CrossWays
CrossWays Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
Be the first player to complete a path of markers connecting one side of the board to the opposite side.
Set Up
Place the game board in the middle of the playing area, within reach of all players. Cut the deck for high card to determine dealer and shuffle the deck, removing Jokers which are included for optional play.
For individual play, each player chooses a set of 24 markers of one color, and is dealt 5 cards.
For team play, teams of two players choose a set of 24 markers of one color, and each player is dealt 4 cards. Place the remaining cards face-down near the game board to form the draw deck.
How to Play
The player to the dealer's left goes first, and play proceeds clockwise. On your turn, you may make a single play, by discarding one or more cards into the discard pile, and either placing or removing one or more markers (see the play types below for details).
Then, draw cards from the deck until you have 5 cards in your hand (4 for team play), and pass the turn. If the draw deck is depleted, shuffle the discard pile to start a fresh deck.
At a Glance
- A single card places one marker on a matching square.
- Pairs place two markers anywhere, either separate or together. Must place both markers to place on a White square.
- Runs remove two markers anywhere, either separate or together.
- The first player to complete a path of markers from one side of the board to the opposite side wins the game! Only adjacent horizontal and vertical squares count for completing a path. Diagonal squares do not count, but the path does not have to be a straight line.
Single Card
You may discard a single card from your hand to place one of your unused markers on either matching square on the board. Only one single card play may be made on a turn.
Example: Playing a King of Spades allows you to place one of your markers on either of the Black K squares.
Pairs Place
You may discard two or more cards of matching face value to place markers equal to the quantity of cards played, anywhere, regardless of face value (Two Kings places two markers, three Kings places three).
Markers may be placed on separate squares, together to close a square, or together to claim a White square.
Example: Playing a Pair of Kings allows you to place two markers anywhere in a variety of ways.
- Place markers on two separate squares beneficial to your path.
- Place both markers together, closing a square to opponents.
- Place both markers together, to claim a White square.
Runs Remove
You may discard a run of two or more suited sequential cards to remove markers equal to the quantity of cards played. You may remove any marker from a square, not just the top-most one. Aces can count as either low or high card for making runs.
Example: A Run of 6 & 7 of Diamonds allows you to remove two markers from anywhere on the board.
- Remove one green and one blue marker.
- Remove both markers from a White square.
Additional Rules
- Markers may be placed on top of other players' markers. All markers on a square count for completing that player's path, not just the top-most marker.
- Two markers of the same color on a square close it, blocking further marker placement. The green marker here still counts for completing that player's path, but no more markers can be placed here until a yellow marker is removed.
- White squares may never contain a single marker. When placing on or removing from a White square both markers must be placed or removed in one play.
- Two purple markers have closed this square, blocking further marker placement. The yellow marker cannot be placed here until at least one purple marker is removed from the square.
Winning the Game
The first player or team to complete a path of markers from one side of the board to the opposite side wins the game! Remember, only adjacent horizontal and vertical squares (not diagonal connections) count, and the path does not have to be a straight line! Keep an eye out for markers that may be hidden under other colors when looking for the best path to victory.
Optional Rules
The possible options for CrossWays are endless, so feel free to customize the rules to your liking to create new strategies and variations for game play! Included here are just a few optional rules to try out, but don't be afraid to mix, match and have fun with new combinations.
- Double Down: Any time a player has two of their markers together on a square, all other markers on that square no longer count for completing a path, until one of the doubled-up markers is removed.
- King of the Mountain: Instead of each player with a marker on a square having access to that square for completing a path, only the player with the topmost marker has access to that square. Two of the same color markers on a square still close a square from further marker placement. Note: This can be a longer game and you may come close to using all your markers, so pay attention to your supply. If you run out, you must play a run to remove your own markers to then place them elsewhere.
- Diagonals: You may place four of your markers on a White square, and then count all diagonally adjacent squares to the White square for completing your path.
- Pairs and Runs: If you have both pair and run cards in your hand, you may discard both combinations of cards in one play. Example: If you have 4 & 5 of Spades (run) and 5 of Hearts (pair), you may discard all three cards to either remove two markers and place one – or – place two markers and remove one.
- Jokers Wild: Add the Jokers back to the deck to be used as Wild Cards. Discard a Joker as single card play to remove any one marker from the board, or pair a Joker with another card to place two markers on the other card's matching square. Example: Discard a Joker with a 5 of Clubs to place two markers on either Black 5 square.
Challenge yourself with different path objectives to win:
- Complete a path from a corner to the opposite corner, with diagonal adjacent squares counting for connections.
- Place markers on each square of a 3x3 grid, or complete a 4x4 square.
- Only allow straight line paths to count for victory.
Contents
- Game Board
- 108 Playing Cards (2 standard decks including Jokers)
- 96 Markers (24 each of 4 colors)
- Instructions