Alebrijes
Alebrijes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Material
- 60 fluorescent Alebrijes cards in 4 colours, numbered 1 to 5:
- RODENTS (blue)
- BIRDS (green)
- CATS (pink)
- DOGS (orange)
- 20 fluorescent Alebrijes Jokers (white numbers), numbered 1 to 5
- 6 summary cards
Overview
ALEBRIJES is played over 3 rounds. The players play single cards or sets. They can only do so if they beat the previously played cards with a higher number or a better colour.
If a player cannot beat the cards on display, they must pass. If all but one player have passed, that player may play out anew.
A round ends immediately as soon as a player has no hand cards left. The other players receive minus points for their remaining hand cards. Whoever has the fewest minus points after three rounds wins.
Setup
- Everyone receives a summary card. Unneeded summary cards go back in the box.
- Shuffle the remaining cards (Alebrijes and Alebrijes Jokers) and deal 10 cards to each player's hand. In a game with five or six players, everyone receives only 8 cards instead.
- Place the remaining cards face down in the middle of the table as the draw pile.
- Keep track of your points with pencil and paper, or scan the QR code to use our online scoring pad.
- Whoever most recently dreamed of Alebrijes or dream guardians begins the first round.
Gameplay
At the start of each round, going clockwise, each of you may exchange up to 2 hand cards. To do so, lay the chosen cards aside and draw the same number of cards from the draw pile.
When the round begins, the starting player plays either a single card or several cards (a set). The cards are always played face up into the middle of the table.
As a single card you may play any card you like. But to play a set of 2 or more cards, the cards must have both the same number and the same colour.
After the first single card or the first set has been played, it is the next player's turn, clockwise. When it is your turn, you must beat the most recently played combination or pass.
Alebrijes Jokers
Alebrijes Jokers can be played alone or in sets. They take on the colour of the other cards of the set with which they are played. If you play only Alebrijes Jokers, say which colour they represent. They keep this colour.
Playing a Better Combination
To play a better combination, you must beat the number or the colour of the previously played cards:
a) Play the same number of cards in the same colour, but with a higher value.
Example: To beat two blue 2s, play two higher blue cards (e.g. two 4s).
b) Play the same number of cards in the next higher colour, regardless of value.
Example: To beat two blue 4s, play two green cards (e.g. two green 1s).
Colour order. You can see the colour order on your summary card. It runs in a circle: BLUE, GREEN, PINK, ORANGE and back to BLUE.
Whoever opens may do so with any colour. After the first cards (single or set) have been played, you may not skip any colour from then on.
Example: Ana opens with two green 1s. Bart plays two pink 1s, since he has no higher green pair and orange would not be allowed.
Beating an ORANGE Combination
Because the colour order runs in a circle, Orange can also be beaten with Blue. But to beat an orange combination with a colour, you must play a blue set with exactly one card more. The value of the cards is irrelevant, as with beating by colour as usual.
Example: Cris has played three orange 5s. Neus must now play a set of four blue cards or pass. Neus plays four blue 1s.
Passing
Instead of playing cards, you can pass. You may then immediately exchange up to 2 hand cards.
Note: Preferably exchange cards with which you could not form sets.
Lay the chosen cards aside and draw the same number of cards from the draw pile. If the draw pile runs out, no new one is formed. You may continue to pass, but can no longer exchange any cards.
After passing, turn your summary card over to the side with the dream eyes to show that you have passed. For the rest of the round you will be skipped.
Example: Ana cannot play a better combination and passes. She decides to lay aside 1 hand card and draws 1 card from the draw pile. Then she turns her summary card over and is skipped from now on.
Playing Out Anew
The game continues clockwise until all but one player have passed. This player now has the option to play out anew (and without restriction). However, as the only one, they may not exchange any cards.
Before playing out anew, you all lay aside all previously played cards and turn all summary cards back to their active side.
End of a Round
The round ends immediately as soon as someone plays or lays down the last hand card. Whoever gets rid of their last hand card wins the round. All others receive minus points for the cards they still have in hand.
Per colour in your hand, count only the card with the highest value, and add up the values of all colours. Lower and duplicate cards do not count. Alebrijes Jokers count as their own fifth colour.
These are your minus points for the round.
Example: Ana plays her last card, so the round ends immediately. She receives no minus points.
Adrian has a pink 2 as well as an orange 2 and 5. Only the pink 2 and the orange 5 count. Adrian receives −7 points (2 + 5).
Neus has a green 3 and an Alebrijes Joker with the value 3. The Alebrijes Joker counts as its own colour. Neus receives −6 points (3 + 3).
Cris has a blue 2 as well as two blue 5s. The highest blue value counts only once. Cris receives −5 points.
New Round
After you have noted the points, shuffle all cards together again. Now deal anew as described under Setup.
Whoever has the most total minus points begins the new round. In case of a tie, whoever of those involved follows, in clockwise order, first after the player who won the previous round begins.
Note: Before the new round begins, you may each again exchange up to 2 hand cards.
End of the Game
The game ends after the third round. Add up your minus points from all three rounds.
Whoever has the fewest minus points wins.
If there is a tie, whoever of those involved has won the most rounds wins. If there is still a tie, those involved share the victory.
Ollin Effects
Some cards show the Ollin symbol. When cards are played of which at least one contains an Ollin symbol, an optional effect can be triggered. The effect depends on the number of cards played and not on the number of Ollin symbols contained.
If you play:
- 1 card with an Ollin symbol: All others draw 1 card from the draw pile each.
- 2 cards, at least 1 of them containing an Ollin symbol: Choose one of the following effects: All others draw 1 card from the draw pile each; or lay aside 1 card from your hand.
- 3 or more cards, at least 1 of them containing an Ollin symbol: No effect, despite the Ollin symbol.
If other players must draw cards due to an Ollin effect, this happens in turn order. If the draw pile becomes empty in the process, the remaining players draw no further card.
If you lay aside your last hand card through an Ollin effect, the round ends immediately.
If you have no cards left in hand after playing a combination, the round ends before an Ollin effect is triggered.
Example: Neus plays two green 3s, one of which shows the Ollin symbol. Neus decides to lay aside his last hand card. The round ends immediately.
Variant: One Turn per Round
For a more tactical game you can try this variant, in which each of you is on turn only once per round. From the start of the round, going clockwise, everyone is on turn exactly once and plays either a better combination or passes. All other rules for passing continue to apply. After everyone has had one turn, the round ends. Whoever played last opens the next round.
The Story
ALEBRIJES are colourful fantasy creatures that unite the characteristics of different real and imaginary animals in a single being.
Their story can be traced back to the year 1936 and to Pedro Linares López, a cartonero from Mexico. One day López fell seriously ill and in a fever dream fantastic creatures appeared to him. Since then the Alebrijes have been further developed by many artists and are today part of Mexico's cultural heritage as well as a recurring motif in Mexican art.
The "Ollin" symbol stands in the worldview of the NAHUA for movement and change. It is an important concept of Mesoamerican cultures and reflects the idea of a universe that is in constant movement and change.