Zwai Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Goal
• Setup
• Gameplay
• Round End
• End of the Game
• Variant

Contents

• 96 cards: 4 sets of 23 cards each, one set per colour
• Plus 4 variant cards
• 2 sharks (punch-out pieces; push the two parts of each shark together before the first game)
• 1 rulebook

Goal

The aim is to collect the most points. To do so, you must place cards with as many of your own fish as possible into the shared shoal in such a way that the two sharks do not catch them.

Setup

Before the first game, carefully punch the shark pieces out of the sheet and push the two parts of each shark together.

Note: after the game, you can keep the sharks stored assembled in the box.

1. Each player takes one set of 23 cards of one colour, shuffles it and places it face down in front of them as a face-down draw pile. Depending on the number of players, each player then draws a certain number of cards from their pile into their hand:
   • 11 cards for a 2-player game
   • 8 cards for a 3-player game
   • 7 cards for a 4-player game
2. Place the 2 sharks ready in the centre of the table.
3. Set the variant cards aside. You do not need them for your first game.
4. Decide who starts.

Gameplay

A game is played over 3 rounds. In each round, you take several turns. You play clockwise.

On your turn, play 1 card from your hand and place it face up in the centre of the table. The cards played in the centre of the table form the shared shoal (Schwarm).

Observe the following when playing:

• The first card is the beginning of the shoal, which must be exactly 4x4 cards in size at the end of the round. Place 1 shark next to and 1 shark above the first card played.
• Every further card must always be placed horizontally or vertically against cards already laid out. No more than 4 cards may ever lie next to each other horizontally or vertically.

Examples: (The printed examples show, with check marks, placements that are allowed, and, with crosses, placements that are not allowed.)

After each turn, check whether you need to change the position of the sharks. Each time a larger number of fish results in a row or column than is currently marked by the sharks, you must move the sharks accordingly:

• Move the shark that is positioned next to the shoal to the row in which there are now the most fish (regardless of their colour).
• Move the shark that is positioned above the shoal to the column in which there are now the most fish (regardless of their colour).
• Important: A shark changes its position only if the number of fish in a row or column is at least 1 greater than in the row or column it currently marks. In case of a tie, do not move the shark!

After that, the next player clockwise takes a turn. You do not draw a card from your pile! Keep playing in turn order until the end of the round occurs.

Example: Kerstin places a card with two yellow fish into the shoal and moves the upper shark, because the most fish (7) are now in that column. The shark to the left of the shoal stays where it is, because the row it marks still has the most fish.

Round End

As soon as 16 cards lie in the shoal and the position of the sharks has been checked, the round ends.

A. Now remove all cards from the row and the column at which the two sharks are currently aimed. Take the removed cards of your own colour back into your hand and mix them with your remaining hand cards. Then shuffle the mixed cards and place them face down under your pile.

B. Set all cards remaining in the shoal aside as the scoring pile (Punktestapel).

C. Each player draws again from their pile the number of cards described in the setup and takes them into hand.

D. Play a second and a third round following the same rules. The new round begins with whoever is next clockwise.

Example (printed diagram, page 7, placed above "End of the Game", described from the image): The shoal is shown as a 4x4 grid with column values 8, 8, 7, 6 along the top and row values 11, 6, 5, 7 down the side. The two sharks point at the top row (11) and the second column (8). All cards in that row and that column are crossed out as the cards to be removed.

End of the Game

The game ends after the third round.

Sort the cards of the scoring pile by colour and count the fish of each colour together. The winner is whoever has collected the most fish of their own colour in the scoring pile.

If there is a tie, the winner is whoever has more cards of their own colour in the scoring pile. If there is still a tie, all players tied for the win share the victory.

Variant

Alarm in the Shoal!

If you want a greater challenge during play, you may choose a different formation instead of the square 4x4-card shoal. To do so, before the game begins, pick 1 variant card and place it in the centre of the table with the desired side facing up. That way you always know in which orientation you must lay down the fish cards. Rotating the formation is not allowed.

Note: in this case, of course, more than 4 cards may also lie next to each other horizontally or vertically, if the laid-out formation requires it.