Overview

FOUR COLOR CARDS is a melding game for 2-4 players. The goal is to be the 1st to meld every card in hand but your melds must earn at least 10 points or you will end up paying points to all the other players instead if receiving points! The game is played over 3 rounds.

It is a traditional game with many popular variations. The version implemented on BGA is based on rules widely used in Taiwan.

THE CARDS:

The cards come in 4 colors: red, green, yellow, and white.

There are 7 card types (General, Adviser, Elephant, Chariot, Horseman, Cannon, and Soldier ).

There are 4 of each card in each color. (4 red generals, 4 green generals, 4 yellow generals, 4 white generals, etc.)

NOTE: You can play using playing card symbols instead of Chinese writing on the cards. Once the game starts, click on the "Options" tab.

GAMEPLAY:

The game consists of players taking turns:

A) - Drawing a card, choosing what to meld it with, giving the other players a chance to steal it, and discarding a card from hand.

-OR-

B) - Passing because they are unable to or choose not to make a meld.

When drawing, you may either draw from the deck or take the last player's discard. However, in order to take the last discarded, you must be able to meld it.

Game Rules

THE DEAL:

All players are dealt 20 cards, then 1 extra card goes to the first player.

That first player then begins the game by discarding 1 card from their hand.

MELDS:

Then melds can be made with the card just discarded. Here are the possible melds:

COMMAND MELD - A set of general, adviser, and elephant - of ONE color. Card symbols: 將, 相, 仕 (or K-Q-J)

FIELD MELD - A set of chariot, horseman, and cannon - of ONE color. Card symbols: 車, 馬, 炮 (or 9-8-7)

SOLDIER MELD - A set of 3 or 4 soldier cards - of DIFFERENT colors. Card symbols: 兵/卒 (or Aces/A)

SET MELD - A set of cards with the same type AND color - melded into a PAIR, 3 of a kind or 4 of a kind.

~ Note that Soldiers cannot be melded into pairs!

KINGS - Kings do not need to be melded with another card. Each one is considered a set on its own.

~ Command, field and soldier melds are called CHI

Once a meld has been played to the table, it cannot be added to or changed.

OPEN / CONCEALED MELDS:

To complete a winning hand, all of your cards must be melded into a set. However, if you are dealt a melded set, you do not need to play it to the table in order to complete the hand. Your hand is considered complete once there are no unmelded cards left in it. Sets of cards melded to the table are OPEN melds. Sets that not melded to the table are CONCEALED melds. Unmelded cards are those that do not fulfill a set.

Certain concealed melds are worth more points.

SCORING:

General = 1 point for each general card

Command Meld = 2 points

Field Meld = 1 point

Pair = 0 points

Three of a kind (pong) = 1 point open / 3 points concealed

Four of a kind (gan) = 6 points open / 8 points concealed

Four of a kind - all Generals = 8

3 Soldiers (different colors) = 3 points

4 Soldiers (different colors) = 5 points

STEALING:

You can steal a card someone has drawn from the deck or discard pile in certain situations:

A) HU ~ You need that card to complete your hand

B) GAN ~ It will complete a 4 of a Kind

C) PONG ~ It will complete a 3 of a Kind

~ Note that you cannot steal to make a 3 of a kind with Kings.

This is also the order of priority when determining who actually gets the card. A has priority over B which has priority over C. All things being equal, priority goes to whoever drew the card, then in counterclockwise order.

PASSING:

If a player cannot or does not want to make a meld with the drawn card, they may pass.

DISCARDING:

Everytime you meld, you must discard 1 card from your hand.

~ Generals cannot be discarded.

~ If a player cannot discard, the round ends immediately and their melds (open and concealed) are scored as the winner of the round.

COMPLETING A HAND (Hu):

If a player's hand cards are all able to become melds after making a meld, they can call "hu", make the meld and finish the round.

You cannot complete your hand by discarding your last card. The final card must be melded.

LUCKY CARD:

There is a chance for the winning player to gain extra points by drawing a lucky card. After winning the round, the top card of the draw deck is revealed. If it matches a card of the same type they already have, they get points equal to the number of cards of the same type that they melded.

ROUND POINTS:

If the winner's meld points (open and concealed) are less than 10, the player loses 10 points PLUS 1 point paid to each of the other players!

If the winner's meld points are 10+, the winner earns:

All meld points they made over the 10-point threshold

-PLUS-

1 point from every other player

-PLUS-

Any lucky card points that apply

If the game ends by exhausting the deck, no one get points for that round.