Matchstix
Matchstix Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Aim of the Game
The aim of the game is to make the pattern of the sticks match the pattern of one of your cards by moving only one of the sticks to a new position.
If you succeed you may discard that card, if not you must draw a new card.
Depending on the version of the game being played, the winner is the player who succeeds at discarding either all of his cards or more cards than his opponents.
Contents
- 5 sticks
- 55 cards
- 1 rules booklet
Game Setup
Shuffle the cards, take one card from the pack and lay it out on the table as a pattern for the sticks. The sticks are then arranged according to the pattern. Each player is dealt five cards face down. The remaining cards are placed in a draw pile face down.
Order of Play
The youngest player starts and the game then continues in a clockwise direction.
When it is a player's turn he moves one of the sticks to a new position. He may place the stick anywhere as long as it touches the pattern at one point.
After this the rules vary according to the version of the game being played.
Version 1: Standard
If the same player can now make the pattern of the sticks match the pattern on one of his cards, he may put that card down on the table. Remember: patterns also count as matching if they correspond when turned upside down or side to side (mirror image), as illustrated in the booklet.
If the player cannot put a card down, he must take a new one from the draw pile.
If another player makes a pattern with the sticks which matches a pattern in your cards, you can put down a card, but the other player does not need to take a card.
The first player to put down all his cards is the winner. The other players score minus points according to the number of cards left in their hand. After an agreed number of rounds the player with the fewest minus points is declared the overall winner.
Version 2: Plus
If a player manages to make a pattern with the sticks which matches a pattern on his cards, he may put that card down. (Here again, patterns are also counted as matching if they correspond when they are turned upside down or side to side.) He then has an extra turn.
It can happen that a player keeps on making new matching patterns and puts down one card after another, up to all five.
When he has finished his turn the player picks up new cards from the pack to replenish his hand up to five again.
Each player collects the cards he has put down in a pile in front of him.
The round ends when a player is no longer able to replenish his hand up to five. Every player scores a point for each card in his pile. The player with the most points is the winner of that game.
After an agreed number of games the points are added up, and the player with the highest points total is declared the overall winner.
Version 3: Solitary
This solitary version of the game is played with the five cards openly displayed on the table. As with "Digit-Plus" if you make a matching pattern you get an extra move, but a new card is taken from the pack straight away to replace a card put down on the table so that you have 5 cards.
If you cannot make a matching pattern straight away with any of your 5 cards you score a minus point for every extra move it takes you to do so.
The game ends when the pack is used up, then you add up your total of minus points. The fewer you have, the better you have played.
Solitary Ratings
- 0 to 5 points: outstanding!
- 6 to 10 points: very good
- 11 to 15 points: good
- 16 to 20 points: just alright
- Over 20 points: room for improvement!
Version 4: Open
The games "Standard" and "Plus" can also be played with open cards. This creates scope for a certain amount of tactical planning during the game.