YOMEN Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Playing the Game
  • Question Type 1: Side View (側面景色)
  • Question Type 2: Top View (上面景色)
  • Mistaken Guesses
• Winning the Game

Components

• 6-colour blocks: 2 sets, 12 blocks in total (each set has one block of each colour: red, black, yellow, blue, white, green)
• 3×3 grid sheets: 4
• Screens (衝立): 2
• Rules sheet: 1

Each grid sheet has the cells of its 3×3 grid numbered 1 to 9, and the letters A to L around its outer edge.

Setup

1. Each player takes two 3×3 grid sheets and one set of six coloured blocks (one block of each colour).
2. Decide who is the first player and who is the second player.
3. The first player takes the red, black and yellow blocks. The second player takes the blue, white and green blocks.
4. Each player hides their three blocks behind their screen and arranges them on their own grid sheet.
   • Any arrangement is allowed, with these restrictions:
     • Do not leave an unstable placement in which a block has a gap beneath it in the bottom row. (A reverse-L orientation is allowed if it does not leave a gap, i.e. it is supported by other blocks.)
     • The arrangement may be at most three blocks high.
5. The three height levels are called, from the bottom up, the lower level (下段), the middle level (中段) and the upper level (上段).
6. The blocks not used for your own arrangement (the three blocks of the opponent's colours) are kept by each player for use in their own deduction.

Playing the Game

Players take turns asking questions to gather information about the opponent's arrangement. There are two types of question, the side view (側面景色) and the top view (上面景色). The player asking the question chooses one of the two types. In both cases, both players answer.

Question Type 1: Side View (側面景色)

1. The questioner looks at the opponent's grid sheet, chooses one letter from A to L around the edge of the sheet, and asks for the view from that letter.
2. A view (景色) is the information about the blocks as seen looking straight across from that letter on the sheet.
3. The answering player checks their own arrangement and states the view from that letter, level by level. For example: "From H, the lower level is black and the middle level is yellow."
4. If there are no blocks in that line, the answer is "なし" (none).
5. The questioner also checks their own arrangement and gives the view from the same letter, in the same way.

Question Type 2: Top View (上面景色)

1. The questioner chooses one cell of the grid and asks what is on top of that cell, for example: "Looking down from above, what is on cell 4, and at which level?"
2. If there is a block on that cell, the answering player states its colour and the level it is on.
3. Only the topmost block is reported.
4. If there is no block on that cell, the answer is "なし" (none).

Mistaken Guesses

• A mistaken deduction (see below) carries no penalty the first time.
• A player who makes a second mistaken deduction loses the game immediately.

Winning the Game

• The side view and top view answers are individually not enough to solve the arrangement, but as more answers are gathered the opponent's block arrangement becomes clear.
• When a player believes they know the opponent's arrangement, they may announce it at any time, regardless of whose turn it is.
• To announce, the player builds their arrangement with their deduction blocks, shows it to the opponent and asks: "Your blocks are arranged like this, correct?"
• If the shape and the orientation are both exactly correct, the announcing player wins.
• If the announcement is wrong, the announcing player makes a mistake (see Mistaken Guesses above).