Aura Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Sorting the Decks
• Game Setup
• Overview
• Turn Summary
• Phase 1: Play
• Phase 2: Reveal
• Phase 3: Discard
• Phase 4: Cleanup
• Phase 5: Draw
• Additional Turn
• End of the Game
• Action Cards

Components

• Rulebook
• 4 deck boxes
• 4 x 52 card decks, each containing:
  • Forty numerical cards in five unique colors. Each color has cards numbered from 1 through 8.
  • Five wild cards, one of each color.
  • Five action cards, one of each color.
  • One reference card.
  • One Aura card.

Sorting the Decks

The cards need to be sorted before playing the game for the first time. Start by removing all cards from their packaging, then organize the cards into four unique decks separated by the backs of the cards.

Decks are distinguished by the number of lines on the back of the cards. Each deck contains 10 cards of each color, one reference card, and one Aura card.

Place each deck into a deck box after sorting to prevent them from getting mixed up.

Game Setup

New to Aura? If this is your very first game we recommend removing the action cards from each deck. After you feel confident with the rules, be sure to shuffle them back in.

• Start by giving each player their own deck of cards. This will be their draw deck. The backs of the cards in each deck have a unique pattern of lines to help distinguish them from each other.

• Next, each player removes the Aura and reference cards from their draw decks and places them to the side.

• Now choose the starting player by having each player draw a card from their draw deck. The player with the highest face value card becomes the starting player. If there's a tie, the players who tied continue to draw until one can be declared the starting player.

  NOTE: The five action cards count as the highest value cards of their color. Wild cards can only be numbered 1 through 8.

• Each player now shuffles their draw deck, has an opponent cut their deck, places their Aura card on the bottom, and then draws a starting hand of eight cards off the top.

Overview

The goal of the game is to discard as many of your opponents' cards as possible and to prevent them from discarding your cards.

You will take turns as the active player and will have the opportunity to play cards from your hand to force all other players to discard cards. The non-active players are called blocking players, and will have the opportunity to play cards from their hands as blocks.

Turn Summary

Players take turns being the active player, in clockwise order, beginning with the starting player. A turn consists of the following phases:

1. Play - In turn order, beginning with the active player, each player places cards from their hand onto the table face down.
2. Reveal - All players turn their played cards face up. The effects of revealed action and wild cards take place in turn order starting with the active player.
3. Discard - After resolving potential card effects, each blocking player discards one card for each card played by the active player that they did not block.
4. Cleanup - Any remaining played cards on the table are now moved to the bottom of their owner's draw deck.
5. Draw - Each player must draw up to five cards from the top of their draw deck to a maximum hand size of eight cards.

Everyone can see the color of your Aura. The backs of the cards in your hand, the back of the top card in your draw deck, and the backs of the cards in your discard pile are all public information and can be viewed by any player at any time. You have the option to fan out your draw deck to see the backs of the cards. If you do so, then all players may observe as well.

For each card played by the active player that is not blocked, all other players must discard one of their cards from the game. The winner is the player with the most cards remaining at the end of the game.

Phase 1: Play

At the start of a turn, the active player must play 2 to 5 cards face down from their hand onto the table. Then, in turn order, each blocking player may play up to that number of cards as blocks.

Active player: During your turn as the active player you must play 2 to 5 cards face down and adjacent to each other so that the backs of each card played are visible to all players. Cards played by the active player must either be all of the same color OR each be a different color.

• Single color play: Play two to five cards all of the same color face down.
• Multiple color play: Play two to five cards each of different colors face down.

For example: As the active player you cannot play two red and two green cards; but you could play one red, one green, and one blue card.

Chaining cards: Any cards played by the active player that share the same numerical value will group together to form a chain. Cards in a chain do not need to be adjacent; they only need to share the same number. If any one card in the chain is not blocked by a player, then all cards in the chain are considered to be not blocked for that player.

Blocking players: Once the active player's cards are placed on the table, each blocking player in turn order may play any cards from their hand to potentially block the active player's cards. Each blocking player may not play more cards than the active player. Blocking players have no color restrictions when placing cards, nor must their cards be capable of blocking any of the active player's cards.

If you successfully block a card, you prevent it from forcing you to discard a card. When placing block cards, keep them concealed and place them face down directly in front of the active player's card they are intended to block. For a block to be successful, the card used to block the active players' card must either be the same color with a higher face value, or any card of its trump color regardless of the face value.

Trump color relation:

• Red trumps purple
• Purple trumps green
• Green trumps beige
• Beige trumps blue
• Blue trumps red

A reminder of the trump color on each card is shown on the card itself.

Example (figure): In this example Player 2 has played a block card for all four of the active player's cards. Two of the blocks are guaranteed since they're the trumping color, while the other two need to be revealed to determine if the blocks were successful since they are the same color and need a higher face value. Player 3 has two guaranteed blocks, one potential block, and one unblocked card. Player 4 has two guaranteed blocks and two unblocked cards.

For example: John reveals one 7 and three 5's; Mike successfully blocks the 7 and two 5's, but one 5 is still left not blocked. The three 5's group together and form a chain since they share the same numerical value. Now it's as if all three 5's were not blocked and Mike will have to discard three cards instead of one. If all the cards played by John were the same number, then Mike would be discarding 4 cards instead.

Example (figure): The above example is showing that a blue card played as a block will successfully block this red card, regardless of the face value of the blue card played.

Each card played by a blocking player blocks independently from each other blocking player. In other words, a blocking player's card does not block cards for any other players.

Blocking players only need to look at the active player's cards when determining the success of their blocks.

NOTE: When playing wild cards, choose their number after all cards are revealed, giving you the opportunity to create a chain which benefits you the most.

Be sure to place block cards in turn order. Once all blocks are placed, proceed to the Reveal Phase.

Phase 2: Reveal

Each player must turn their played cards face up on the table after each blocking player has played their block cards. If any action cards are revealed and have an effect, the effects must take place in turn order starting with the active player. Likewise, if any wild cards are revealed, they also resolve in turn order starting with the active player.

Proceed to the Discard Phase after all effects, if any, are completely resolved.

Example (figure): In this example the active player reveals a green wild and decides to make it a 2 so it will chain with their blue 2. Player 2 makes her purple wild an 8 so that it will be higher than the purple 7 of the active player. After all wilds have been chosen, blocks are resolved.

In this case Player 2 would block all 4 cards. Player 3 would block 3 cards and leave the blue 2 to pass through unblocked. But since the green wild is now a 2 as well, this creates a chain and both 2's go unblocked, causing Player 3 to discard 2 cards. Player 4 blocked 2 cards, but would discard 3 cards because of the chain of 2's played by the active player.

NOTE: Wild and action card effects are always resolved in turn order beginning with the active player. If a player has multiple action cards in play, then that player decides in which order to activate the effects.

Phase 3: Discard

Each blocking player must discard cards equal to the quantity of the active player's cards they did not block, NOT the numerical value of the cards played. Blocking players may choose which of their cards to discard, in any combination, from their played block cards, their hand, or the top card of their draw deck. Discarded cards are placed into a discard pile which is separate from your draw deck and will not score at the end of the game. The active player is considered 'safe' and never discards cards.

NOTE: When discarding from the top of your deck you may look at the face value of the cards only after committing to the number of discards off the top. Keep the face value of the cards discarded a secret from the other players.

Proceed to the Cleanup Phase after each player has finished discarding cards.

Phase 4: Cleanup

Each player must now cycle their own remaining played cards from the table to the bottom of their draw deck under the Aura card. As cards are cycled to the bottom of the draw deck, the Aura card will eventually work its way to the top of the deck. The first time this happens to each player, set the Aura card to the side, shuffle the draw deck and place the Aura card back onto the bottom, then continue to draw normally.

NOTE: When placing the Aura card on the bottom for a second time, we recommend turning it to its side so that the card sticks out of the deck. This will help keep track of when the game ends and be a reminder of who has already cycled through their deck.

Proceed to the Draw Phase after each player has cleaned up their remaining played cards.

Phase 5: Draw

Each player now replenishes their hand by drawing up to five cards from the top of their draw deck, to a maximum hand size of eight cards. A player must never have more than 8 cards in their hand or draw more than 5 cards in a turn. Continue a new turn with the next active player in clockwise order.

NOTE: You must always draw up to five cards if you have room in your hand for them and can not opt to draw less to delay the end of the game.

Additional Turn

If any blocking player successfully blocked EACH card of the active player, then the active player may take another turn immediately after the Cleanup Phase, skipping the Draw Phase for all players. The active player may only ever gain one additional turn.

End of the Game

The game end is triggered once an Aura card is revealed on the top of any one player's draw deck for the second time, or if a player has no more cards to draw from their deck. Be sure to finish out the current turn before ending the game.

The player with the most remaining cards in their draw deck and hand combined is the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the fewest action and wild cards in their discard pile wins. If there's still a tie, the lowest total card value discarded wins (add the numerical values for all cards in the discard pile).

Advanced game: Do not shuffle the deck once the Aura card is revealed. Instead, continue drawing as normal and place it back onto the bottom. This allows you to stack the deck during the cleanup phase and set yourself up.

Action Cards

The five action cards count as the highest face value card for their colors. For example, a Return card used as a block would successfully block a red 8 or red wild card. Likewise, any red number card would not successfully block a Return card played by the active player. Only cards of the trump color will successfully block action cards.

Return - After this card is revealed, you may return any one card in play to its owner's hand. You may choose any card in play to return, including your own cards and the just-played Return card.

• Q: If one of the active player's cards is returned to their hand, causing all of their played cards to now be blocked, will they get an additional turn?
• A: Yes, since they are completely blocked by a player, they will get an additional turn. This is a great way to setup a stronger second hand.

Trade - After this card is revealed, you may trade it with any one card in your discard pile. You may choose any one card from your discard pile and swap the Trade card with the chosen card. If the chosen card has any reveal effects, then resolve them immediately. The Trade card is moved into your discard pile and the chosen card is put into play in the same position the Trade card was in.

• Q: As the active player, can I choose a card that would break the color restriction rule?
• A: Yes! The Trade card is the only way the active player is ever able to have cards in play that don't all share the same color or each have a different color. This can be a very strong move if a color is chosen that can't be blocked by the block card in play.

Double - While revealed, all discarding is doubled for all blocking players. Having at least one Double card revealed by any player forces all blocking players to discard double the amount of cards this turn. Multiple Double cards have no additional effect and do not multiply.

Reverse - While revealed, all blocked cards are now unblocked, and all unblocked cards become blocked. If one player has a Reverse card revealed, all blocks are reversed for all blocking players. This means that the active player's cards that are successfully blocked force a discard instead of the unblocked cards. Two Reverse cards will cancel each other out.

• Q: What happens when a chain is played by the active player while a Reverse card is in play?

• A: If any one card in the chain is unblocked by a player, then each card in the chain is considered unblocked and that blocking player would lose no cards from the chain while the Reverse card is in play. All cards in the chain would need to be blocked successfully by the blocking player in order for that player to be forced to discard a card for each card in the chain. Block - Successfully blocks all the active player's cards while revealed and in play. The player who has the Block card revealed and in play will block all cards belonging to the active player, even if the only card played is the Block card.

• Q: How does this affect the Reverse card?

• A: If a Reverse card is in play then all players must discard a card for each card they block. If a player has the Block card in play then they are blocking all of the active player's cards and must discard a card for each card played by the active player.

• Q: Does the Block card trigger an extra turn for the active player?

• A: Yes, as long as it remains in play, then all of the active player's cards would be blocked successfully and the active player would have the option to play a second hand of cards.