Klink
Klink Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 63 number cards (with values from -5 to +20)
- 12 special ability cards
- Rulebook
- Scorepad
Each card has its own specific value. The lower the value, the better.
Round Setup
A. Shuffle all number cards and place them face down in the middle of the table.
B. Shuffle all special ability cards and place them face down in the middle of the table.
C. Reveal 3 special ability cards and place them so they are visible to all players.
D. Give the scoring sheet to the player with the best handwriting and counting skills.
You are ready to play!
Gameplay
The player that most recently counted to 100 starts the first turn of the game (alternatively, choose the youngest player).
The game is divided into scoring rounds, each round consisting of a number of turns until one player collects 10 cards (face up or down), which ends the round.
On Your Turn
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Take the top 2 cards from the number card deck and, without looking at them, place them face down in front of you.
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Choose one and look at its value without letting other players see it.
REMEMBER! If you look at both of the cards, you must keep them in your collection.
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After checking one of the cards, you must decide:
- A. Keep both cards in your collection.
- B. Pass both cards to another player.
If you keep both cards in your collection, you flip both of them face up and place them in front of you. Then check if any of the cards in your collection fulfil the reset effect and then if they create a triad.
If you pass both cards to another player, you choose any player that hasn't yet been passed the cards, then pass them the face-down cards. That player must check one of the cards (any). The chosen player must decide if they want to keep both cards or pass them to someone else.
Continue until one player leaves both cards in their collection or until they get passed to a player that cannot pass them along (all players already looked at the cards). In that case the player is forced to keep the cards in their collection.
NOTE! If a player already passed cards in this turn, no one can pass cards to them again.
Ending a round with no cards means that player gains no points. Keep an eye on your opponents!
The player that keeps the cards in their collection takes the next turn.
REMEMBER! First you check the reset effect and then triad. Always in this order!
Reset Effect
After keeping cards in your collection, if you have 2 cards with the same numbers (with the same value), the reset effect triggers. You flip the cards face down. At the end of the round the cards are treated as if they had a value of 0.
A great way to lower the value of your collection.
Example. A player has 4 cards in their collection with values 4, 5, 10, and 2. On their turn, they decide to add 2 cards to their collection: with values 5 and -1. Because they have 2 cards with the same value in their collection, the reset effect triggers and the player flips both of them (the 5s) face down.
NOTE! After keeping the cards in your collection, if you have 3 cards with the same value, the reset effect triggers only for 2 of them.
Triad
After keeping the cards in your collection, if one or more of the kept cards cause you to have 3 cards with consecutive values (e.g. -1, 0, 1), you create a triad. As a reward, you must use an effect of one of the face-up special ability cards. After using the special ability card, discard it and reveal a new one, so there are always 3 face-up cards. If the special ability card deck runs out, shuffle the discarded cards and create a new deck.
Creating a triad allows you to use very strong special abilities.
Example. After keeping number cards (10 and 3) in their collection, a player has 3 numbers with consecutive values of 3, 4, and 5. As a reward, they must use one of the visible special abilities.
NOTE! You can only use a special ability after you keep number cards in your collection, and only once per turn (even if the kept cards would create more than one triad).
After using a special ability, if there are 2 cards with the same value in any player's collection, the reset effect is triggered.
The effect text of each special ability card is printed on the card itself; it is not reproduced in this rulebook.
End of Round
The round ends when one or more of the players has 10 or more cards in their collection (including face-down cards).
All players count their points. Each player sums the values of face-up cards in their collection.
REMEMBER! The face-down cards count towards the 10 (or more) card limit but their value when scoring is 0.
The player with the most number cards in their collection (including face-down cards) subtracts 10 points from their result. If 2 or more players have the most cards, all players in the tie subtract 10 points from their results. The player (or players) that have the least amount of number cards, but at least 1, in their collection (face up or down), adds 10 points to their result.
Note! At the end of the round, any player with no cards in front of them, receives 0 points.
Write down your results on the scoring sheet.
Check if the game has now ended. If not, take back all the number cards and special ability cards and play another round. Prepare it in the same way as described in round setup. The player who finished the previous round with the most points starts the next round.
End of Game
The game ends after an end of round scoring in which one player reaches (or exceeds) 77 points. The winner of the game is the player who collected the least amount of points. In case of a tie, the players share a victory.
If you wish, you may increase the end of game point limit to e.g. 100.
Turn Flowchart
The rulebook's flowchart summarises a turn, in this order:
- Draw 2 cards.
- Check 1 card.
- Make a decision: keep both cards in your collection, or pass both cards to another player (who then checks 1 card and makes the same decision; the cards return to the "Check 1 card" step).
- Keep both cards in your collection.
- Check if reset effect triggers. If No, go to step 6. If Yes, flip both cards face down, then go to step 6.
- Check if the kept cards create a triad. If No, go to step 8. If Yes, use one of the available special abilities, then go to step 7.
- Check if the reset effect triggers for any of the players. If Yes, every player in whose collection the reset effect got triggered flips both cards face down. Then go to step 8.
- Check if any of the players have 10 cards in their collection. If No, play another turn. If Yes, finish the round and count the points.
- Check if any of the players has 77 or more points. If No, prepare and play another round. If Yes, end the game and determine the winner.