Hawaiki
Hawaiki Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal of the Game
Be the first player to get rid of the cards in your hand by making, where possible, combinations with the cards on top of the three discard piles. The game is played over several rounds.
Components
- 70 cards: 2 identical decks of 35 cards, numbered 1 to 7 in 5 different colours.
- 60 point tokens.
Setup
At the start of the game, each player receives 10 tokens.
A first player is designated.
Setting Up a Round
Shuffle the cards and deal 6 to each player; these form each player's hand.
Turn 3 cards face up in the centre of the table; these form the 3 discard piles.
The remaining cards are placed face down beside the discard piles, forming the draw pile.
Turn Structure
On your turn, you may play one card from your hand onto one of the 3 discard piles, provided that card has the same value or the same colour as the card it covers.
If the card you wish to play makes a combination, you must announce it before playing your card.
If you cannot or do not wish to play a card, you must draw: take the top card of the draw pile, add it to your hand, and end your turn.
Play then passes to the player on your left.
Combinations
There are 4 possible combinations.
- Pair: If the card played is identical (same colour and same value) to the card it covers, the player must announce "pair" and then plays again.
- Run: If the 3 discard piles show consecutive values (1-2-3, 2-3-4, and so on; the values may be out of order, for example 6-7-5), the player must announce "run", designate one player who must draw a card, and then plays again.
- Colour: If the 3 discard piles are all the same colour, the player must announce "colour", designate one player who must draw 2 cards or two players who must each draw 1 card, and then plays again.
- Three of a kind: If the 3 discard piles all have the same value, the player must announce "three of a kind", all other players must draw one card, and the player plays again.
An effect applies only if the combination did not already exist on the previous turn. However, a run may follow another run, provided it does not have the same values (for example, if the 1 of the run 1-2-3 is replaced by a 4, this forms the run 4-2-3).
If a player does not announce their combination before another player announces it in their place, the effect does not apply, and the player who failed to announce must draw a card.
A player designated to draw one card must say "thank you"; otherwise they must draw one more card. A player designated to draw two cards must say "thank you very much"; otherwise they must draw three cards.
End of a Round
When a player plays the last card of their hand, the round ends immediately after the effect of a combination, if there is one.
Each player must return to the box as many of their tokens as they have cards left in hand.
The round is then set up again (see Setting Up a Round), and a new round begins. The first player of the new round is the player who ended the previous round.
End of the Game and Victory
When a player, at the end of a round, discards their last token, the game ends. The player who has kept the most tokens is declared the winner.
Variants
- "One hidden": Especially with few players, you may play with the cards in hand visible except for one. If the player plays their hidden card, they may take back into their hand, hidden, one of their visible cards.
- "Sacrifice": Before playing your turn, and only once per round, you may discard one of your tokens to put the top card of one of the three discard piles under the draw pile. This action is forbidden when you have only one card left.
- "Second chance": On your turn, and only once per round, you may discard one of your tokens to play again. This action is forbidden when it would be used to play your last card.
- "Variable duration": The number of tokens dealt at the start may be varied to shorten the game (6 tokens per player).