Rainbow
Rainbow Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 60 Rainbow Cards (ranks 1-6, x10 each)
Credits
- Design: Mito Sazuki
- Illustration: Sai Beppu
- Graphic Design: Anca Gavril
- Rules Editing: Jeff Fraser
How to Win
Rainbow is played over a series of tricks. In each trick, each player must play 1 combo (set, run, or single) from their hand. Players then score the trick by claiming point cards from the middle, with whoever played the biggest combo (i.e. most cards) choosing first.
After each trick, all played cards move to the middle to become point cards for the next trick. Collect the most points before the end of the game to win!
Setup
- Shuffle the deck. Deal 1 card per player in a faceup row in the middle. Arrange them lowest to highest.
- Deal out the rest of the deck evenly between players. With 3 players, instead deal each player 14 cards and set the rest aside facedown.
- The last player to see a rainbow leads the first trick.
| Player Count* | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faceup Cards | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Hand Size | 14 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
*For 2-player setup, see the 2-Player Variant below.
Playable Combos
- Set: 2 or more cards of the same rank.
- Run: 2 or more cards of consecutive ranks.
- Single: Any 1 card.
Playing a Trick
The lead player starts the trick by playing any combo (of any size) from their hand. Going clockwise, each other player must follow by playing a combo according to these rules:
- If neither a set nor run has been played this trick, you may play any combo (of any size).
- If a set has been played this trick, you may ONLY play a single or set (of any size).
- If a run has been played this trick, you may ONLY play a single or run (of any size).
Example of follow order:
- Player 1 (Lead): May play any combo
- Player 2: May play any combo
- Player 3: Must play run or single
- Player 4: Must play run or single
Scoring a Trick
After everyone has played a combo, each player chooses point cards to take from the middle. Players choose one at a time, in order from biggest combo (most played cards) to smallest.
Whenever players have combos of the same size, the tied player with the highest individual card chooses first. If they have the same highest card, the tied player who played earlier in the trick chooses first.
Example: Player 2 takes 1st, Player 4 takes 2nd, Player 3 takes 3rd, Player 1 takes 4th.
Each player keeps their point cards in a facedown score pile. Players may look at their own piles at any time.
Point Cards
During the 1st trick of the game, each player chooses a single point card. In each following trick, each player can either choose a single or pair of the same rank. Each card is worth points equal to its rank.
The Next Trick
After scoring a trick, move all played cards to the middle. Stack them in pairs of the same rank, leaving any left over as singles. (For example, if there are five 3s, organize them into 2 pairs and 1 single.)
Line up the singles and pairs from lowest to highest total points. If there are more than 1 per player, discard singles/pairs from the lower end until there are an equal number.
Example: with 4 players, there are 4 point card piles.
Whoever played the biggest combo in the previous trick leads the next trick. If they have no cards left, the next player clockwise leads instead.
Game End
If only 1 player is out of cards at the end of a trick, the game continues. That player's turn is skipped for the rest of the game, and they can no longer claim point cards.
If 2 or more players are out of cards at the end of a trick, the game ends.
Whoever has the most points in their score pile wins! In a tie, victory is shared.
Tips & Clarifications
- For the 1st trick only, lay out all point cards as singles (don't stack pairs).
- You don't have to "beat" previously played combos (just play one of the right type).
- You can always play a single, and must do so if you have no other legal play.
- There can be fewer point card singles/pairs than players (someone will score 0 points).
- The largest run possible is 6 cards (1-6). The largest set is 10 cards.
2-Player Variant
Setup
Deal 4 cards faceup, then deal 2 piles of 14 to each player. Each player takes 1 pile in hand and keeps the other facedown without looking at it.
Gameplay
Each player must play 2 combos each trick, 1 at a time, starting with the lead player. If a set or run is played, both players must follow it (or play a single) for the rest of the trick.
Each player scores their 2 combos separately, taking a single or pair of point cards for each. Combos are scored in normal order.
If a player has no cards at the end of a trick, they draw the 14 cards in their facedown pile and continue playing. If they run out again, the game ends. The player who didn't run out scores +1 point per card left in their hand (ignoring rank).