Firefly Fluxx Rulebook

Table of Contents

Overview
Set Up
Going First
How to Play
- On Your Turn
Card Types
- Basic Rules
- New Rule
- Goal
- Keeper
- Action
- Creeper
- Surprise
Winning
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Card List
Credits

Overview

Fluxx is an easy game to learn because it starts out simple—draw 1, play 1—and becomes more complicated little by little. Many folks find that the best way to learn is by jumping right into a game, but that usually works best if at least one player in the group has played a Fluxx game before. So, if this is the first time for everyone, someone in the group needs to read these rules. But don't worry, after you've played the game a few times, everyone will understand!

Set Up

Place the Basic Rules card in the center of the table. Shuffle the deck and deal three cards to each player. Place the remainder of the deck face down next to the Basic Rules to form a draw pile. At the beginning of the game, there will be no Goal or New Rule cards in play yet.

Going First

The person who goes first is whoever takes the initiative to get the game going by being the first to reach out and draw from the deck.

How to Play

Fluxx is a game about change, so it's a game that changes as you play it. It begins with just a couple of very simple rules, and becomes more complex as additional rules are added via special cards called New Rules.

Start by following the Basic Rules (draw one card & play one card), and adapt to all additional New Rules as they are played. Players take turns, going clockwise around the table, drawing and playing the indicated number of cards until someone meets the current Goal condition.

When playing a card, you may choose any card in your hand. If you aren't sure how a card works, try reading the full text aloud as you play it.

On Your Turn

Draw the number of cards currently required.
Play the number of cards currently required.
Discard down to the current Hand Limit (if any).
Comply with the current Keeper Limit (if any).

Optional actions, allowed by New Rules, Keepers, etc., may be performed at any point during this sequence.

Card Types

Basic Rules

This is the starting point—the foundation on which the rest of the game is built. These initial rules will be superseded by New Rules during the course of play, but this card should remain on the table at all times. The Basic Rules are: draw 1 card per turn and play 1 card per turn (with no other restrictions such as Hand or Keeper Limits).

New Rule

To play a New Rule place it face up near the Basic Rules. If it contradicts a New Rule already in play, discard the old rule. New Rules take effect instantly, so all players must immediately follow the New Rule as required. This will often cause the player whose turn it is to draw or play additional cards right away, or it may cause other players to immediately discard some of their cards.

Example: After drawing 1 card, you play the New Rule Draw 4. Now you need to have drawn 4 cards on your turn, but you've only drawn 1, so you draw 3 more. The next player draws 4 cards and plays the New Rule Draw 2. He has already drawn that many, so he draws no more. Since Draw 2 contradicts Draw 4, the Draw 4 is discarded.

Goal

To play a Goal place it face up in the center of the table, discarding the previous Goal (if any). The game begins with no Goal in play, so no one can win until one is played. The Goal applies to everyone; as soon as someone meets these conditions, they win (even if it's someone else's turn)!

Keeper

To play a Keeper, take it out of your hand and place it on the table in front of you, face up. Most Goals require you to have a particular pair of Keepers, so playing a Keeper is always a good thing. If a Keeper has a special power, you must have the card on the table in front of you in order to make use of the power. You must play the Keeper in order to use it.

Action

Actions are used once and discarded. Just do whatever the card says, then place it on the discard pile. Actions can sometimes cause major chaos, and yet at other times, have no effect at all. Note that while some Actions may cause additional cards to be played, everything that happens as a result of an Action card is considered part of one "play."

Example: If you play the Action called Draw 2 and Use 'em you will immediately draw two cards and play them both. If one of those cards is Draw 3, Play 2 of Them you'd keep going. All of this activity would be counted as the playing of just one card.

Creeper

Unlike Keepers, which are things you want because they help you win, Creepers are undesirable cards which often prevent you from winning. Creepers are kept on the table in front of you in the same area as your Keepers.

Whereas Keepers stay in your hand until you decide to play them, Creepers are played automatically. As soon as you draw a Creeper you must place it face up in front of you and draw another card. This does NOT count as a "play." You might have to accept several Creepers at once as you draw cards, until you've drawn the required number of non-Creepers and added them to your hand. Note that this is true any time you draw a card, such as during an Action.

Example: If you play the Action called Draw 3, Play 2 of Them you will start by drawing three cards. If any of those cards are Creepers, you would place them in front of you and redraw immediately until you have three non-Creepers, then you would choose which two of those cards to play.

Surprise

This type of card can be played at any time, even when it isn't your turn. Surprises have two functions, one for during your turn, and one for out-of-turn. They can also be used to cancel other Surprises.

Winning

The game continues until someone meets the conditions of the current Goal. That player wins instantly, no matter whose turn it is!

Notes

If the draw pile runs out, shuffle the discard pile, turn it over to make a new draw pile, and keep playing.

The game doesn't end until there is a clear winner. If for some reason two or more players meet the winning conditions simultaneously, the game continues until a single winner emerges.

Jumping In: New players may join at any time by being dealt a hand of three cards.

Regarding Discarding: Playing a card is not the same as discarding it. When a card is played all instructions on that card must be followed, if possible. You cannot simply discard unwanted cards; you can only discard if compelled to by a Hand Limit. (Yes, this means you could be forced to play a card that makes someone else win.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens if I want to play a New Rule but there's already a New Rule in the center on the table? Does it replace the old New Rule, or do they peacefully co-exist? A: It all depends on contradictions. There's no limit on the number of New Rules that can be in play at once, as long as they don't interfere with each other. If the New Rule you are adding has nothing to do with the existing New Rule, both rules remain. However, if both rules are about the same thing, for example how many cards to draw, then the new card becomes the rule and the old rule is discarded.

Q: What if a New Rule, such as Play 3, contradicts the Basic Rules? A: The New Rule still supersedes the Basic Rules, but the Basic Rules card does not get discarded. To help avoid confusion, the New Rule can be placed to cover up the portion of Basic Rules it replaces.

Q: What if the rules require me to Play 4 but I only have 2 cards? A: Play as many as you can. Your turn ends when you have no cards left in your hand, even if you are supposed to play more.

Q: Suppose the rule is Play 2 and for my second play I change the rules to Play 3. Do I play one more card or am I done because I played two? A: All rules take effect immediately, so you would need to play one more card because the rules at that point had become Play 3.

Q: How do I interpret the Play All card? If, by playing my cards, I receive more cards in my hand, do those new cards have to be played as well, so that I will always end up with zero cards in my hand at the end of my turn as long as Play All is on the table? A: Yes.

Q: If I play a Keeper, and I already had a Keeper, do I have to discard the first one to play the new one? Is there a limit to the number of Keepers I can have in play? A: You can have as many Keepers in front of you as you want, unless a Keeper Limit New Rule card is played. Even then, you can play as many Keepers as the current rules will allow during your turn and only decide which ones to keep and which to throw away (so as to comply with the Keeper Limit) when your turn is over.

Q: Does a Hand Limit mean "hold the limit number, unless you already have fewer cards, in which case hold that lower number"? A: Yes. It's not a quota that you must draw up to in order to meet, it's simply a cap on the number of cards you're allowed to hold.

Q: Suppose there's a Hand or Keeper Limit rule in play when my turn begins, but, during the course of my turn, the limit card is removed and discarded as a result of another New Rule card or Action card. Is it still necessary for me to discard down to the limit that is no longer in play? A: Nope! Just as New Rules take effect immediately, their effects also cease the moment the rule disappears.

Q: When discarding cards because of a limit rule, do you get to choose what to discard, or is it random? A: You get to choose.

Q: Suppose it's my turn, and the current Goal says you need two Keepers to win, and I have one of them, and someone else has the other Keeper on the table. Can I just grab it from them and win? A: That would be cheating, unless you play the Steal Something Action card which allows you to do exactly that.

Q: What happens if there are Creepers in my initial hand of cards? A: Before the game starts, all players immediately play any Creepers they have, drawing again until they have 3 cards in hand.

Q: If the Trade Hands card is played and the rest of the players have no cards, is that player required to give away the rest of his cards for nothing in return or is the action optional? A: If you play the card, you have to carry out the action, so yes, you'd have to give away the rest of your hand and get nothing in return if everyone else is empty handed. It says on the card, "This is one of those times when you can get something for nothing." Well, it's also a time when you might give something away and get nothing back!

Q: Do I get to play any cards or take any actions when it's not my turn? A: When it's someone else's turn, there's not much you get to do – unless you have a Surprise (the only type of card you can play out of turn). But you will sometimes need to make minor decisions and perform card maintenance during other players' turns. For example, if someone plays a Hand Limit and you have more cards in your hand than are allowed, you'll need to decide what to keep and what to discard.

Q: Can I look at the cards in the discard pile? A: Yes, anyone can look through the discard pile at any time.

If you have a question about the game that isn't answered here, please visit the online FAQ at LooneyLabs.com.

Card List

This makes a total of 100 cards in the box. A rulesheet is also included.

Keepers (18 cards)

Malcom Reynolds, Zoe Washburne, River Tam, Hoban Washburne (Wash), Kaylee Frye, Jayne Cobb, Inara Serra, Derrial Book, Simon Tam, Serenity, Fresh Fruit, Medical Supplies, Stolen Goods, Swirly Parasol, Orange Hat, Toy Dinosaurs, Shuttle, Guns.

Creepers (2 cards)

Reavers, Hands of Blue.

Special Cards (1 card)

Basic Rules.

Surprises (5 cards)

Canceled Plans, Belay That!, That's Mine!, Veto!, You Can't Take This Guy From Me.

Goals (32 cards)

Keep Flying; Who's Flying This Thing? (We're All Doomed!); I Can Kill You With My Brain; Kaylee's Crush; The Tam Siblings; Mr. & Mrs. Washburne; Browncoats; I Fixed Your Bible; Genius Mechanic; No Power In The 'Verse Can Stop Me; Lifting Buddies; Big Damn Heroes; (Yes Sir) Captain Tight Pants!; Crazy Ivan Maneuver; Stolen Drugs; How's Business? (None of Yours.); Two By Two; Properly Equipped; The Fruit Job; Smuggler's Choice; Tortured By Niska; You're Gonna Come With Us; (Curse Your Sudden But) Inevitable Betrayal!; How Is It? (Pretty Cunning, Don't Ya Think?); Personal Effects; The Hero Of Canton; Inara's Shuttle; Fireflies Have Two Shuttles; Her Name Is Vera; "No Power In The 'Verse Can Stop Me"; I Aim To Misbehave; The Lassiter Gun.

New Rules (21 cards)

Plunder!, Shiny!, Let's Keep Doing That!, Draw 2, Draw 3, Draw 4, Draw 5, Play 2, Play 3, Play 4, Play All, Play All But 1, Hand Limit 1, Hand Limit 2, Hand Limit 3, Hand Limit 4, Goal Mill, Get On With It!, Double Agenda, No-Hand Bonus, Recycling.

Actions (21 cards)

Best Payday Ever!, You Are Bound By Law!, I'll Be In My Bunk, Press Your Luck, Creeper Sweeper, Discard and Draw, Draw 2 And Use 'Em, Draw 3, Play 2 of Them, Everybody Gets 1, Exchange Keepers, Let's Do That Again!, Let's Simplify, No Limits, Rules Reset, Mix It All Up!, Steal Something, Random Tax, Trash A New Rule, Trash Something, Trade Hands, Use What You Take.

Credits

Game Design: Andrew Looney

Illustrations and Package Design: Adam Levermore

Playtesters: Everyone at Looney Labs, the Wunderland Toast Society, the Council of Nine, and countless other gamers.

Special Thanks: to Joss Whedon for creating Firefly™!