Pili Pili
Pili Pili Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Concept of the Game
Before you start: A trick refers to the cards played during a round and collected by the player who played the highest-value card!
In Pili Pili, you have to guess how many tricks you'll win... and try to stick to that guess!
Each round, everyone plays a numbered card: the highest one wins the trick. Once all cards in hand have been played, if you didn't win exactly the number of tricks you predicted, you'll collect Pilis as a penalty!
Game Material
- 55 cards numbered from 1 to 55
- 1 Joker
- 23 Pilis cards
- 40 mission cards
1. Prepare the Game
Mix the numbered cards with the Joker and form a draw pile. Form two other draw piles, one with the Mission cards and one with the Pilis.
For your first games, play without the Mission cards and deal 5 numbered cards to each player. Go directly to step "3. Bet."
2. Reveal the Mission and Deal the Cards
- Draw the first Mission card and read its effect (see Mission Card Effects). The number in the bottom left corner shows how many numbered cards to deal to each player.
- Deal that number of numbered cards to each player, then set aside the remaining cards face down.
3. Bet
After looking at their numbered cards and starting with the dealer, each player bets on how many tricks they think they will win.
To make sure there's always at least one loser, the total number of bets must not equal the number of cards dealt to each player. If necessary, the last player to bet must adjust their guess to avoid this exact match.
Example: If each player is dealt 5 cards and the first 4 players bet a total of 4 tricks, the last player cannot bet 1 trick (because 4 + 1 = 5, which equals the number of cards dealt). They must instead bet 0, 2, 3, 4, or 5.
4. Win Tricks
Starting with the dealer, each player plays a card from their hand. The player who plays the highest-value card wins the trick and leads the next one. Continue until all dealt cards have been played.
- The color of the cards doesn't matter — only the number counts.
- When a player plays the Joker, they choose the value it takes, anywhere between 0 and 56.
5. Hand Out Pilis as Penalties
Once all the cards have been played, each player receives 1 Pili as a penalty for every trick they missed their bet by. If a player guessed exactly right, they receive no Pilis.
Example: A player bets 1 trick but actually wins 3 → they receive 2 Pilis as a penalty.
6. Start a New Game and Win
Shuffle all the numbered cards along with the Joker, draw a new Mission card, and begin a new round. As soon as a player reaches 7 Pilis, the game ends. The player with the fewest Pilis is declared the winner.
Mission Card Effects
There are 40 Mission cards covering 18 different effects. Each round is played under the effect of a single Mission card, drawn at the start of the round (see 2. Reveal the Mission and Deal the Cards).
- After betting - Each player gives X cards to the player on their left or right (depending on the direction of the arrow).
- After betting - Each player gives all of their cards to another player (following the direction of the arrow).
- Forbidden to bet 0 or 1 (depending on the number shown on the card).
- Before betting and without looking at their cards - Each player places their cards on their forehead, then reveals the card to themself after making their bet.
- After betting - Each player draws a random card and adds it to their hand.
- After betting - Each player places their cards face up in front of them.
- Each player places their bet before seeing their cards.
- Successful bet? The player discards as many Pilis as the value of their bet.
- For each trick, players play their cards simultaneously.
Expert Missions
Marked with a red card symbol.
- All card values are reversed: 55 becomes the weakest and 1 becomes the strongest.
- Players have only 3 seconds to look at their cards before betting. The dealer counts down out loud.
- Players who win the first and/or last trick receive 1 Pili as a penalty.
- Players have 3 seconds to look at their cards, then place them face down: bets and tricks are played blind.
- It is forbidden to copy the previous player's bet.
- After betting - Each player selects another player. At the end of the mission, each player receives their own Pilis plus those of the chosen player (the same player can be chosen multiple times).
- Players must ALWAYS play either their highest or lowest card.
- Players who win a trick containing one of the numbers shown on the mission card receive 1 Pili as a penalty.
- Each time a player wins a trick, they exchange one card with a player of their choice. Both players choose the card they want to give.