Ultimatch Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Includes
• Object
• Setup
• How to Play
  • Trade a Card
  • Make a Match
  • Match Example
  • Passing
  • Remove Matched Cards
  • Reveal Pyramid Cards
  • Get Ultimatch Rewards
• Game End
• Solitaire
• Difficulty

Includes

• 48 cards (8 each of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple numbered 1-8 with no duplicates/repeats)
• 5 Player Aid Cards
• Rules

Object

To work together as a group to remove all cards in the pyramid by matching color, number, or both with cards in your hand and/or in the shared alta-hand.

Setup

1. Shuffle the cards and deal them to form a pyramid in the middle of the play area. The number of rows in the pyramid depends on the number of players, as indicated below.

   • 1 to 3 players: 5 rows (made of 15 cards total)
   • 4 to 5 players: 6 rows (made of 21 cards total)

   The cards in all of the rows except the last row are facedown. The last row is faceup. The cards overlap part of the card(s) above them, as shown in the example in the rulebook.

2. Deal each player a hand of cards according to the number of players, as shown below.

   • 1 player: 13 cards
   • 2 players: 6 cards
   • 3 players: 4 cards
   • 4 players: 5 cards
   • 5 players: 4 cards

3. Place the remaining cards facedown to form a draw pile.

4. Have each player donate a card from their hand to the alta-hand. The alta-hand is a hand of cards that each player may choose from to make matches to cards in the pyramid. All donated cards remain facedown until everyone has placed a card in the alta-hand. Then, the cards are turned over to reveal which cards are in the alta-hand. These cards remain faceup for the rest of the game. In a 2- or 3-player game, a card from the top of the draw pile is drawn and added to the alta-hand.

How to Play

The player who donated the highest numerical card to the alta-hand starts play. If there is a tie, the player closest to the dealer's left goes first. On your turn, you follow this order of play:

1. Trade a card
2. Make a match
3. Remove matched cards
4. Reveal pyramid cards
5. Get Ultimatch rewards

Players may discuss how to use cards in the alta-hand to match cards in the pyramid, but they cannot discuss or show cards in their own hands.

Trade a Card

All players look at their hands to see if they have a card that could help the current player. If they do, they hold the card facedown toward the current player. Trades are silent. Players may indicate the strength or nature of their card through facial expressions, body language, gestures, or the way they place the card in front of them. The current player may choose 1 player to trade with and give them 1 of their cards facedown in exchange. The current player may not look at the offered card until the trade is made. The players making the trade then add them to their hands. (If a player doesn't have cards, they can still be given a card instead of trading.)

Make a Match

The current player plays 1 or 2 cards from their hand and/or the alta-hand to match 1 of the faceup cards in the pyramid. There are many ways to make a match:

Play 1 card that matches:

• same number
• same color

OR

Play (no more than) 2 cards that have:

• numbers that add up to the number shown on a faceup pyramid card (any colors)
• numbers that subtract to match the number shown on a faceup pyramid card (any colors)
• primary colors that mix to create the secondary color shown on a faceup pyramid card (any numbers). Color mixing is additive only (yellow + blue = green) NOT subtractive (green - yellow ≠ blue)

You must make a match on your turn if you can. However, if the only match available uses just cards from the alta-hand, you may pass. See below.

ULTIMATCH! If you match both the color AND number of a faceup pyramid card, you've made an Ultimatch! That means you may draw 2 cards from the draw pile, adding 1 to your hand and 1 to the alta-hand, at the end of your turn. (You can make an Ultimatch to a card with a secondary color with 2 cards that have that same secondary color or that are made of primary colors that mix to form the secondary color. In either case, the numbers on the cards must add or subtract to match the number on the target pyramid card.)

NOTE: Primary colors still combine whether using addition or subtraction.

Match Example

If the target pyramid card is an Orange 5, matches include:

• Green 5 (based on number, color doesn't matter)
• Orange 3 (based on color, number doesn't matter)
• Red 7 and Purple 2 (based on number through subtraction: 7-2=5, color doesn't matter)
• Green 2 and Blue 3 (based on number through addition: 2+3=5, color doesn't matter)
• Red 1 and Yellow 7 (based on mixing the primary colors to match Orange, number doesn't matter)
• Orange 1 and Orange 4 as a Ultimatch (based on both number, through addition: 1+4=5, AND color)
• Yellow 8 and Red 3 as a Ultimatch (based on both number, through subtraction: 8-3=5, AND mixing the primary colors to match Orange)

Passing

If you cannot make a match, you must pass. Draw 1 card and end your turn. If all players pass immediately one after another, the game ends in a loss. If the draw pile is ever empty and a player needs to draw a card, reshuffle the discard pile to make a new draw pile.

Remove Matched Cards

The cards played to make a match and the matched pyramid card are placed faceup in the discard pile next to the draw pile.

Reveal Pyramid Cards

If any cards in the pyramid no longer have cards overlapping them, those cards are turned faceup and can be matched by the next player(s).

Get Ultimatch Rewards

If an Ultimatch was made in step 2, draw 2 cards from the draw pile. Choose 1 to keep in your hand and place the other faceup in the alta-hand.

Play continues with the player to the left repeating the order of play.

Game End

The game ends in a win if the last card in the pyramid is matched. If all the players pass immediately one after another, the game ends in a loss.

Solitaire

Form a 5-row pyramid and deal yourself a hand of 13 cards. There is no alta-hand, no trading, and no passing in solo mode. On your turn you will:

1. Make a match
2. Remove matched cards
3. Reveal pyramid cards
4. Get Ultimatch rewards (keeping both cards in your hand)

If you cannot make a match, you lose. If you match the last card in the pyramid, you win.

Difficulty

For an easier game, add 1 or 2 cards from the deck to the starting alta-hand or allow the current player to make 2 trades.

For more challenge, randomly remove 1 card from the starting alta-hand or keep both cards from an Ultimatch reward in your hand (none added to the alta-hand).