts as a false trick with an odd value from among the listed values. Choosing a 7 does not grant a Bonus card.
  • This side counts as a false trick with an even value of your choice from among the listed values.
  • This side counts as a false trick with a value of your choice (1 to 12). Choosing a 7 does not grant a Bonus card.
  • At the end of the round, associate this side with a false trick, allowing you to modify its value by +1 or -1 (minimum 1 and maximum 12).

End of Round

The round ends after a trick is resolved and a player no longer has any cards in hand, even if they still have cards in their Reserve deck.

If these two conditions are not met, the player who won the trick starts a new turn.

End-of-Round Scoring

Cards left in your hand or Reserve deck do not score any points. Score for the cards placed in front of you (tricks and false tricks):

• 1 victory point per trick.
• Each pair of [1 trick + 1 false trick] scores:
  • 3 victory points as a base score,
  • or 5 victory points if the number of tricks and false tricks is equal.

Score the victory points indicated by the Scoring card.

Example: Let's first calculate the victory points for tricks and false tricks...

Earl has 1 false trick and 6 tricks. He scores 6 (tricks) and 3 (1 pair [trick + false trick] x 3). Total: 9.

Elsa has 4 false tricks and 3 tricks. She scores 3 (tricks) and 9 (3 pairs [trick + false trick] x 3). Total: 12.

Sam has 4 false tricks and 4 tricks. She scores 4 (tricks) and 20 (4 pairs [trick + false trick] x 5). Total: 24.

Finally, add the victory points scored from the Scoring card for the round (see next page).

Scoring Cards

Scoring cards award victory points based only on the false tricks in front of you. (The number of victory points awarded for each count is printed on the Scoring card itself.)

• Longest sequence: Score based on the number of cards in your longest sequence (not their value). The order in which you obtained the false tricks and the suit of the cards does not matter. Example: If you collected the cards 7, 3, 6, 2 and 8, your longest sequence is 6-7-8.
• One of two suits: Score based on the number of cards matching one of the two suits shown on the Scoring card (your choice). Card values are irrelevant.
• Most cards in one suit: Score based on the suit for which you have the most cards. In the event of a tie, score only one suit. Example: If you collected the cards 7 (blue), 3 (white), 6 (blue), 2 (red) and then 9 (blue), then you score 3 victory points for the blue suit.
• Number of suits: Score based on the number of suits for which you have at least one card. Example: If you collected the cards 7 (blue), 3 (white), 6 (blue), 2 (red) and then 7 (white), you have cards from 3 suits.
• Fewest false tricks: The player with the fewest false tricks (but at least one) scores 12 victory points, the second scores 7, and so on. Ignore the suits of the cards. In the event of a tie, all tied players receive the same victory points.
• Most false tricks: The player with the most false tricks (but at least one) scores 12 victory points, the second scores 7, and so on. Ignore the suits of the cards. In the event of a tie, all tied players receive the same victory points.
• Even values: Score based on the number of even-value cards you collected. Example: If you collected the cards 7, 3, 6, 2 and 7, you have 2 even-value cards.
• Odd values: Score based on the number of odd-value cards you collected. Example: If you collected the cards 7, 3, 6, 2 and 7, you have 3 odd-value cards.

End of Game

Play as many rounds as there are players (3 or 4). The player to the left of the one who started the previous round becomes the first player of the new round.

The player with the most victory points at the end of all rounds is declared the winner.

In the event of a tie, the victory is shared.