Setup
SETUP Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 5 x 10 card tiles
- 1 game board
- 4 tile holders
- 1 bag
- 4 playing pieces
- 1 set of rules
Get Ready
- Each player takes a tile holder and a playing piece in the same color as the two personal bonus squares in front of them on the board. Place the playing pieces on the SETUP square.
- Put the 50 card tiles into the bag and place the bag next to the board.
- Take four card tiles from the bag and place them on the four common squares in the middle of the board.
- Each player then takes four card tiles from the bag and places them in their own tile holder. Make sure to keep them hidden from the other players. These four card tiles are your own "hand".
- Take four card tiles from the bag and place them next to the board with the numbers facing up so that everyone can see them. These four card tiles are the common "hand".
The Basics
The Card Tiles
There are five different suits: star, heart, diamond, club, spade.
There are 50 card tiles, with the numbers 1 to 10 in each suit.
What Is a Set?
A set consists of at least two card tiles.
There are two types of set:
Same numbers but different suits — e.g. 3 of hearts / 3 of clubs, or 9 of clubs / 9 of diamonds / 9 of hearts / 9 of stars.
Consecutive numbers in the same suit — e.g. 7 of spades / 8 of spades, or 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of hearts. (1 does not follow 10.)
Own and Common Hand
You can use card tiles from your own hand, from the common hand or from both to make a set.
Place Card Tiles
The personal bonus squares are marked in the same color as the player's own color.
The common squares in the middle of the board do not have colored edges.
If there are fewer than four players, you use the extra personal bonus squares as common squares.
You may only place card tiles on your two personal bonus squares and on the common squares. If there is already a card tile on the square, simply put your card tile on top, covering the existing card tile.
Play a Round
You play SETUP in turns. The youngest player starts.
1. Make Sets or Swap Card Tiles
When it is your turn, you can either make sets or swap card tiles:
A. Make sets. A player can place one or more card tiles from their own and/or the common hand on the board. The card tiles they play must be part of the same set and can also become part of other sets on the board (further details below).
B. Swap card tiles. If a player cannot or does not want to make a set, the player must swap card tiles from their own hand for the same number of tiles from the bag. Then it is the next player's turn.
2. Move the Playing Piece
The player moves the playing piece the same number of spaces on the board as the number of points they have scored. If any of the other players have scored bonus points, those players can also move their playing pieces (further details below).
3. Replenish Card Tiles
Once a player has placed card tiles on the board, they must take card tiles from the bag and fill up the common hand first, then their own hand.
If the bag is empty, all of the card tiles on the board — apart from the top layer of tiles — must be removed from the board and replaced in the bag.
4. Next Player
Play continues clockwise.
Who's the Winner?
Once a playing piece has reached or crossed the finish line, the game is over. The players don't need to take the same number of turns.
Thanks to bonus points (more detail below), occasionally more than one player may reach the finish line on the same turn. In this instance, it is the player who has gone further who wins.
If playing pieces are tied on the same space, from that tie, it is the player who placed the last tile who wins.
Use the finish line corresponding to the number of players.
Make Sets
The card tiles you place must be part of the same set.
Example: the red player plays a 3 of clubs and a 5 of clubs, and makes the set 3-4-5-6 of clubs with card tiles already on the board.
Only the visible (top layer) tiles on the board can be part of a set.
Make Sets in Any Direction
A set can be made in any direction indicated by the white lines on the board. A set can change direction and cross its own "path".
Example: the purple player plays a 7 of clubs and makes the set 3-4-5-6-7 of clubs.
Make Multiple Sets
Card tiles you place can become part of multiple sets.
Example: simply by placing a 3 of stars and a 5 of stars, the yellow player makes three sets with tiles already on the board: 3-4-5 of stars, 5-5-5 of (star, spade, club), and 3-3 of (star, heart).
Points
Points on Your Turn
All card tiles that make up a set with one or more of the card tiles on the board score 1 point. So, the player whose turn it is receives 1 point for each card tile they place on the board themselves and 1 point for each card tile already on the board.
A card tile is only worth 1 point, regardless of the number of sets it is a part of.
Continuing the previous example, yellow player scores 6 points.
Bonus Points
A player can score bonus points even if it is not their turn, if the player whose turn it is has made a set with one or both of the card tiles on the other player's personal bonus square(s).
So when yellow player makes sets with two card tiles on green player's personal squares, green player receives 2 bonus points and can move their playing piece ahead two spaces.
Each player must keep an eye on their own personal bonus squares and check whether the card tiles on their bonus squares are part of the sets made by the player whose turn it is.
If the player does not notice this before the next player takes up their turn, the player will not receive any bonus points.
You are allowed to make a player aware of the bonus points, e.g. if it's to your own advantage.
Playing in Teams: 2 Against 2
If you are four players, you can also play SETUP in teams of two. The objective in this version is to avoid being the team with the playing piece in last place when the first playing piece reaches or crosses the finish line.
The same rules apply but with the following differences:
- There are two teams with two players on each team.
- Each player has their own card tiles, tile holder, and playing piece, so each team has two playing pieces, one per player.
- Team players sit next to each other so that they can see each other's card tiles and discuss. A team player is still only allowed to use the card tiles from their own hand and the common hand.
- Each team player takes it in turns to play, with the players taking turns in a figure of eight: player 1, then player 4, then player 3, then player 2, and back to player 1.
- When a player scores points, they move their own playing piece the corresponding number of spaces.
- It is still possible for players other than the player whose turn it is to score bonus points if the card tiles on their personal bonus squares are part of the set(s) played. This means that the player whose turn it is can give both their teammate and their opponents bonus points.
Who's the Winner? (Teams)
Once a playing piece has reached or crossed the finish line, the game is over. The team who does not have a playing piece in last place wins the game.
If there is more than one playing piece in last place, the winning team is the team whose playing piece is in first place.
If furthermore there is more than one playing piece in first place, the winning team is the team who placed tiles on the board last.
Highlights
A quick-reference summary printed on the back of the rules.
Making Sets
A set consists of minimum two card tiles.
Same numbers but different suits: 3 of hearts / 3 of clubs, or 9 of clubs / 9 of diamonds / 9 of hearts / 9 of stars.
Consecutive numbers in the same suit: 7 of spades / 8 of spades, or 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of hearts.
Placing Card Tiles
You may place one or more card tiles from your hand and/or the common hand on the board.
The card tiles you place on the board must be part of the same set.
Counting Points
Your turn — 1 point per activated card tile.
The other players' turn — 1 bonus point per activated card tile on your personal bonus square.
Please Note
SETUP is a family game where the youngest player starts and the game ends when a player reaches the finish line.
If all players are the same age and/or ability, you decide who starts and at the end of the game all players should take an equal amount of turns.