LOOP Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Overview & Goal of the Game
• Game Components & Setup
• How to Play
  • Round Setup
  • Playing Your Cards
  • Finishing Your Hand
  • Playing an 8
  • End of the Round
• End of the Game

Components

• 1 score pad
• 1 Value token
• 42 wooden markers (7 pieces in each of the 6 colors)
• 6 scoreboards (5 blues and 1 golden)
• 78 cards numbered 1–13 (6 of each number)

Overview & Goal of the Game

Play as many rounds as there are players. Score the most points by playing all your cards before your opponents can! Once you have played the final round, proceed to End of the Game.

Game Components & Setup

Prepare the deck of cards as required for the player count:

• If there are 6 players, shuffle all the cards in the deck.
• If there are 5 players, return all cards marked with a 6+ symbol to the box. Shuffle the remaining cards.
• If there are 4 players, return all cards marked with a 5+ or 6+ symbol to the box. Shuffle the remaining cards.

Deal 13 cards face down to each player.

Take as many scoreboards as players, and include the golden board. Give one to each player at random. Return the remaining boards to the box.

Place the Value token in the center of the table, with the up side face up.

Each player chooses a color, and takes as many pieces in that color as the number of players + 1 (for example, if there are 4 players, take 5 pieces — you have one extra piece to help you remember your color). Keep them in front of you, and return the rest to the box.

The play areas around your scoreboard, from nearest to your board outward: cards set aside, playing area, discard area.

How to Play

Round Setup

Flip the Value token so the up side is face up (if it was flipped in a previous round). Look at the cards you have been dealt (or received from your neighbor); these make up your hand. Choose 2 of your cards and place them face down to the right of your board. You won't be playing them this round. You will now have 11 cards left in your hand.

Take turns clockwise, starting with the player who holds the golden board.

On your turn, play a combination of cards that meets the requirements set, and beats the other combinations already in play (see below). Play your cards into your playing area, next to the combinations you have already played.

Playing Your Cards

Playing a Combination

If no one has any cards in their playing area: you can play any combination from your hand into your playing area (see Combination Types below). This combination sets the type and number required for subsequent combinations.

If a player has one or more cards in their playing area: you must play a combination that meets the requirements, or choose to pass. Your combination must:

• Match the combination type
• Contain the same number of cards
• Beat the other combinations already in play (see Beating a Combination)

Combination Types

• A single card
• 2 to 4 identical cards
• 2 to 4 cards in sequence

Beating a Combination

If the Value token is showing the up side, your combination must contain at least one card with a higher value than the ones in the combination to be beaten. If the Value token is showing the down side, then your combination must contain at least one card with a lower value than the ones in the combination to be beaten.

A combination is not permitted if it does not have the same number of cards, or is not the same type of combination, as the one it is meant to beat.

Passing

If you played a combination, but all your opponents then pass, follow these steps:

1. Each player moves the cards in their playing area to their discard area (face down).
2. You are now the first player. There are no cards in any of the playing areas, so you can play a combination of your choice (this combination sets the new combination type and number).
3. If you have no cards left in your hand, play passes to the player on your left. They now become the first player and play a combination of their choice.

IMPORTANT: You must not combine or redistribute the hands of 13 cards dealt at the start of the game. Since you play your 11 cards in front of you (above the board), and discard them below, your cards always remain around your board.

If you can't or don't wish to play a combination, you can skip your turn. Passing does not mean leaving the round; you stay in the game. When it's your turn again, if someone else has played in between your turns, you can play again.

Finishing Your Hand

Once you have played all your cards, you're out of the current round. Immediately place a wooden marker of your color on your scoreboard, in the column for the current round and on the corresponding line:

• If you're the first to play all your cards, place your marker on the first line.
• If you're second, place your marker on the second line.
• Continue likewise.

When only one player is left in the game, that player immediately places their marker on the final line (for the player count). The round ends: proceed to End of the Round.

Example: During the first round, Turquoise finished 3rd and therefore places their marker on space 3. During the first round, Red finished last (of 4 players) and therefore places their marker on space 4.

Playing an 8

If the combination you play includes an 8 (whether as a single card or with other cards), all your opponents must skip their next turn. Each player clears their playing area. There are no cards in any of the playing areas, so you can play a combination of your choice again. When included in combinations, 8s must still be played in the same way as the other cards.

On your turn, before playing any cards, if you set one aside at the start of the round, you can use an unrevealed 8 from the two cards you set aside. If you do, flip the token in the center of the table: if it was on the up side, flip it onto the down side (or vice versa). Now your combinations must contain lower cards to beat other combinations (or vice versa). You can only reveal an 8 if you can play cards after doing so.

Example: Theo plays a pair of 1s. The token is on the up side, so no one can play a lower combination. However, Molly reveals an 8 that she placed to one side at the beginning of the round. She flips the token to the down side, which means she can play a pair of 6s.

End of the Round

The round ends when everyone has placed a marker on their board in the column for the current round. If you have played as many rounds as there are players, proceed to End of the Game. Otherwise, complete the following steps:

1. Reform your hand with all of your cards (including the two cards set aside).
2. Shuffle your 13 cards.
3. Pass your board and hand of cards to the player on your left. Each board is linked with a single hand of cards for the entire game.
4. Start a new round by following the instructions in Round Setup.

End of the Game

The game ends when you have each played each hand once (i.e. the hands have gone around the table with their respective boards once). Use the score pad to note down everyone's points.

For each board, score your points as follows: a marker scores as many points as the number of markers on the same line, plus the number of markers below it. Do this for all markers. The player with the most points wins the game. In the event of a tie, play again!

Final scoring example: on one board, a marker is alone on its line, scoring 1 point, with 3 markers below it for 3 more points — 1+3 = 4 points in total. Another marker is also alone, scoring 1 point, with two markers below it for 2 more points — 1+2 = 3 points in total. Finally, two markers share the same line — they each score 2 points, with 0 markers below them, for 2+0 = 2 points each.