Velonimo
Velonimo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
56 Cards
- 49 Racer Cards — 7 Racer Teams in 7 different colors (blue, pink, green, red, yellow, gray, brown). 7 different animals per Team, numbered #1 to #7. There is one copy of each animal in each color.
- 6 Baroudeurs cards — The Baroudeur (Hare) works alone and does not belong in a team. Its value is 25 to 50.
- 1 Peas-And-Carrots Jersey — Awarded to the player who is in the lead. Do not shuffle it with the other cards, but place it in front of the player who has the most points (except in the first round).
Goal of the Game
Win disputed summit races to score as many points as possible and conquer the famous Peas-And-Carrots Award Jersey!
To win a race, you must be the first player to get rid of all of your cards.
Racer Cards may be played alone or in specific combinations (same color or same value — see Play a Combination of Cards).
Victory
The game plays in 5 rounds. Each round symbolizes the ascent of a summit by bike.
To win the round, you need to get rid of your cards before any other player (see End of the Round / Scoring). If you're not the first one to do so, keep playing until there is only one player left. Even if you do not win the round, you can still score points for your race.
At the end of each round, the player with the most total points receives the Award Jersey.
The player that receives that Jersey at the end of the last round, after the final scoring, is the winner!
How to Play
Game Setup for 3 to 5 Players
- Set aside the Award Jersey. It is not used in the first round.
- Shuffle the 55 remaining cards.
- Deal 11 cards to each player.
Set aside any remaining cards.
The youngest player goes first. Then, proceed in clockwise order. At the beginning of each future round, the first player will be the one with the fewest total points. If there is a tie, the player who scored the fewest points during the previous round starts.
The first player now plays their Attack! They must play:
- A SINGLE CARD, or
- A COMBINATION OF CARDS
Play a Single Card
The player announces the value of their card and places it face up in the center of the table. The value of a single card matches its number.
- Camel — Value: 2
- Tiger — Value: 5
- Hare — Value: 35
Play a Combination of Cards
A combination is valid only if all of its cards have the same color or the same value. The value of a combination is determined as follows:
- Each card of the combination is worth 10 points;
- Add the weakest card value to the total.
Example: 3 cards x10 points each = 30. Weakest Card = 2. Total Value: 30+2 = 32
Example: 4 cards x10 points each = 40. Weakest Card = 4. Total Value: 40+4 = 44
Note: Hares cannot be played in a combination of cards. They work alone!
The player announces the value of their combination and places it face up in the center of the table.
Their left neighbor can now play their turn. On their turn, a player may either:
A. PASS; OR B. COUNTER-ATTACK.
A - Pass
The player decides to go easy: they tuck in close behind another racer!
When you pass, simply say "Pass" without playing any card. Your left neighbor can play their turn.
B - Counter-Attack
The player decides to give everything and takes the lead!
When you counter-attack, you must play a card or a combination of cards whose value must exceed the previous player's card (or combination of cards). Announce the new value and play your card(s) in the center of the table, covering any previous card(s).
If ALL players pass after an attack (or a counter-attack) – or in other words, if no one counter-attacks – the Attack ends. The player who played last is in the lead.
That player discards all the cards from the center of the table and launches a new Attack with one single card or a combination of cards (exactly like the beginning of the round).
IMPORTANT:
- You may choose to pass even if you would be able to counter-attack the current card or combination. Playing the right combination at the right time (or saving it for later) is the key to victory.
- You may decide to pass on your turn, then counter-attack on a later turn, after other players counter-attacked. The Attack ends only when ALL players pass.
- Do not play your best combinations too fast! Make sure to take the lead when your adversaries can no longer counter-attack. This will allow you to play your last cards more easily.
Example (3-player game)
| Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 1 | The Attacks Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attacks | Passes | Counter-Attacks | Counter-Attacks | Counter-Attacks | Passes | Passes | Player 2 discards all cards from the center and launches a new Attack. |
| Value: 2 | ✗ | Value: 24 | Value: 30 | Value: 44 | ✗ | ✗ |
Leaders
Counter your opponents' strategy!
The Leader Turtle Cards (value: 1) come with a bonus when you play them: for each Leader that you play (alone or in a combination of cards), you can take a random card from an opponent's hand. If you play several Leaders at once, take as many cards from the same opponent.
For each card that you take, you must give one card back (it can be the same card, if you don't want it).
- Value: 21 — You may take 1 card from an opponent and give them 1 card back.
- Value: 31 — You may take 3 cards from an opponent and give them 3 cards back.
Use your leaders wisely to achieve victory!
End of the Round / Scoring
A game usually plays in 5 rounds. Each round represents the ascent of a summit, in ascending difficulty (1 to 5). As soon as a player plays their last card, they immediately score points according to the table below.
The round continues nonetheless: their left neighbor may Pass or Counter-Attack, and so on.
If a player plays their last card and all opponents pass after them, then that player chooses who launches the next Attack.
Round Difficulty: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
For each opponent still in play when you play your last card, you score...
| Round Difficulty | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points per opponent still in play | 1 pt | 2 pt | 3 pt | 4 pt | 5 pt |
Example: 4-player game, Difficulty 2. The first player to play their last card scores 6 points (3 opponents x2 points). The second player scores 4 points, the third one scores 2 points. The last player scores 0 points (since there is no one left).
Each player scores their points and adds them up from one round to another.
Feel free to modify the number of rounds or their difficulty, for shorter or longer games! You may even recreate the stages of a real cycling race!
The Award Jersey
At the end of each round, check the total score of each player. The player with the most cumulated points receives the Peas-And-Carrots Jersey. If there is a tie, the player who scored the most points during the previous round receives the jersey.
The Jersey is a Bonus Card that can be played once per round to add +10 points to any single card or combination of cards. It cannot be played with a Baroudeur Card (Hare).
Example: Combination 43 + Bonus 10 = Value 53.
Example: Single Card 1 + Bonus 10 = Value 11. Also, you may take 1 card from an opponent and give them 1 card back.
The Jersey always remains face up in front of their owner until it is played. It is not in their hand and therefore cannot be stolen by a Leader.
End of the Game
At the end of the last round, after the final scoring, the player who owns the Peas-And-Carrots Jersey wins the game. Congratulations!
Special Rules for 2 Players
Apply the same rules than in a 3- to 5-player game with the following adjustments:
2-Player Setup
- Set aside the Award Jersey. It is not used in the first round.
- Shuffle the 55 remaining cards.
- Deal 11 cards to each player.
- Form a DRAWING PILE with all remaining cards, face down.
- Reveal the first card of the drawing pile.
Water Carriers (Camels)
Each time that you play a Water Carrier, you MUST add the top card from the drawing pile to your hand.
If you play a combination of Camel Cards, draw one card for each Camel.
Example: Value 32 — Take three cards at the top of the drawing pile.
Win an Attack
Each time that you win an Attack (because your opponent did not counter-attack), then you take the revealed card that is next to the drawing pile. You can either:
- ADD IT TO YOUR HAND, or
- FORCE YOUR OPPONENT TO ADD IT TO THEIR HAND.
In both cases, reveal a new card from the top of the pile. A new Attack then begins.
Final Scoring for 2 Players
A game usually plays in 5 rounds (see 3-5 players), in ascending difficulty (1 to 5). The first player to reach 8 points (or more) wins the game.
At the end of each round, award the Jersey as usual. However, note that the Jersey does not grant any bonus in this variant.