YoYo
YoYo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 64 playing cards
- 1 rulebook
- 2 to 6 players
- Ages 6 and up
- Playing time approx. 20 minutes
Setup
- Shuffle the cards.
- Each player receives seven cards in hand.
- The remaining cards form a face-down draw pile in the middle of the table.
Gameplay
The player to the left of the dealer begins. Play then continues clockwise. When a player is on turn, they try to play as many cards as possible. However, they may not play just any card. This is explained by the meanings of the cards.
The cards have the following meanings:
Blue cards
Blue cards signal "UPWARDS". The number sequence to be played on them rises in value. If a blue card lies on the discard pile, the next card to be played must be a blue card with the same or a higher number value (the sequence rises).
Exceptions:
- A red card may be played onto a blue card only if it has exactly the same number value (the sequence turns in the direction "DOWNWARDS").
- Yellow cards can always be played (see "Yellow cards").
Red cards
Red cards signal "DOWNWARDS". The number sequence to be played on them falls in value. If a red card lies on the discard pile, the next card to be played must be a red card with the same or a lower number value (the sequence falls).
Exceptions:
- A blue card may be played onto a red card only if it has exactly the same number value (the sequence turns in the direction "UPWARDS").
- Yellow cards can always be played (see "Yellow cards").
Example 1: Peter plays the red 8. Inge is next. She can now play her red 3, since it is equal or lower. The next player, Hans, plays a blue 3 onto the red 3 and thus changes the direction of the number sequence.
Yellow cards
A yellow card can always be played, regardless of the colour or number of the previously played card. It immediately triggers the action shown on it, and it sets a new number value, but not a new colour (direction of the number sequence).
Exceptions: If a player plays a yellow card onto another card with exactly the same number value, or plays a yellow card onto a yellow card, they may decide which direction must be played next (whether the number sequence continues "UPWARDS" or "DOWNWARDS"). In addition, the action must be carried out.
Example 2: Peter plays the yellow 15 onto a red 15. Because Peter played a yellow card with the same number value, they may change the direction to "UPWARDS". Inge is next. She plays the yellow 6. Because she played a yellow card onto a yellow card, she may change the direction back to "DOWNWARDS".
Actions of the yellow cards
In addition to the number value, all yellow cards carry an action symbol. The corresponding action must be carried out immediately after the card is played. If a yellow card ends the game, the action is no longer carried out.
Skip (Aussetzen): The player following clockwise skips. The player after next is on turn.
Draw cards (Karten ziehen): The player following clockwise draws one card each from two other players of their choice. With two players, only one card may be drawn from the other player. If they draw the last card from a player, that player has naturally won. After the player has drawn the two cards, it is their turn. If they cannot play a card, they must take a card from the draw pile.
Slide cards (Karten schieben): Each player chooses one of their cards and slides it face down to their left-hand neighbour. At the same time, each player receives a new card from their right-hand neighbour. Then the left-hand neighbour of the player who played the yellow action card is on turn.
Chaos: The cards in the hands of all players are collected by the player who played this card, thoroughly shuffled and dealt out one at a time around the table. Every player now has the same number of cards. Surplus cards go under the draw pile. Then the left-hand neighbour of the player who played this action card is on turn.
Continuing Play
When a player is on turn, they may play one card onto the discard pile. They must pay attention to which card may be played onto the card played before (see "The cards have the following meanings:"). If the player wishes to play a matching card, they must call out the number value and the direction of the number sequence aloud (for example "10 UPWARDS"). If a player cannot play a matching card, they must draw the top card of the draw pile and take it into hand. If that card fits, they may play it immediately; if not, the left-hand neighbour is on turn.
If a player is on turn and the card they played previously is still the top card of the discard pile, they may play any card.
When the draw pile has run out, all cards except the top card of the discard pile are shuffled and form the new face-down draw pile.
The Series
Whenever a player may play a card, they may instead play a series. A series consists of a sequence of any number of cards with directly consecutive number values ("UPWARDS" or "DOWNWARDS") in one colour. Yellow cards may also be used in a series. A yellow card within a series keeps only its number value; its action is dropped. If a yellow card is played as the last card of a series, it additionally carries out the action shown on it.
A series may also begin with a change of direction in the number sequence.
Example 3: A blue 8 lies on the discard pile. Peter holds the blue cards 13 and 15, the yellow cards "14 +2 draw cards" and "16 + skip", and the red cards 5, 6 and 17 (see illustration: "Peter's cards in hand"; "of which playable series"). Peter says: "13, 14, 15, 16 UPWARDS" and plays together the blue 13, the yellow 14, the blue 15 and the yellow 16, so Inge must skip. The red 17 or the red series 6, 5 cannot be played, because the direction of the number sequence is set by the blue 8 (UPWARDS).
Example 4: A red 2 lies on the discard pile. Hans still has the three blue cards 2, 3 and 4. He plays in series the blue 2 (change of direction), then upwards the blue 3 and the blue 4, and ends the game.
End of the Game
The game ends as soon as a player has been able to play their last card. This player receives five plus points. The other players receive one minus point for each card left in their hand. The game also ends when the draw pile has run out for the second time. In that case only minus points are awarded.
After each game, the points for each player are recorded separately. Twice as many games are played as there are players. From the second game on, the player with the fewest points begins each game. After the last game, the player with the most plus points, or rather the fewest minus points, wins.
Intensified Action: Draw Cards
If a player immediately plays the same yellow "Draw cards" card again on top of it, then they do not first have to draw one card each from two players. Instead, their left-hand neighbour must draw two cards each from two players, unless that left-hand neighbour also plays the yellow "Draw cards" action card. In that case the player following clockwise must draw three cards each from two players, or play the same card in turn.