The Coding Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Set Up
• How to Play
  • Mode 1: Speed Cracking System
  • Mode 2: Counter Cracking System
• Revised Edition (Thai revision sheet)

Components

• Code Card — Alphabet Card: 6 cards, A B C D E F.
• Code Card — Number Card (X Code): 10 cards, 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9.
• Data Card: 16 cards (red).
• Hack Card: 20 cards (green).
• The First One Card (the first player card): 1 card.

Set Up

1. Separate the Code Cards into 2 groups: the Alphabet Code Cards and the Number (X) Code Cards.
2. Shuffle the Alphabet Code Cards and deal 1 Alphabet Code Card to each player, face down.
3. Shuffle the Number Code Cards and deal 2 Number Code Cards to each player, face down.
4. Each player looks at their own Code Cards, then places them face down in front of themselves, starting with the Alphabet Code Card on the far left, followed by the 2 Number Code Cards, in any order. Be careful that no other player sees the Code.
5. Shuffle the remaining Alphabet Code Cards and the remaining Number Code Cards together, and set them aside as a separate pile.
6. Place all 8 types of DATA CARD, 2 of each type, between the players. Cards of the same type are stacked on top of each other. (Exception: in a 2-player game, use 1 of each of the 8 types of DATA CARD; the remaining set of DATA CARDs goes back into the box.)
7. Shuffle the HACK CARDs, reveal 5 of them face up and arrange them in a row in the middle of the play area, and set the remaining HACK CARDs face down beside them.
8. Give The First One Card to the youngest player, and begin the code-cracking game.

Set-up example (4 players): the illustration shows the Code Cards of each player, the 8 DATA CARD stacks, the row of 5 face-up HACK CARDs and the face-down HACK CARD deck, and The First One Card.

Set-up example, Code reading: if a player's Code Cards are placed in this position, the Code of that player is "F 9 8" (F – nine – eight), meaning:

• Alphabet Code (Alphabet) = F
• Number Code, tens digit (X1) = 9
• Number Code, ones digit (X2) = 8

How to Play

The Coding has 2 play modes in total. Players choose to play one of the two modes.

Mode 1: Speed Cracking System

Objective

• Be the first player to crack any one player's Code. That player becomes "the first one" (คนแรก).

Turn procedure (Mode 1)

1. The player holding The First One Card takes 1 DATA CARD that rules out (rejects) the code range of their own Code and places it in front of themselves. The player may not take a DATA CARD that duplicates one they already hold.

   Example: if player A's Code is "F 9 8", player A may take the DATA CARD showing "20–39" and place it in front of themselves, because the number Code of the player who took this card is not between 20 and 39.

   Note: if no remaining DATA CARD can be taken, the player declares "cannot take" (หยิบไม่ได้). This means the remaining DATA CARDs are ones that definitely identify that player's Code.

2. When the player has finished taking a DATA CARD, that player passes 1 face-up HACK CARD to any one player (of their choice).

3. The player who receives the HACK CARD takes it and inserts it under their own Code Cards, in the position the HACK CARD specifies. If the information on the HACK CARD is true, insert it with the green side up. If the information is false, insert it with the red side up instead.

   Example: if player B's Code is "D 5 7" and player A passes player B this HACK CARD, player B must insert the HACK CARD under the Number Code card for the tens digit (X1) with the red side up, because player B's tens digit is not 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8. This HACK CARD asks specifically about the tens digit (X1).

4. When a HACK CARD is taken from the middle row, reveal a new HACK CARD from the deck so that the row again has 5 face-up HACK CARDs. (If there are no HACK CARDs left in the deck, continue playing with the remaining HACK CARDs.)

5. The player who received a HACK CARD repeats the same action as the previous player: take 1 DATA CARD and place it in front of themselves, then pass 1 face-up HACK CARD to 1 player.

Two important rules for passing HACK CARDs

• A player may not pass a HACK CARD back to the player who just passed a HACK CARD to them (except in a 2-player game).
• The player who holds The First One Card in that round must always be the last player to receive a HACK CARD in that round.

End of a round

When every player has taken their turn, the round is over. At this point every player must have, in their own play area, 1 DATA CARD in front of themselves and 1 HACK CARD inserted under their own Code Cards, for a total of 2 cards.

Example of the state at the end of one round: every player has 2 cards in their own play area.

After a round is complete, pass The First One Card to the left and continue playing in the same way, round after round, until 4 rounds have been completed. After 4 rounds, every player must have 4 DATA CARDs and 4 HACK CARDs in their own play area, each (except a player who has declared that they cannot take a DATA CARD).

Then remove the remaining DATA CARDs and HACK CARDs from the play area, and place The First One Card in the middle so that every player can reach it.

Cracking a Code (Mode 1)

• A player who wants to crack a Code must "slap" (ตบ) The First One Card and answer immediately. The player names the player whose Code they want to crack, and answers all 3 Code symbols in order (the Alphabet Code, then the tens digit (X1), then the ones digit (X2)).
• If, after slapping, the player answers slowly, stammers, or hesitates, it counts as a foul and the player is immediately judged to have lost.

Example: the player slaps The First One Card and says, "I'll decode you, and your hidden Code is D 5 7."

• The first player who successfully cracks any one player's Code wins the game.
• If the cracking is wrong, the player is an immediate loser. That player must reveal all of their own Code Cards so that every player can see them, and the other players may use the revealed information in cracking other players' Codes.
• If the players all agree that the information is not yet enough to crack any Code and nobody is willing to answer, deal 1 Code Card face down to each player from the remaining Code Card deck set aside at the start of the game. All players then flip the Code Cards they received face up at the same time, in the middle, so that everyone can see them, and use the new information to help the cracking that follows.
• (The slap on The First One Card must be done before every attempt to crack.)
• If players keep answering incorrectly until only the last player remains, that last player is the winner without needing to crack any Code.

Additional rules for a 2–3 player game (highlighted in the original rulebook)

• After the remaining Code Cards (1 each) have been revealed, each time all players still agree that the information is not enough to crack a Code, deal 1 more Code Card to each player again, and reveal them together to bring more information into the cracking that follows.
• If all Code Cards have been revealed and no player is sure or willing to take the risk of cracking, every player reveals 1 Number Code Card (any one) face up at the same time, and uses the additional information for the cracking that follows.

Optional challenge: you may raise the difficulty of the game by not writing notes on paper during cracking.

Mode 2: Counter Cracking System

Objective

• Be able to remain as "the last one" (คนสุดท้าย) in the game without any of your Codes being revealed at all.

Set up

• Set up the game in exactly the same way as the Speed Cracking System in all respects.

How to play

• Play in exactly the same way as the Speed Cracking System in all respects: take 1 DATA CARD that rules out your own Code range and place it in front of yourself, then pass 1 HACK CARD to another player. Continue until 4 rounds are complete.

After round 4

When round 4 is complete (starting from the player holding The First One Card), the player may choose 1 action from the following 2 actions.

1. HACKING (เจาะระบบ): The player takes 1 DATA CARD that rules out the code range of their own Code and places it in front of themselves. The player may not take a DATA CARD that duplicates one they already hold. (The conditions for taking a DATA CARD are the same as in the Speed Cracking System.)
   • If the player cannot take any DATA CARD, the player declares "cannot take" and may then pass a HACK CARD as normal.
   • If no DATA CARD remains anywhere in the game, the player may pass a HACK CARD immediately without first taking a DATA CARD.
   • When the DATA CARD has been taken, the player passes 1 face-up HACK CARD to any one player. The receiving player takes it and inserts it under their own Code Cards in the position the HACK CARD specifies, with the green side up if the information is true and the red side up if it is false (the conditions for HACK CARDs are the same as in the Speed Cracking System).
   • Important rule for passing HACK CARDs: every player may hold no more than 5 HACK CARDs in their own play area.
   • When passing the HACK CARD is complete, the turn passes to the player on the left.
   • Note: the rules above are the same for the Speed Cracking System.
2. DECODING (ถอดรหัส): The player who chooses decoding names 1 other player whose Code they want to crack, and answers the 3 Codes in order: the Alphabet Code, then the tens digit (X1), then the ones digit (X2).
   • If all 3 answers are correct, the player whose Code was cracked must reveal all of their Code Cards and leave the game. (All answers must be correct, both the Code and the order.)
   • After a successful decoding, the player who cracked the Code decides whether to continue or to stop:
     • If they choose to continue, they choose whether to HACK or DECODE against another remaining player.
     • If they choose to stop, the player to the left plays on.

The player who is able to best keep their Code secret and remains alive as the last one is the "winner" (ผู้ชนะ).

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Tips for new hackers

• For players who are not yet experienced, the printed Coding Crack Sheet (sample grid, with Alphabet rows A–F and X1 and X2 digit columns) can be used to note the numbers that have already been eliminated. Eliminated numbers are crossed out with a red X.
• Example: if the opponent takes the DATA CARD "20–39", we can cross out the digits 2–3 in the tens column (X1) entirely, because their Code cannot certainly be a number between 20 and 39.
• Example: if the opponent inserts a HACK CARD in the position shown, with the red side up on the X1 column for "0, 2, 4, 6, 8" and the green side up for "7, 8, 9" on the X2 column, we can cross out all the even digits in the X1 column, and cross out every digit other than 7, 8 and 9 in the X2 column.

Revised Edition (Thai revision sheet)

The official Thai revision sheet ("Rulebook TH – The Coding Rev", DNR Boardgame, labelled "REVISED EDITION") replaces parts of the rules above. Where it differs from the main rulebook, the revision sheet applies. Its changes are:

Components (revised)

• Code Card (alphabet): 6 cards, A B C D E F. Code Card (number, X Code): 10 cards, 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9.
• Data Card: 16. Hack Card: 20.
• Cracking Sheet: 1 sheet (a note sheet for tracking eliminated Codes; see Tips above).
• Virus Mode: 8 cards (first print run only; see the guide printed on the base of the box).
• The First One Card: 1. Rule sheet: 1.

Set Up (revised)

1. Split the Code Cards into 2 decks: the alphabet Code Card deck and the number Code Card deck. Shuffle the alphabet deck and deal 1 alphabet Code Card face down to each player. Shuffle the number deck and deal 2 number Code Cards face down to each player. Remaining Code Cards go back into the box.
2. Each player looks at their own Code Cards, then places them face down in front of themselves, the alphabet Code Card on the far left followed by the 2 number Code Cards, in any order. Keep the Code secret from other players.
3. Place the 8 types of DATA CARD in the middle, 2 of each type (1 of each type in a 2-player game); cards of the same type are stacked.
4. Shuffle the HACK CARDs, reveal 5 face up in a row, and set the rest face down beside them.
5. Give each player 1 Cracking Sheet (the sheet may be left unused).
6. Give The First One Card to the youngest player, and begin.

Mode 1 — Counter Mode (รูปแบบปกติ), revised

• Objective: the last remaining player who has not been correctly decoded wins (the revision describes the winner as "คนสุดท้าย").
• Phase 1 (Hacking): the player holding The First One Card takes 1 DATA CARD that does not match their own Code (may not duplicate a DATA CARD already held), then passes 1 face-up HACK CARD to any player. The receiver places the HACK CARD under their Code Cards according to whether the information is true (green up) or false (red up).
• Important: if a player already has 5 HACK CARDs, that player may not be passed any more HACK CARDs (the maximum is 5 per player).
• After the HACK CARD is passed, the turn passes to the player on the left.
• Phase 2 (Decoding): starting from the player with The First One Card, a player may choose to HACK (Phase 1 action) or DECODE. Decoding is answered as in the main rules above: the 3 Code symbols are named in order; a correct answer on all 3 reveals the decoded player's Code Cards and removes that player; a wrong answer makes the decoder reveal 1 of their own Code Cards and the player on the left plays on; 3 wrong answers make the decoder a loser and removes them from the game.

Mode 2 — One Shot Mode (รูปแบบคิดคะแนน), new in the revision

• Objective: the player with the highest score wins. If tied, the tied players share the win.
• Play Counter Mode's Phase 1 (Hacking) for 5 rounds.
• Then play 1 more round of Decoding without taking any DATA CARD (the revision sheet's heading is "Phase 2: Decoding: play 1 more round without taking DATA CARDs"). After the 5 rounds, every player writes the answer for every other player's Code on their Cracking Sheet. Once everyone has finished writing, all players reveal at the same time.
• Scoring: each player scores 1 point for each correct Code answer for a player they answered. The maximum scores are 3, 6 and 9 points in a 2-player, 3-player and 4-player game respectively.

Example from the revision sheet: if the opponent takes the DATA CARD "20–39", the player may cross out the digits 2–3 in the tens column (X1) entirely, because the opponent's Code cannot certainly be a number between 20 and 39.

Example from the revision sheet: if the opponent has a HACK CARD with red for "0, 2, 4, 6, 8" on the X1 column and green for "7, 8, 9" on the X2 column, the player may cross out all even digits in the X1 column and all digits other than 7, 8 and 9 in the X2 column.

Note on Virus Mode: the revision sheet lists the 8 Virus Mode cards as a component (for the first-time Virus Mode), but the sheet itself does not print the Virus Mode rules. These rules are therefore not included in this transcription.

Conflict note: the main rulebook says to shuffle the remaining Code Cards and keep them as a separate deck for the stalemate deal (see Mode 1, "Cracking a Code"). The revision sheet's set-up instead returns the remaining Code Cards to the box. Both are printed in the official Thai materials; the revision sheet's set-up is the newer one, but it does not print a stalemate rule, so the main rulebook's stalemate rule is retained here and flagged.