Happy Dim Sum
Happy Dim Sum Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 60 Dim Sum cards. Serve these pieces of Dim Sum by placing them in front of other players. The corners show how many pieces make a complete set of each kind. Example: 2 pieces of Char Siew Bun will make a complete set of this kind of Dim Sum.
- 39 Action cards. Actions that you may play to help yourself and stuff others! Some cards have Reactions that you may play out of turn.
- 9 Daily Special cards. There is a Daily Special card for each kind of Dim Sum. If you draw a Daily Special card, post it face up immediately in the middle of the table. This kind of Dim Sum is now a Daily Special and any complete sets of this kind that are on the table in front of players will now count towards elimination!
Setup
Shuffle the Dim Sum cards and Action cards together and deal 5 cards face down to each player. Then, shuffle the 9 Daily Special cards into the remaining deck and place it face down in the middle of the table. Leave some space for a discard pile and Daily Specials to be posted as the game goes on. The person who ate Dim Sum most recently (or the youngest player) gets the first turn. You are now ready to play!
Gameplay
To win, eliminate others by serving them Dim Sum until they are full (meaning they have 3 complete sets in front of them which have also been posted as Daily Specials). You may also win by having the fewest points at Closing Time.
Look at your hand of cards and don't show it to others.
Start your turn by drawing 2 cards from the top of the deck.
If you draw the last card of the deck, follow the instructions for Closing Time.
If you draw a Daily Special card, reveal it immediately by placing it in the middle of the table. Check if this causes any players to be full. Then, draw another card as a replacement.
After that, you may make up to 3 moves. The kinds of moves you may make are listed on the next page.
A. Serve Dim Sum: Take any number of the same Dim Sum cards (for example 2 Stuffed Crab Claw cards) from your hand and place them face up in front of any player you want to serve.
Check if they already have that kind of Dim Sum in front of them. If they have none or an incomplete set then you may serve them any number of pieces up to a complete set. If they already have a complete set then you cannot serve them any more of that kind.
You may include 1 or more Tea cards together with the Dim Sum you are serving. Each Tea card is a wild card that counts as 1 piece of any kind of Dim Sum.
You may also serve Tea by itself onto any incomplete set, but you cannot make a set out of Tea alone.
B. Play an Action card: Play an Action card from your hand and carry out its stated Action. Place the Action card in the discard pile after playing it.
C. Discard a card from your hand: Take 1 card from your hand and place it face up in the discard pile.
You may make up to 3 moves consisting of any mix of A, B and C, or make no moves at all. Wait a moment after each move in case other players have Reactions – any Reactions are considered part of that move. After a maximum of 3 moves, your turn ends and the player to your left starts their turn.
If your hand runs out, end your turn immediately and draw 3 cards from the deck. If your hand runs out during another player's turn for any reason, draw 3 cards at the end of that player's turn.
Winning
Continue taking turns until all players are eliminated except for one. A player is eliminated when they are full, which means they have 3 or more complete sets of Dim Sum on the table in front of them which have also been posted as Daily Specials. If you are the last player who is not full, you have won! Otherwise, the game ends when the deck runs out at Closing Time.
Closing Time
When someone draws the last card of the deck, it's Closing Time! After the current player finishes their turn, anyone who is still not full takes a final turn without drawing cards, and the game ends.
To determine the winner at Closing Time, each remaining player tallies up their score as follows:
- +1 point per piece of Dim Sum in front of them,
- +1 point per complete set of Dim Sum in front of them.
After tallying each player's points, whoever has the fewest points is the winner! In case of a tie, whoever has the fewest complete sets wins! If there is still a tie, the players share the victory!
Appendix: Action Cards in Detail
Check Please!
Play this during your turn to start a group battle for the bill. When you start a battle, each player must react by playing their own Check Please! to stay in the battle, going around the table to your left.
If someone cannot or does not want to play a Check Please! then they may pass and be out of that battle. A battle continues as long as each remaining player plays another Check Please! – this may include the person who started the battle.
Whoever plays Check Please! last wins the battle and may discard 1 entire dish (any incomplete or complete set without Hot Sauce).
Anyone may play Check Please! as a Reaction even if they have no dishes to discard.
Chopsticks
Take 1 card from another player's hand, without looking. If you empty their hand this way, they must draw 3 cards at the end of your turn.
Grandma
All other players must serve themselves all the Dim Sum in their hands (excluding Tea). Yum Cha! cannot be played as a Reaction to Grandma. If anyone gets a complete set with too many pieces, they must discard the extras starting with any Tea in that set.
Hot Sauce
Place this on any complete set to prevent it from being moved or discarded by use of Yum Cha! or Check Please! Leave this card on the set and do not place it in the discard pile.
Takeout
Draw 2 cards from the top of the deck.
Yum Cha!
Play this during your turn to move 1 entire dish (any incomplete or complete set without Hot Sauce) from yourself to any other player. You may also play Yum Cha! as a Reaction when someone sends you Dim Sum using Yum Cha! or serves you Dim Sum from their hand.
Playing Yum Cha! as a Reaction lets you send the same pieces that you receive to any other player, including the person who sent them to you.
The same pieces may keep moving among players as long as each recipient plays another Yum Cha!
If the final recipient gets a complete set with too many pieces, they must discard the extras starting with any Tea in that set.
You may play Yum Cha! as a Reaction when someone serves you Tea by itself. In this case the final recipient must add the Tea to any incomplete sets that they have, and discard any leftover Tea after doing so.