Compañeros Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Object of the Game
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • Playing a Card
  • Trick Scoring
  • Example
• End of the Game
• Multi-Game Play

Components

• 60 playing cards: six card sets, each with the values 1 to 10 in one of six different colours
• For the multi-game variant: paper and pencil

Object of the Game

The goal of the game is to win as many victory points as possible from the open display by playing cards of a colour, alone or together with other players, so that the total value of that colour is higher than that of every other colour played.

Setup

• Each player takes one colour card set with the values 1 to 10. Any surplus card sets go back into the box; they are not needed for this game.
• Shuffle all the card sets used together into one face-down stack.
• Place as many cards from the stack face up in the middle of the table as there are players. This is the open display.
• Deal the remaining cards evenly among the players. Each player takes their cards into hand and keeps them face down, hidden from the other players.
• Tip: to avoid giving hints to the other players during the game, it is advisable not to sort your hand.

Gameplay

Playing a Card

• The oldest player begins. Play then proceeds clockwise, with each player taking a turn in turn.
• The player whose turn it is plays one card from their hand face up in front of them. Then the player to their left takes a turn.
• If several players play cards of the same colour, the values of those cards are added together to form a shared colour value. When colour values are compared against all other colours played, this shared colour value is used. Among the players of the same colour, however, each player's individual card value still counts.
• Once all players have played one card face up in turn, trick scoring takes place.

Trick Scoring

• In trick scoring, the cards of the open display are distributed among the players. At the end of the game, these cards count as victory points according to their value.
• Distribution follows the order of the colour and card values played in this round. The higher colour value always counts first. Among players of the same colour, the higher card value then decides.
• In the order determined in this way, each player may in turn take all cards of any one colour from the open display. These cards are placed face down in front of the player as victory points and may only be looked at again at the end of the game.
• If the order reaches a tie between several colour values, trick scoring ends early. All cards not yet distributed remain in the open display.
• When trick scoring has ended, all cards played in this round are moved to the open display for the next round, in addition to any cards left undistributed in trick scoring. The player who was first to take cards from the open display during trick scoring begins the next round as starting player. If, because of a tie in colour values, no cards at all were distributed from the open display during trick scoring, the last starting player also begins the new round.

Example

Anna plays a green 7, Ben a green 2, Cécile a yellow 9, Doro a red 5, Emil a blue 10 and Frank a red 6.

Played cards: green 7, green 2, yellow 9, red 5, blue 10, red 6.

Doro and Frank together have the highest colour value (5 + 6 = 11) among the cards played. Because Frank played the higher card value (6), he may take all cards of one colour from the open display first. He chooses yellow (7 and 4). Doro (5) is next and takes the red cards (8 and 1). Emil has reached the second-highest colour value (10) and takes the green 6 from the open display. Anna and Ben have the same colour value (7 + 2 = 9) as Cécile (9). Therefore the distribution of victory points ends early, and these three players receive nothing.

Open display and distribution: Frank took yellow, Doro took red, Emil took green (6), and blue 4 remains.

All six cards played in this round are now added to the open display, together with the remaining blue 4. Frank becomes starting player of the next round.

End of the Game

• The game ends after every player has played their last card from hand and one final trick scoring has been carried out.
• Each player then adds up their victory points. The player with the most victory points wins.

Multi-Game Play

• Before the game, the players agree on the number of games to be played. At the end of each game, each player writes down the victory points they scored.
• A new game begins as described under Setup: all required cards are shuffled, a new open display is laid out, and the remaining cards are dealt to the players.
• The player leading on victory points becomes the new starting player.
• The player with the most victory points after the agreed number of games wins.