Split
Split Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
Gameboard, 108 SPLIT cards, 45 Green chips, 45 Red chips, 30 Gold chips.
These rules are written for 2- and 4-player games. For 3 or 6 players, see the variations at the end of these rules.
Object for 2 and 4 Players
To be the first person or team to create a "chip path" that connects your side of the gameboard to the matching-color side directly opposite you.
(Illustration: RED connected both sides of the board - they win!)
Setup
- 2 Players: Decide which player will be Green and which will be Red. Stack your 45 matching color chips in front of you. Position the board so the "scalloped" edge (outside the last row of spaces with suits marked on them) that matches your color chips is directly in front of you. Each of you will attempt to connect a path from your side of the board to the side directly opposite, Red to Red, and Green to Green.
- 4 Players: Play in teams of 2. With 4 players, each team uses 45 chips. Sit opposite your partner; you will attempt to be the first team to build a path that connects your matching-color sides of the board.
Getting Started
- Choose a Dealer, who shuffles the deck and deals 7 cards to each player, facedown. Players keep their cards hidden in their hands.
- The dealer then places 5 cards, faceup, along one side of the gameboard, and another 5 cards faceup along the opposite side of the board. Line up these 10 cards with the gold bars along the board's edge.
- The remaining cards become a Draw pile, placed facedown to one side of the board. You will form a Discard pile next to it.
Gameplay
The player to the left of the dealer starts. Play passes to the left.
- Play a half card from your hand to make a match and create a "whole" card with one of the faceup cards along either side of the board.
- The 3 possible matches are: WEAK, STRONG and PERFECT.
- At the end of your turn, draw a card and add it to your hand.
- When a Perfect Match is made, discard it, facedown - plus any cards that may be under it. The dealer fills the new empty space at the side of the board with a card from the Draw pile.
- Whenever a Weak or Strong match is made, leave the match alongside the board. Subsequent players may, in turn, try to "keep building" (see example) to turn that Weak or Strong Match into a different match: Make a Weak into a Strong or Perfect; make a Strong into a Perfect; or even work "backwards" and make a Strong into a Weak. Make whatever match you can - so you earn the right to place or remove chips from the board.
- Play continues until one player or team has connected 2 opposite (matching color) sides of the board by a straight or jagged line of the same color chips.
The Matches
A WEAK match is the combination of two halves that match in Number or Face (Jack, Queen, King, Ace), but not in Color. For example: the 4 of Hearts with the 4 of Spades or the Jack of Hearts with the Jack of Clubs.
When you make a Weak Match:
- Place 1 chip on one of the two suits of the match you made. For example: If you match the 4 of Hearts with the 4 of Spades, place a chip on either a space with a Heart or a space with a Spade.
- Leave the Match alongside the board.
A STRONG match is the combination of two halves that match in Number and Color, or Face and Color. For example: the 4 of Hearts with the 4 of Diamonds or the King of Clubs with the King of Spades.
When you make a Strong Match:
- Place 2 of your chips on the board - one on each suit of the match you made. For example: If you match the 4 of Hearts with the 4 of Diamonds, place one chip on a space with a Heart and one on a space with a Diamond.
- Leave the Match alongside the board.
A PERFECT match is the combination of two identical halves. For example: the 2 of Clubs and the 2 of Clubs.
When you make a Perfect Match:
- Remove 1 of your opponent's chips from the board (if there are any). When removing an opponent's chip, you are not allowed to check under the chip to see what suit it's on. Once you touch a chip, you must remove it.
- Place 2 of your chips on the board - each chip individually - on spaces marked with the suit of the match you made. In our example, place chips on 2 spaces marked with a Club.
- Remove the Match and put it in the Discard pile.
Keep Building!
When you make a Weak or Strong Match, leave it alongside the board. The player who goes next has a chance to turn it into another Match by playing on it. If that player does not turn it into a Perfect Match, it stays on the board so subsequent players, in turn, may play on it. It is not removed from the board until a player makes it a Perfect Match.
Example: How to "Keep Building"
The dealt card is the 4 of Hearts.
- Player A: Weak. Player A, seeing a 4 of Hearts on the board, plays a 4 of Clubs to create a Weak Match (two 4's) and places one chip on either a Heart or a Club space.
- Player B: Strong. Player B "keeps building" by playing a 4 of Spades on top of the 4 of Hearts, to turn the Weak Match into a Strong Match (two black 4's), then places two chips, one Spade and one Club.
- Player C: Weak. Player C "keeps building" by placing the 4 of Diamonds on top of the 4 of Clubs to create another Weak Match, and places one chip on either a Diamond or a Spade.
- Player D: Perfect. Player D "keeps building" and plays the other half of the 4 of Spades on the 4 of Diamonds to form a Perfect Match (two 4 of Spades), removes any one of an opponent's chips from the board, and places two of hers on two Spade spaces. She removes this Perfect Match from alongside the board, discarding it and all the cards under it.
Remember: You may play on either card in the Match. You may create Strong on Weak, or Perfect on Strong, or go "backwards" from Strong to Weak - just make a match!
What Happens If You Cannot Make a Match?
- Show the other player(s) your hand. If you are correct, and you have no match, proceed to Steps 2 and 3. But if another player sees a playable card in your hand, keep your hand; your turn ends.
- Discard the 7 cards, and draw 7 new cards.
- Make a match on the board if you can. If you still cannot, repeat Steps 1 and 2 until you can make a match.
The Gameboard
- The spaces that have 2 suits on them may be used for either suit.
- If all the spaces for the suit you matched are covered, you may place a chip on any available space.
- To place chips:
- During the game, chips may be placed on any space on the board (according to the Match you made). But ...
- For The Win, your final path must be constructed of chips that are connected horizontally or vertically to one another. If chips are on a diagonal, you will have to fill in any "gaps" before declaring victory.
(Illustrations: RED's on their way to a win. All chips so far are "connected." / These chips are not connected. RED must place a chip on the Diamond or Club space to fill in the gap and "connect" the line.)
Jokers
- There are 2 Red and 2 Black Jokers. You might draw one into your hand - or it might be dealt alongside the board!
- A Red Joker is a Red WILD Card: It may be matched with any Club or Spade to form a Weak Match; or with a Heart or Diamond to form a Strong or Perfect Match.
- A Black Joker is a Black WILD Card: It may be matched with any Heart or Diamond to form a Weak Match, or with any Club or Spade to form a Strong or Perfect Match.
- Place and remove chips on the board according to the type of Match you made.
Table Talk (for team play)
No table talk is allowed while a player is deciding what card to play. Once a card is played, teammates may discuss the best place to place a chip, or what chip to remove.
Winning
The first player or team to connect their side of the board to the opposite side wins!
In the rare event that there is no connection made from one side to the other before all chips are played, the player or team that placed the last chip on the board is declared the winner.
For 3 or 6 Players
Object
To be the first person or team to create a "chip path" that connects any one side of the gameboard to the side directly opposite.
Setup
- 3 Players: There are no teams; you each play alone. Each player uses 30 Chips. Decide who will be Green, Red or Gold and stack the chips of that color in front of you.
- 6 Players: Play in teams of 2. Each team uses 30 chips of one color. Sit opposite your partner and try to be first to build a path that connects two opposite sides of the board. (There will be two players on two sides of the board.)
Perfect Memory
Gameplay Variation for any number of players
The rules are the same with this "bonus": When you make a Perfect Match and remove an opponent's chip, if the space you reveal is the same suit as the Perfect Match you just made, you may remove one more of your opponent's chips. If you match again, keep going until you reveal a space that does not match your original Perfect Match. Then complete your Perfect Match chip placement, putting 2 chips on 2 spaces that match the suit of your Perfect Match.
Example: You made a Perfect Match in Spades. When you remove your opponent's chip, you reveal a spade! Keep going: If you uncover another spade, keep going. Keep it up as long as your memory serves you well.