Holiday Fluxx
Holiday Fluxx Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Exec Summary
- Fluxx is a game about constant change.
- Begin by following the Basic Rules.
- Each player starts with a hand of 3 cards.
- On your turn, draw 1 card, play 1 card.
- New Rules take effect as soon as you play them.
- Collect Keepers to match the Goal and you win!
Overview
Fluxx games are all about change. The game begins with just a couple of simple rules, then becomes more complex little by little as additional rule cards are played. At first there will be no way to win – that's what Goal cards are for. Each Goal has a different victory condition, but they all require you to collect special cards called Keepers. As soon as someone's collection of Keepers matches the current Goal, they win!
How to Play
On your turn, you Draw and Play as many cards the rules call for at that time. When a New Rule is played that changes the way the game works, you must adapt to it right away.
Setup
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.
How to Begin
- Start by putting the Basic Rules card in the middle of the table.
- Shuffle the deck.
- Deal three cards to each player.
Going First
The dealer goes first. Or, choose a player at random.
Play proceeds clockwise.
Types of Cards
New Rule
New rules take effect immediately. To play one, just place it face up in the center of the table.
When a rule contradicts a card already in play, the old rule is discarded.
New Rules that override the Basic Rules are placed overlapping the part they supersede. Other New Rules just gather in the center.
Goal
Goal cards establish or change the current requirements for victory. They also go in the middle of the table.
Goals are played face up in the center of the table. Discard the previous Goal, if any.
Keeper
Keepers are what you need in order to win. Keep them in front of you after playing.
To play a Keeper, just place it face up on the table in front of you.
Action
Actions are single-use cards. Just follow the instructions on the card, then discard it.
To play an Action card, do whatever it says, then place it on the discard pile.
The Basic Rules Card
The Basic Rules card stays in the middle for the entire game. It reads:
- Start with 3 cards.
- Draw 1.
- Play 1.
Turn Sequence
- Draw the number of cards currently required.
- Play the number of cards currently required.
- Discard to comply with any Limit rules in play.
Optional actions allowed by New Rules, Keepers, etc., may be performed at any point during this sequence.
Limits
At first there will be no limitations on the number of cards you can hold in your hand, or Keepers you can have in play. But Hand and Keeper Limit cards will create such restrictions. These rules only affect you when it's NOT your turn, so you can ignore them until your turn ends. When someone plays a new Limit rule, the other players must immediately comply with the new restriction, discarding cards of their choice as needed.
How to Win
The game continues until someone meets the conditions of the current Goal. That player wins instantly, no matter whose turn it is! (If a tie, the game continues until one winner emerges.)
Other Types of Cards
Surprise
This card can be played when it's not your turn, to cancel a card being played. During your turn, it works like an Action.
Surprises: These cards 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.
A Surprise can also be used to cancel another Surprise.
Examples
Here are a few examples to show how various cards interact:
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After drawing one card, you play the Draw 3 New Rule. Now the rules require you to draw three cards on each turn, but since you only took one card before, you must immediately draw two more cards. The next player draws three cards for their turn. They play Draw 2 which changes the rules again, but they draw no more cards, having already gotten (at least) two cards this turn. Since Draw 2 contradicts Draw 3, the Draw 3 rule is discarded.
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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 would keep going, drawing three more cards, playing two cards, and discarding the third. All of this activity would be considered the playing of just one card when counting the number of plays on your turn.
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Suppose another player has Pumpkin and Dessert on the table and plays the goal Pumpkin Pie. If you have the Canceled Plans surprise in your hand, you can stop them from claiming victory by playing it out of turn. The Pumpkin Pie goal would then be discarded instead of whatever Goal had been in play before (if any) and the game continues. Unless of course, the other player has another Surprise in their hand, in which case they could play it to counter your Canceled Plans card and still win.
Other Notes
Regarding Discarding: You cannot simply discard unwanted cards. You can only discard if compelled to by a Hand Limit or similar compulsion. (Yes, this means you could end up being forced to play a card that makes someone else win.)
Reshuffling: If the Draw pile runs out, shuffle the Discard pile, turn it over to make a new Draw pile, and keep playing.
Cards In Play: Whenever something mentions a card "in play," this refers to a card that is face up on the table, but not in the discard pile. Keepers must be in play for you to meet a Goal that requires them. If a Keeper has a special power, you must have it in play in order to make use of its bonus ability.
Free Actions: Some cards allow for bonus actions which can be taken at any time during your turn. Since they don't count as plays, they are called Free Actions.
Jumping In: New players may join at any time by being dealt a hand of three cards.
Dropping Out: Players can exit the game at any time. Just discard your hand and all of the cards you have in play.
Questions?
When playing Fluxx, there are many interesting situations that can arise. If you get stuck on how a particular card works and need an official answer, the fastest solution is to check our extensive online database of Frequently Asked Questions: http://faq.looneylabs.com/
If you can't find the answer you need there, please email us and we'll get back to you with a ruling as soon as we can.
Another great way to learn is with our many tutorial videos: looneylabs.com/Video-Fluxx