Connnect Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Set-Up
• Preparation
• Gameplay
  • Roll Phase
  • Fill Phase
  • Free Action
  • Claim Phase
    • Connect-3
    • Connect-4
    • Connect-5
  • End of the Round
  • End of the Game
• Scoring
  • Lines
  • Objective Cards
  • Connect-5 Score Cards
• Bonuses
  • Effects
  • Connect-3 Bonuses
  • Connect-4 Bonuses
  • Connect-4 Shape Points
  • Connect-5 Box

Components

• 100 Player Sheets
• 8 Connect-5 Shape Cards (front and back)
• 4 Connect-5 Score Cards (front and back)
• 1 Dice Card (front and back)
• 14 Objective Cards, in three decks marked A, B and C (front and back)
• 4 Pencils
• 3 Dice

Set-Up

1. Each player takes one pencil and one Player Sheet, writing their name in the Name Box (top-left).
2. Shuffle all Connect-5 Shape Cards, then randomly draw four cards and place them face-up in the center of the table. Return the rest of the Connect-5 Shape Cards to the game box.
3. Stack the Connect-5 Score Cards and arrange them in descending order (16 is on the top and then 14, 13 and 12).
4. Shuffle each deck of Objective Cards (A, B, C) separately, then randomly draw one card from each deck and place them face-up in a row in the center of the table. Return the rest of the Objective Cards to the game box.
5. Place the Dice Card in the center of the table where everyone can see.
6. Randomly choose the first player and give that player all three dice. Now you are ready to play!

Preparation

The first player rolls 3 dice; all players write the rolled numbers in the setup spaces. The first player rolls 3 dice again; all players write the rolled numbers in the remaining setup spaces. These numbers can be used for claiming Connects normally.

Example: First roll: 1, 3 and 4. Lisa writes them in the setup spaces (Blue Numbers). Second roll: 2, 4 and 6. Lisa writes them in the remaining setup spaces (Red Numbers).

Alternatively, each player rolls his or her own 6 setup numbers. In this case, each player starts with different setup numbers.

Gameplay

The game is played in twelve rounds. Each round consists of three phases: Roll Phase, Fill Phase and Claim Phase.

Roll Phase

The active player rolls all three dice and chooses one of those dice to be the Zone Die; the other two dice will be called Number Dice.

Place the Zone Die and the Number Dice on the Dice Card in the specific spaces.

Each player writes down the Zone Die and the Number Dice in the Round Tracker on the left side of the Player Sheet.

Example: Lisa is the active player. She rolls all three dice and the results are 2, 4 and 5. She chooses 4 as a Zone Die, so 2 and 5 are Number Dice.

Zone Die: The Zone Die is chosen from one of the three dice. It determines which zone is activated in this round. Each zone consists of two columns or rows, marked by the dice face. (Zones 1, 2 and 3 consist of two columns while zones 4, 5 and 6 consist of two rows.)

Fill Phase

Each player (including the active player) MUST simultaneously write each number from each Number Die in the selected zone. The numbers can be written in any order, and do not have to be adjacent to each other. A player can use Free Action, Change Zone Bonus, and Move Number Bonus (see Bonuses below) to make filling the numbers easier; cross out the used Free Action or Bonuses.

Example: Continuing the previous example, Lisa writes 2 and 5 in the zone number 4.

Each space can contain only one number.

There are nine Circles in the play area. At any time, you write numbers in all spaces around a Circle; you fill that Circle. This will give you one point per Filled Circle at the end of the game.

If three Filled Circles align in a straight line orthogonally or diagonally, it is called a Connected Line. This will give you two points per line at the end of the game. (Each Filled Circle can be used for multiple lines.)

Example: During the game, Lisa writes numbers around a Circle, so she fills that Circle. She gets 1 point at the end of the game.

Example: In a later round, Lisa can fill three Circles in a straight line, so she makes a Connected Line. She gets 2 points at the end of the game.

Do not draw an actual Connected Line. The one in the example is for explanation only.

Free Action

In the Fill Phase, a player can play a Free Action when:

• A player wants to write a different number from that on a Number Die.
• A player cannot write a number in the selected zone due to all spaces being occupied.

When a Free Action is used, the player crosses the leftmost box on the Free Action track. At the end of the game, the player gets minus points shown on the leftmost available box.

Free Action can be used up to 7 times. If you use up all of your Free Action and cannot play on, you are out of the game.

Example: Lisa wants to change "2" to "3". She crosses the leftmost available box in the Free Action track. She writes "3" in the available space and fills the Circle.

Example: She cannot write "5" in zone number 4 because all spaces are occupied. She crosses the leftmost Free Action box and does nothing.

The Free Action track on the Player Sheet is printed with the values 0, 1, 3, 6, 10, 15 and 21 in seven boxes. Crossing a box costs the number printed on the leftmost available box at the end of the game.

Note for transcriber: the printed track also carries a separate box marked 28 with a star and two rows of small empty boxes, to the right of a divider. The rulebook text does not explain this element, so it is not transcribed as a rule here.

Claim Phase

Players simultaneously claim the Connects by drawing the shape outlines using numbers in the play area. The numbers used MUST: be adjacent to each other; be arranged in ascending or descending order; or all numbers are the same. The claimed shape can be rotated or mirrored. If a player claims ordered numbers, adjacent numbers MUST be in the correct order.

You can claim a Connect immediately or claim it in a later round. Each number can be used for claiming ONLY ONCE.

A player can claim multiple Connects in this phase. All claimed Connects MUST follow the rules on this page.

There are 3 types of Connect.

Connect-3

• Draw a shape with 3 numbers.
• Choose a Bonus in the Connect-3 bonuses section and circle it. The chosen Bonus can be used immediately or be kept for a later turn (except for a Bonus with a lightning symbol, which MUST be used immediately).

Example: Lisa claims Connect-3 by using three "5s" and draws the outline around them. She circles the Move Number Bonus in the Connect-3 bonuses section.

Connect-4

• Draw a shape with 4 numbers.
• If the Connect-4 is claimed for the first time among all players, fill the first-claim mark and cross out the circle under the claimed shape; other players cross out their first-claim mark. If multiple players claim the same Connect-4 in the same round, all of them fill the first-claim mark and cross out the circle.
• If the Connect-4 has been claimed and the circle has not been crossed out, fill the circle below the shape and you will get 1 point at the end of the game.
• If either the first-claim mark or the circle under the claimed Connect-4 is crossed out and another is filled, do nothing.
• Next choose a Bonus in the Connect-4 bonuses section and circle it. The chosen Bonus can be used immediately or be kept for a later turn (except for a Bonus with a lightning symbol, which MUST be used immediately).

Example: Lucas claims Connect-4 by using 1, 2, 3 and 4. He draws the outline around them, then he fills the first-claim mark and crosses out the circle. He circles the Move Number Bonus in the Connect-4 bonuses section.

If an L-shape Connect-4 has been claimed, he fills the circle instead. Then he circles one bonus in the Connect-4 section.

Connect-5

• Draw a shape with 5 numbers (in which shapes are depicted on the Connect-5 Shape Cards) (setup step 2).
• As soon as a player claims a Connect-5, that player writes the claimed shape's letter (printed on each card) in the topmost available Connect-5 Box on the Player Sheet. The player then writes the point depicted on the top Connect-5 Score Card in the star next to the written claimed shape's letter. If multiple players claim Connect-5s in the same round (can be the same or different shapes), those players get the same score depicted on the score card.
• Flip all the claimed Connect-5 Shape Cards facedown. These facedown cards cannot be claimed throughout the game.

Example: Lisa claims Connect-5 by using 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. She draws the outline around the numbers. She writes "F" in the topmost available Connect-5 Box and writes the score depicted on the score cards (in this case, "16") in the star. She then flips the Connect-5 Shape Card "F" facedown.

End of the Round

• If one or more Connect-5s have been claimed in this round, remove the top Connect-5 Score Card from the game.
• Each player checks the requirements on each of the Objective Cards. If the requirement is fulfilled, write the points in the scoring section.
• Then the active player passes all the dice to the player on the left. That player becomes the new active player.

Example: Lucas can complete the Objective Card, so he writes down 4 points in the scoring section.

End of the Game

The game ends after the twelfth round. All players tally their points. Whoever gets the most points wins! In case of a tie, the player with the fewest negative points wins! If still tied, share the victory.

Scoring

The end-of-game score on the Player Sheet is totalled from these parts:

• Total the points for Connect-3, Connect-4 and Connect-5.
• Total points for full Lines of rows or columns that have the arrow symbol.
• Total points for Filled Circles (1 point each) and Connected Lines (2 points each).
• Total points for fulfilled Objective Cards.
• Minus points depicted in the leftmost available box on the Free Action track.

Lines

For each Line:

• 8 points: Fill the row or column with 1 to 6 in ascending or descending order, or with all the same number. May not have a crossed-out space.
• 6 points: Fill the row or column with 1 to 6, but not in order. May not have a crossed-out space.
• 3 points: Fill all spaces in the line.

Objective Cards

Each Objective Card is worth the points shown on its star when its requirement is fulfilled at the end of the game. The three cards shown in the set-up diagram each show 4 points:

• Card A: End game: Claim at least 5 Connect-3.
• Card B: End game: Claim at least 2 Connect-4.
• Card C: End game: Create at least 3 Connected Lines.

The rulebook shows these three cards only; the other cards in the 14-card deck are not listed in the text.

Connect-5 Score Cards

The Connect-5 Score Cards are 16, 14, 13 and 12. The top card is the value awarded for the next Connect-5 claimed. Each round in which a Connect-5 is claimed, the top Connect-5 Score Card is removed from the game (see End of the Round).

Bonuses

Bonuses can be used in the Fill Phase and the Claim Phase. Whether the claimed bonuses are used or not, at the end of the game, they will give you points indicated in the star.

When a claimed bonus is used, cross it out and apply its effect. The bonuses with a lightning symbol MUST be used immediately after it is claimed. All bonuses only apply to the player who uses them.

Effects

• Cross out and write: Cross out a number that has not been claimed yet, and write that number anywhere in the play area.
• Switch Zone Die: Switch the Zone Die with 1 Number Die. The number on that Number Die becomes the zone and vice versa.
• Plus or minus: Plus or minus a number by 1 up to 2 times. 1 minus 1 is 6; and 6 plus 1 is 1.
• Claimed Number again: Use a Claimed Number again for claiming a new Connect.
• Write any 2 numbers (lightning): Immediately write any 2 numbers in the active zone of the current round.
• Score 6 points: Score 6 points at the end of the game. This bonus is always counted as used.
• Write depicted number (lightning): Immediately write the depicted number anywhere in the play area.

If a "write any 2 numbers" bonus is used with the Switch Zone Die bonus, write the number in the new zone.

Connect-3 Bonuses

• Six "write depicted number" bonuses (numbers 1 to 6, lightning): 1 point each.
• Two "cross out and write" bonuses: 2 points each.
• Two "Switch Zone Die" bonuses: 3 points each.
• Two "plus or minus" bonuses: 3 points each.

Connect-4 Bonuses

• One "write any 2 numbers" bonus (lightning): 2 points.
• One "cross out and write" bonus: 3 points.
• One "Switch Zone Die" bonus: 4 points.
• One "Claimed Number again" bonus: 4 points.
• One "plus or minus" bonus: 4 points.
• One "Score 6 points" bonus: 6 points.

Connect-4 Shape Points

The points for the first-claim mark and the circle are printed on the Connect-4 section of the Player Sheet: the first-claim mark is worth 4 points and the circle 1 point. The rulebook text does not restate these values, so they are taken from the printed sheet.

Connect-5 Box

Each claimed Connect-5 is recorded by writing its letter in the topmost available Connect-5 Box and the score from the top Connect-5 Score Card beside it. Four boxes are available on the sheet, one for each Connect-5 Score Card.