Caro Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Contents
• Aim of the Game
• Setting Up the Game
• Defining the Playing Area
• Calculating the Score
• Rules for Laying
• Playing the Game
• Game End

Game Contents

• Number of players: 2-4
• Age: from 8 years
• Length of game: 15-30 minutes
• Game contents:
  • 48 wooden caros (squares) in 4 colours
  • 4 charts for calculating the points
  • 1 pad of paper for recording the score, 50 sheets
  • 1 game instructions

Aim of the Game

Laying one caro per player in each round, to score as many points as possible. The individual points of each player are added together. The player with the highest score is the winner.

Setting Up the Game

Each player receives 3 caros of each colour and lays them in front of him so that every player can see them. The youngest player begins, and in subsequent rounds, the loser of the previous game begins.

Defining the Playing Area

The pre-determined size of the playing area must not be exceeded:

• for 2 players: maximum 6x6 caros in a square
• for 3 players: maximum 7x7 caros in a square
• for 4 players: maximum 8x8 caros in a square

(The printed rulebook shows an example of 6x6 caros in a square.)

The choice of colour when laying a caro is particularly important for the game strategy. Depending on the colour of the caro used, the players are awarded different amounts of points.

Calculating the Score

The first player begins with a caro of his choice and receives 10 points, as this caro cannot be laid anywhere else. By laying one caro next to another caro, different colour combinations are formed. The possible colour combinations score as follows:

• 10 points: red/black
• 8 points: red/grey
• 6 points: red/white
• 4 points: black/grey
• 2 points: black/white
• 1 point: grey/white

(The printed rulebook shows each combination as a pair of coloured caro squares; the colour pairings above are read from those illustrations.)

One colour combination can be formed, or there is the possibility of creating two, three or four colour combinations.

Example of three colour combinations:

• grey/red + grey/red + grey/white
• 8 + 8 + 1 = 17

(The printed example shows a laid caro with three colour combinations around it.)

Rules for Laying

1. One caro cannot be placed next to a caro of the same colour.
2. A maximum of 2 caros with the same colour can be placed next to the same caro.
3. A diagonal with more than 3 caros of the same colour is not allowed.
4. Each player can double the calculated number of points for his turn by laying the last caro of one of the colours.

(The printed rulebook illustrates rules 1 to 3 with marked examples of illegal placements.)

Playing the Game

1. The first player begins by laying a caro and receives 10 points for it (see Calculating the Score).
2. The game is played clockwise.
3. A game master writes down the player's score after the turn has ended and adds it to the score from the previous round. In this way, the score can be seen at any point.
4. A turn is ended when the player has let go of his caro. A caro that has been laid cannot be re-laid.
5. If a player notices that the game rules have been broken, the "sinner" must remove the caro, place the same one during that turn and calculate the new number of points. At the end of the turn, the player receives 10 minus points.
6. If the rules have been broken but it is noticed too late, (i.e. after the next player has laid his caro), then no change is made and the "sinner" is lucky.

(Editor's note: rule 5 is printed in the English text as "10 minus points". The French text of the same rule reads "10 points de pénalité en moins" (10 penalty points deducted), and this is the intended meaning; the English wording is transcribed as printed.)

Game End

The game ends when the last caro is laid or if no other caro can be laid.