Ubongo: Das Kartenspiel
Ubongo: Das Kartenspiel Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
In every round, you all try to lay out 7 of your 9 cards at the same time and as quickly as possible, forming a connected group in front of you. Neighbouring cards must always be joined by exactly two matching symbol pairs.
The first player to lay 7 of their own cards correctly calls "Ubongo!", which ends the round.
After each round you score points depending on how many cards you have laid correctly. After 6 rounds, the player with the most points wins.
Components
The game contains 108 cards, divided into three stacks of 36 cards each:
- 36 cards for Rounds 1 & 2 (stack 1|2)
- 36 cards for Rounds 3 & 4 (stack 3|4)
- 36 cards for Rounds 5 & 6 (stack 5|6)
Each card has a white front side and a black back side. The front side of each card shows a number in the middle (1 to 6), which identifies its stack. The stacks are sorted by these numbers: the cards with 1 or 2 form stack 1|2, the cards with 3 or 4 form stack 3|4, and the cards with 5 or 6 form stack 5|6.
You also need a sheet of paper and a pencil.
Setup
Turn all cards so that the white side faces up. Sort the cards by their numbers into three stacks (stack 1|2, stack 3|4 and stack 5|6) and place them in the middle of the table. Then shuffle each stack separately. Keep the stacks separate.
Gameplay
The game is played over 6 rounds.
- In Rounds 1 and 2 you use the cards of stack 1|2, i.e. the cards with a 1 (or 2) in the middle.
- In Rounds 3 and 4 you use the cards of stack 3|4, i.e. the cards with a 3 (or 4) in the middle.
- In Rounds 5 and 6 you use the cards of stack 5|6, i.e. the cards with a 5 (or 6) in the middle.
Dealing the Cards
In Round 1, each player is dealt 9 cards from stack 1|2. If only 2 or 3 players are playing, return the remaining cards of the stack to the box.
Hold your 9 cards in your hand.
Laying Out the Cards
When everyone is ready, the youngest player gives the start signal. Now everyone tries to lay out 7 of their 9 cards in front of them, as quickly as possible, in a connected group. You must observe the following rules:
Rule 1: Each player plays for themselves. That is, your laid-out cards must not touch the cards of the other players. Make sure you have enough space in front of you on the table to lay out your cards.
Note: If you want to place a new card that could extend into another player's area, you must first move your already laid-out cards on the table so that nobody is disturbed by the new card.
Rule 2: Neighbouring cards must be connected at exactly two sections by exactly two matching symbol pairs.
Examples of permitted connections between two cards: three examples are shown on the rulebook page, each with two matching symbol pairs joined along the edge.
Examples of connections that are not permitted:
- A single matching symbol pair is not enough.
- The cards are connected at three sections. That is one connection too many!
- The matching symbols must touch horizontally or vertically. Diagonal contact is not allowed.
- Here too there is one connection too many!
Rule 3: All cards of a player must be laid out in one connected group. Branches are allowed! Of course, you must observe Rules 1 and 2 at the same time.
Important: The cards do not have to be laid out in any predetermined order. You may therefore search your hand for a suitable card and then attach it to a card already laid down. You may also reposition cards that have already been laid at any time, or even take them back into your hand. This may be necessary if you believe you can make better progress with another card.
Example of a correct layout of 7 cards at the end of a round: the rulebook shows an example of seven cards joined into a branched, connected group.
Reward
The first player to lay 7 of their own cards correctly calls "Ubongo!".
All other players must then stop laying out their cards immediately.
Now you check whether everyone has laid their cards correctly. If anyone has laid one or more cards against the rules, that player receives 0 points for this round. Players who have laid their cards correctly receive points as follows:
- The player who called "Ubongo!" receives 10 points.
- All other players each receive as many points as the number of cards they had laid out by the time "Ubongo!" was called.
If several players call "Ubongo!" at the same time, each of these players receives 10 points, but only if their cards were laid correctly.
Write your points down on a sheet of paper.
Example: Lucy laid 7 of her 9 cards correctly and receives 10 points this round. Finn laid 4 of his 9 cards correctly and receives 4 points this round. Mia laid 5 of her 9 cards, but one of them was laid against the rules. She therefore scores nothing this round.
Note: In the rare case that, after a long time, nobody manages to lay 7 of their 9 cards in a connected group, you may agree together to end the round early. Each player then receives as many points as the number of cards they were able to lay up to that point.
New Round
In Round 2, each player takes their 9 cards from the first round back into their hand and turns them over to the black side with the "2" in the middle. You now play with this side. Again, everyone tries at the same time and as quickly as possible to lay out 7 of their 9 cards in a connected group.
After the second round, return all cards of stack 1|2 to the box and each player receives 9 new cards, this time from stack 3|4. With 2 or 3 players, return the remaining cards of stack 3|4 to the box. And so on.
End of the Game
The game ends after 6 rounds. Add up each player's points from all 6 rounds. The player with the most points wins. If there is a tie, the player who has received 10 points in a single round more often wins. If the tie still remains, the tied players share the victory, or their placement.