Halleluja
Halleluja Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
Two to four players each receive 5 cards. The remaining cards are placed face down in the middle as the draw pile. The top card is turned face up and placed beside it as the discard pile.
How to Play
The player to the left of the dealer begins. They play one card from their hand that matches the figure or the symbol of the last card played on the discard pile.
Be careful: when playing a card, the special cards and calls below apply!
If a player has no card in hand that they can play, they draw a card from the draw pile. If that card matches, they may play it immediately. If it does not match, they add it to their hand.
Play then passes clockwise to the next player.
Special Cards
For the game under Mau-Mau rules (2–4 players, each dealt 5 cards), the following rules apply in the little monastery when these figures are placed on the discard pile:
- The little monk who is annoyed (E): The next player must draw 2 cards.
- The little monk who is sitting (H): The next player must skip a turn in this round.
- The little monk with mitre and abbot's staff (G): A player who plays this little monk may wish for the next symbol.
Calls at the End of the Game
Shouting "Mau!" excessively when playing the second-to-last card, and "Mau Mau!" when playing the last card, is of course not fitting in the silence of the monastery. Instead, one calls "Amen!" when playing the second-to-last card and "Halleluja!" when playing the last card.
Note: this rule is strictly monitored by the Abbot! If a player forgets one of the two pious calls, they must draw one card. If a worldly "Mau!" or even a "Mau Mau!" slips over their lips, that player must draw three cards.
Winning the Game
The game is won by the player who is the first to play all of their cards from hand.
The Figures
The card set of the little monastery contains these figures:
The brothers (Die Mitbrüder):
- A: The understanding Abbot
- B: The cheerful Cook
- C: The grumpy Old Man
- D: The dancing Brother
The little monk (Der kleine Mönch):
- E: The little monk who is annoyed
- F: The little monk in the garden
- G: The little monk with mitre and abbot's staff
- H: The little monk who is simply sitting
Each figure exists with one of the symbols apple, clover, rose or strawberries.
Note: the sheet gives no special effect for figure F (the little monk in the garden); none is listed in the rules above.