Qwixx Card Game
Qwixx Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 44 double-sided Qwixx cards (1 of each number, 2-12, in each color)
- 11 multicolored Joker cards (1 of each number, 2-12)
- Score pads
Object
Score the most points by crossing out as many numbers as possible in the four color-rows while avoiding penalty points.
Setup
- Give each player a score sheet and something to write with.
- Remove the 11 multicolored Joker cards from the deck and put them back in the box. These cards are only used in the 'Joker' variant (see: "Joker Game Variant").
- Shuffle the remaining 44 cards. Deal each player a hand of 4 cards, face-down (i.e. orange-side up). All players will know the numbers in each others' hands, but only you can see the colors of the cards you hold.
- Deal an additional 4 cards orange-side up to the center of the table, to form a tableau, then stack the remaining cards next to the tableau as a draw pile.
(The setup diagram labels the stack of remaining cards the "Draw Pile" and the 4 face-up cards the "Tableau.")
Before starting the game, it's important to understand the one basic rule of Qwixx: numbers may only be crossed out from left to right in each of the four color-rows. You do not have to begin with the numbers furthest to the left, but if you skip any numbers they cannot be crossed out afterward.
Example: In the red row, first the 5 and then the 7 were crossed out. Therefore, the red 2, 3, 4, and 6 may not be crossed out later in the game. In the yellow row only the 11 and 12 may still be crossed out. In the green row you can only cross out numbers to the right of the 6. In the blue row you can only cross out right of the 10.
If you've played Qwixx before, a key difference in this version is that when a player locks a row, it is only locked for the player who crossed it out. Other players may continue to cross out numbers in this row. (See: "Locking a Row" for more.)
Example: Alison crosses out the green 2 and after it, the lock symbol. The green row is locked for Alison only.
How to Play
Whoever's birthday is furthest from today starts as the "active player" and carries out the following three actions in order, always one after the other:
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Draw cards (of your choice) from the 4-card tableau until you have a hand of 5. (At the start of the game, this will only be one card.)
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Replenish the tableau with cards from the top of the draw pile so that it has four cards again (making sure no one inadvertently gets a glimpse of the color side). After replenishing the tableau, announce the number on the top of the draw pile. All players may then (but don't have to) cross out this number in any one color-row of their choice.
Note: If the draw pile runs out of cards, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.
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Play at least 1 (but no more than 3) of the five cards from your hand face-up, revealing the color side and (optionally) crossing out none, some, or all of the corresponding box(es). Important: Only you, as the active player, may do this and you must always play at least one card, even if you choose not to cross out any boxes.
Note: If you play more than one card, they all must be the same color. Additionally, if you wish to cross out more than one number in that color-row, you cannot skip more than one box between the first and last number you cross out.
Example: Carol is the active player and after drawing from the card tableau has the following hand of five cards: 11, 9, 8 (green), 10, 3 (blue).
Carol may play (and subsequently discard) the green 11, 9, and 8 cards, and cross out all three boxes on the green color-row. Carol could also opt to play the blue 10 and 3, but would only be able to cross out one or the other number on the blue color-row, since crossing out both would skip more than one box between the first and last number. She could not play the 11, 10, and 9 cards because they are not all the same color.
Once you complete your third action, discard all the cards you played next to the draw pile, thereby ending your turn. The player to the left becomes the new active player, and repeats the same three actions, as described above.
Note: You may not look through the discard pile during the game.
Penalties
If during your turn as the active player you cannot, or do not, cross out a number during either the second or third action, you must cross out one of your penalty boxes. Each penalty box is worth -5 points at the end of the game. (Non-active players do not take a penalty if they choose not to cross out a number during the second action.)
Locking a Row
If you wish to cross out the number at the extreme right end of a color-row (red 12, yellow 12, green 2, blue 2) you must have first crossed out at least five other numbers in that row. If you cross out the number on the extreme right of a row, then also cross out the lock symbol directly next to it. This indicates that the color-row is now locked, and you may not cross out numbers of this color in future rounds. However, other players may still cross out numbers in this color-row.
The cross on the lock counts towards the total number of crosses marked in that color-row at the end of the game.
Ending the Game & Scoring
The game ends immediately after the active player has crossed out their fourth penalty box (at the end of the third action) or after any player has locked a second row on their own sheet (at the end of the second or third action).
Beneath the four color-rows is a table indicating how many points are awarded for the total number of crosses within each row (including any locks with a cross). Each crossed out penalty box scores -5 points. Enter your points for each color-row and the negative points for any penalties in the appropriate fields at the bottom of your score sheet. The player with the highest total score is the winner!
Joker Game Variant
Shuffle the 11 Joker cards together with the other 44 cards (forming a new deck of all 55 cards). When a player plays a Joker card, they get to choose its color. All other setup and rules remain the same.
A Word from Gamewright
When we first released Qwixx, we were very excited to share a hidden gem that had been tucked away at the Essen game fair in Germany. Flash forward five years later and Qwixx has rapidly become one of our best-selling games! Highly-portable and easy to teach, we figured it was time to give fans a little something new. Inventors Steffen Benndorf and Reinhard Staupe created this card-based version, which features simultaneous play, and only partial information.
Want more score pads? Visit Gamewright.com
Game by: Steffen Benndorf and Reinhard Staupe