Fado: Duetos e Desgarradas Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Purpose of the Game
  • Characteristics of the cards
• Game Preparation
• Game Development
  • 1. Place a hand card in the practice area
  • 2. Players make their turn
    • 2a. Select a hand card from the practice area
    • 2b. Present hand (B1) or showcase (B2) sets
    • B1) Hand set
    • B2) Showcase set
  • 3. Circulate the first player chip
  • 4. Distribute a hand card
• Score
  • Victory points
  • Bonus points
• End of the Game
• Variant: Impromptu
• 2 Players

Contents

• 91 cards: 81 hand cards, 9 showcase cards, 1 guitarist card
• 36 victory score chips: 9 alignment, 9 melody, 9 scenario, 9 artist
• 11 bonus score chips: 3 feature, 4 sequence, 4 variety
• 1 first player marker

Purpose of the Game

"The Great Day of Fado" has arrived! The player is a manager who looks for the perfect spectacle to dazzle in the houses of fado, from north to south of Portugal. In the game he/she must present sets of 3 cards that share the same characteristic, be it the artist (character), the alignment (number), the melody (cipher) or the scenario (color). For each set submitted, the player will be rewarded with victory points. If he/she wants to be among the best, he/she can also receive bonus points for their good services.

The winner will be the player who scores the most victory points.

Characteristics of the cards

Hand cards and showcase cards each show the following characteristics:

1. color = scenery
2. cipher = melody
3. number = alignment
4. character = artist
5. color identification aid (for color blind people)

Game Preparation

1. Shuffle the 81 hand cards and:
   • 1a. Distribute 5 cards per player.
   • 1b. Leave the remaining deck of cards in the center of the table (face down).
2. Shuffle the 9 showcase cards along with the guitarist card. Distribute them in the center of the table, randomly, face up, forming the showcase, in a 2x5 format (see image: five levels of two cards each).
3. Separate the victory score and bonus chips by format (feature), and distribute them on the table as follows:
   • 3a. Form 4 stacks of victory score chips organized by: alignment, melody, scenario and artist. Sort the score in descending order, that is, with the 9 victory points at the top.
   • 3b. Next, arrange the 4 sequence bonus chips, also respecting each feature.
   • 3c. Place the 4 feature bonus chips beneath the stack corresponding to its feature.
   • 3d. Form a sequential stack with the 3 variety bonus chips, leaving the 3-point chips on top.
4. The last player to have attended a fado show receives the first player card. He/She will start the game.

Game Development

The game is developed over several rounds, each of which is divided into four phases, executed in the following order:

1. Place a hand card in the practice area.
2. Players make their turn:
   • 2a. Choose a hand card from the practice area.
   • 2b. Present hand or showcase sets.
3. Circulate the first player chip.
4. Distribute a hand card.

1. Place a hand card in the practice area

This action is required and is executed as follows:

• 1a. All players choose a hand card and place it face down in the center of the table.
• 1b. After all players have placed their card on the table, the first player reveals them, so that everyone can observe them properly.

2. Players make their turn

The player who holds the first player marker begins to play. When he/she finishes, in order, clockwise, all other players also perform their turn.

A player's turn begins with the choice of a hand card from the practice area (2a). Then he/she can display sets (hand or showcase) to receive victory points and reward hand cards (2b).

2a. Select a hand card from the practice area

This action is mandatory for all players and is performed as follows: the player collects a hand card of his/her choice from the practice area.

IMPORTANT: Players may only collect one hand card from the practice area per turn.

2b. Present hand (B1) or showcase (B2) sets

This action is optional and the player can, in the same turn, present one or more sets, even of different characteristics.

For each set presented, the player receives immediately: victory points (and bonus, if applicable) and a reward hand card.

IMPORTANT: Reward hand cards received remain in front of the player (face down) until the end of the turn. They can only be used in the next round.

B1) Hand set

A hand set is displayed when the player places 3 cards from his/her hand that share the same characteristic, out of the four existing ones.

To present a hand set the procedures are as follows:

1. The player places 3 hand cards with a common characteristic on the table (example: 3x number 1).
2. Retrieve one of the cards from the displayed set back to the hand. The remaining cards used are removed for disposal.
3. Finally, the player collects the victory point from the stack corresponding to the characteristic of the set presented (see score) and a reward hand card from the deck.

B2) Showcase set

A showcase set is shown when a player reveals 2 hand cards that have a feature in common with one of the showcase cards that are in level I of the practice area.

To present a showcase set, the procedures are as follows:

1. The player reveals on the table 2 hand cards that form a set with the showcase card of level I of the practice area (all three cards have a common characteristic).
2. The showcase card that was used to complete the set goes up to level 5; the remaining cards in the column descend a level. The 2 hand cards used by the player are removed for disposal.
3. Lastly, the player collects the victory point (see score) and a reward hand card from the deck.

IMPORTANT: The guitarist card symbolizes a solo performance and cannot be used to form ensembles. It will go up to level 5 whenever the showcase card next to it in level 1 is used.

3. Circulate the first player chip

When the last player finishes his/her turn, the first player chip passes to the player to his/her left, always circulating clockwise.

4. Distribute a hand card

Starting with the first player, all players receive a hand card from the deck.

Score

Victory points

There are 9 scoring cards (1 to 9) for each of the 4 characteristics (artist, alignment, melody and scenario). For each hand or showcase set that the players present, they receive one victory point chip on the presented feature of the set.

Example: The player showed an alignment set (number). He/She receives the alignment chip from the top of the stack of points.

Bonus points

There are 3 types of bonuses: feature, sequence and variety. Bonuses are awarded immediately when a player completes the requirements for each.

1. Feature bonus - For the first player who collects 4 victory point chips of the same characteristic (3 points).
2. Sequence bonus - For the first player who collects 3 victory point chips of the same characteristic that form a numerical sequence (2 points).
3. Variety bonus - Achieved for each set of 1 victory point chip, of each of the 4 different characteristics. Score: gold (3 points), silver (2 points) and bronze (1 point) for the first, second and third players to complete each set, respectively.

IMPORTANT: Players may receive one or more bonus chips of the same type (or different types) on the same turn (or different turns).

End of the Game

The game ends when one of these two situations occurs:

1. Immediately after finishing the hand cards from the deck, not being enough to distribute a card among all players (phase 4 of the game round).
2. After finishing a second stack of victory point chips. In this case, the game ends when all players complete their turn.

Then, players add up the victory points and the bonuses they received. The player with the highest score is the winner. In case of a tie, from among the tied players, the player with the most victory point chips wins the game. If the tie persists, the player with the highest variety bonus wins. If they still remain tied, the tied players share the win.

Variant: Impromptu

The game is played in the same way, it differs only in the layout of the cards in the showcase (see image: three levels of three cards each). The guitarist card is not used in this variant of the game and must be removed. During a match, players can form sets using one showcase card (of the 3 available in level I). The showcase card used goes up immediately to level 3, the other cards (from the column) descend.

2 Players

In a two-player match, the victory point chips are removed with values 3, 5, and 7, as well as the sequence bonuses of all features. It can be played with the configuration of the practice area of the base game (Duets) or variant (Impromptu). The rules and operation of the game are the same, with the following changes: in the first phase of the game (placing a hand card in the practice area), the players attach to the hand cards they have placed on the table a hand card from the stack. At the end of each round, the unused card must be removed for disposal.