Quashars
Quashars Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Component
- Trick Cards: 48 (cards numbered 1–12 in four colors)
- Condition Cards: 16
- Chips: 24 (front: Prediction Chip; back: Flex Chip)
Setup
Place the Chips in the center of the table. Sort the Condition Cards by type. If playing with 3 players, remove the Condition Cards marked with the 4-player icon. Shuffle each pile well, then place the piles face down in a row from left to right in numerical order. Choose a starting player by any method.
Dealing the Cards
3 Players: Use only the Trick Cards numbered 1–9. Return the 10–12 cards to the box. Shuffle the remaining 36 Trick Cards face down and deal 12 cards to each player.
4 Players: Use all 48 Trick Cards. Shuffle them face down and deal 12 cards to each player.
Start of the Game
Each game consists of four phases: Determine the Condition Cards, Make Predictions, Trick Play, and Scoring, in that order. Play a number of games equal to the number of players (3 games for 3 players, or 4 games for 4 players). The player with the highest total score at the end wins.
Determine the Condition Cards
Draw 1 card from each of the four Condition Card piles and place them face up. These are the Condition Cards used for this game.
Note: The rulebook illustrates the face-up Condition Cards of the four piles (1: Win with odd numbers, 1.3.5.7.9.11 WIN; 2: Win with yellow cards; 3: Win in a row; 4: Win exactly 3 tricks). It does not print the full list of 16 Condition Cards; the conditions are read from the cards themselves.
Make Predictions
Starting with the Start Player and proceeding clockwise, each player predicts how many times they will meet the conditions on the four revealed Condition Cards during this game, then takes that many Chips. For example, if you think you will meet the conditions 3 times, take 3 Chips and place them in front of you. If you think you will not meet any conditions during the game, declare "0" and take no Chips (your prediction is 0).
Note: If you run out of Chips, use coins or other suitable items as replacements.
You may turn exactly 1 chip face down to make your prediction more flexible. For example, placing 3 Prediction Chips and 1 Flex Chip in front of you means you predict winning either 3 or 4 tricks. Placing only 1 Flex Chip means you predict winning either 0 or 1 trick.
Prediction Example
Players A and B made their predictions without using a Flex Chip. Player A has 2 Prediction Chips and predicts 2. Player B has 3 Prediction Chips and predicts 3. If their predictions are exactly correct, they score 2 × the current game number.
Players C and D used a Flex Chip. Player C has 2 Prediction Chips and 1 Flex Chip and predicts 2 or 3. Player D has only 1 Flex Chip and predicts 0 or 1. Their predictions are easier to make correctly, but if correct, they score only 1 × the current game number.
During Trick play, return 1 Chip each time you meet a condition. If you return all of your Chips, your prediction is correct. If your prediction is correct, score 2 × the current game number. Using a Flex Chip makes your prediction easier to achieve, but you score only 1 × the current game number if your prediction is correct.
As explained in Scoring on the back, each Chip you fail to return is worth −1 point. Likewise, if you meet more conditions than you predicted and run out of Chips to return, each missing Chip is also worth −1 point.
If you run out of Chips and still need to return more, take 1 Chip each time you meet another condition. This makes it easy to keep track of your penalty. (Once you start taking Chips, be careful not to return them by mistake.)
Trick Play
The Start Player becomes the first Lead Player and starts the first Trick. Beginning with the Lead Player and proceeding clockwise, each player plays 1 Trick Card. The Lead Player may play any Trick Card from their hand. The other players must play a Trick Card of the same suit if possible. If a player has no card of the same suit, they may play any Trick Card. After each player has played 1 Trick Card, determine the winner of the Trick.
Determining the Winner of the Trick
If No Red Card Is Played: The player who played the highest-numbered card of the Lead Player's suit wins the Trick.
If a Red Card Is Played: The player who played the highest-numbered Red card wins the Trick.
Once the winner of the Trick has been determined, if they meet any conditions, they return 1 Chip beneath each matching Condition Card. If they do not meet any conditions, they return no Chips.
The winner then collects all the Trick Cards, places them face down in a single pile, and keeps them in front of themselves so the number of Tricks won can be easily counted.
Example of Returning Chips
In the example, Player A wins the Trick with the Yellow 9. Therefore, Player A meets the conditions Win with an Odd Number and Win with Yellow, so they return 1 Chip beneath each of those Condition Cards.
Scoring
Once all Tricks have been played, the game ends. Check the Chips each player has in front of them, then score points.
If your prediction is correct without using a Flex Chip, score 2 × the current game number. If your prediction is correct using a Flex Chip, score 1 × the current game number. (A Flex Chip does not have to be returned for your prediction to be considered correct.)
If your prediction is incorrect, lose 1 point for each Chip remaining in front of you (or each Chip taken during the game). If a Flex Chip remains, lose 1 point for each remaining Chip except the Flex Chip.
Scoring Examples (Game 1)
- No Flex Chip used, and all Chips returned: The prediction is correct, so score 2 × the current game number. Game 1 × 2 = 2 points.
- Flex Chip used, and all Chips returned: The prediction is correct, so score 1 × the current game number. Game 1 × 1 = 1 point.
- Only the Flex Chip remains: The prediction is correct, so score 1 × the current game number. Game 1 × 1 = 1 point.
- No Flex Chip used, and Prediction Chips remain: Lose 1 point for each remaining Chip. Remaining Chips 2 × −1 = −2 points.
- Flex Chip used, and other Chips remain: Lose 1 point for each remaining Chip except the Flex Chip. Remaining Chips (excluding the Flex Chip) 1 × −1 = −1 point.
- All Chips returned, then additional Chips taken: Lose 1 point for each Chip taken. In this example, after returning all of their Chips, the player met 2 more conditions and took 2 Chips, so they lose 2 points. Chips taken during the game 2 × −1 = −2 points.
Next Game
After scoring, the game ends. For the next game, return all Chips to the center of the table, collect all Trick Cards, shuffle them face down, and deal 12 cards to each player.
Reveal 1 card from each of the four Condition Card piles to determine the conditions. The player to the left of the player who was the First Player in the previous game becomes the First Player, and the game begins.
Repeat this until a number of games equal to the number of players has been played (3 games for 3 players, or 4 games for 4 players). The player with the highest total score wins.