Team UP!
Team UP! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Materials and Set-Up
- Set the pallet in the middle of the table.
- Place the neutral box (no color) in a random position on any of the corners of the pallet. (Other positions are possible.)
- Shuffle the 36 cards and form a draw pile, face down.
- Place the 27 boxes (3 colors) colored side up, within easy reach of all of the players.
That's it. You're ready to play!
Objective
Team UP is a cooperative game: you are not opponents, you are partners. The goal is to stack the boxes on the pallet as compactly as possible. The more full layers you stack, the more points you win. A perfect pallet is worth exactly 25 points.
Following Card Instructions
Cards indicate:
- the block color you must use from the remaining blocks, OR
- the shape you must use from the remaining blocks, regardless of the color.
Examples: If you draw the red card, you must use a red box of any shape. If you draw the square card, place a square box, as depicted.
Special case: the rectangular card lets you choose one of the depicted "thin" boxes (place a rectangular box, as depicted).
Following Stacking Instructions
When placing a box on the pallet, all of the following instructions must be followed:
- Your box must touch at least one other box.
- The colored side of the box must face up.
- The box cannot extend past the boundaries of the pallet.
- Two boxes of identical shape cannot have two identical sides in 100% contact (side by side or on top of each other).
- Boxes may not overhang or float above empty space. The box must be in full contact with the pallet or with one or several boxes below.
(The rulebook also shows examples of placements that are not permitted.)
Game Turn
A player's turn is very simple:
- Draw a card.
- Place a box on the pallet that complies with that card's instructions.
Then, it's the next player's turn.
End of Turn
After placing your box on the pallet, place the used card face up and slightly offset from the previous discarded card, creating an up-facing discard pile.
If you cannot successfully follow the instructions on the card without breaking a box placement rule, your turn ends. Place the card on the discard pile face down. It will count as a negative point.
End of Game
The game ends if any of the following three situations occurs:
- All of the boxes have been stacked on the pallet.
- There are no more cards in the draw pile.
- The players mutually agree to stop drawing new cards as the risk of penalties has become too high.
Scoring
Scoring is done in three steps:
- Count the number of layers that are 100% complete. Each one is worth 5 points.
- Deduct 1 point for each box that was not stacked on the pallet.
- Deduct 1 point for each card placed face down in the discard pile.
Remember, the highest possible score is 25 points, meaning five complete layers without deductions. In the rulebook's example, the team scores 15 points.
| Score | Rating |
|---|---|
| 25 | perfect |
| 21-24 | almost perfect |
| 16-20 | excellent |
| 11-15 | good |
| 6-10 | on the right path |
| 5 or less | you can do better |
Challenge
After completing a round of the game, try to beat your previous score using the same set-up.
- Flip any penalty cards face up, without changing the draw pile order.
- Take all of the used cards and turn them face down to form the draw pile (in the same order as before).
- Remove all of the boxes from the pallet, except for the neutral box.
Now, the circumstances are the same as the previous round, and you can try to improve your score, or challenge another team to beat your team's score using the same set-up.
Competition
Put another team to the test in Challenge mode. Prepare the pallet and draw pile and determine your score to beat. Will they succeed? Good luck!
Puzzle
Yes, the outcome of a game round depends on your talent, but there is some luck to it as well since the card sequence is not always ideal. Before beginning, place the cards in a pile from 1 to 36 (numbers in the upper-left corner of the cards). Then, turn the draw pile face down. Place the neutral box as shown in the diagram. By placing the cards in numerical order using the numbers in the upper-left corner, you will have a sequence that could provide a perfect pallet. But that doesn't mean it will be easy. Let the cogitating begin! See www.helvetiq.com for the perfect solution.