Mille Bornes Rules: The Classic Racing Card Game

Mille Bornes is a classic racing card game originating from France, invented in 1954 by Edmond Dujardin, who ran a business making teaching materials for driving schools in Arcachon. It followed an earlier game of his, L'Autoroute, devised in 1947 and awarded a silver medal at the Concours Lépine. Mille Bornes has sold over ten million copies. It can be played by 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 players: with 2 to 4 everyone plays for themselves, while with 6 or 8 the players form teams of two.

Objective

The goal in Mille Bornes is to be the first to lay out exactly 1000 kilometres in front of you with your distance cards ("cartes-étapes"), having first played a Green Light, while fending off your opponents' attacks with the matching remedies and, if you can, playing Safety cards ("Bottes") for a Coup-Fourré.

Setup

1. Deal 6 cards to each player. Each player or team also takes a memo card, kept beside them, listing which remedy and which safety go with which attack.
2. The rest of the cards go face down in the middle of the table to form the draw pile. Each player looks at their own cards without showing them to anyone else.
3. In front of each player, cards are laid out in separate areas as play goes on: the Speed pile ("pile de Vitesse") for Speed Limits and End of Speed Limit cards, the Battle pile ("pile de Bataille") for the other attacks and their remedies, the Safeties to one side, and the distance cards lined up on their own.

How to Play

1. On their turn, a player draws the top card of the draw pile and adds it to the 6 cards already in hand, so they momentarily hold 7. They then have four options:

   • Play a Green Light ("Feu Vert"), which starts their race.
   • Play a Safety in front of them. Playing a Safety earns the right to play again, so they draw another card and get the same four options over.
   • Place a Speed Limit in front of an opponent, even one who has not started racing yet.
   • If they have none of those, discard a card while waiting for a better one.

   After playing, every player must always be back to 6 cards in hand.

2. To play distance cards you need a Green Light to have started, no attack sitting on your Battle pile, or else the Priority Vehicle safety. Note that you may not lay down a 200 card more than twice.

3. To attack another player, place your attack card on their Battle pile. They cannot start moving again until they have covered the attack with the matching remedy and then a Green Light: Gas for Out of Gas, Spare Tyre for Flat Tyre, Repairs for Accident, and a Green Light alone for the Stop card. The Speed Limit works differently: it goes on the opponent's Speed pile, stops them playing any distance card above 50 km, that is the 75, 100 and 200 cards, until they cover it with an End of Speed Limit, and it can be stacked on top of any of the four other attacks.

4. A Safety can be played at two different moments: on your own turn, even as your very first card, or at the exact moment an opponent attacks you with the attack that Safety covers, which is the Coup-Fourré. The Priority Vehicle safety, once played, stops opponents attacking you with a Stop card or a Speed Limit, and dispenses you from needing a Green Light thereafter, so you can keep laying distance cards unless you are hit by Out of Gas, a Flat Tyre or an Accident.

Scoring and End of Game

1. The hand ends as soon as a player has lined up exactly 1000 kilometres in front of them. The total must be exact, so at 950 kilometres the 75, 100 and 200 cards become useless. If nobody reaches that exact figure, the hand ends when no player can play any more, and the winner is whoever has covered the most kilometres.

2. A variant plays for points, up to a target of 5000. Each player scores as many points as the kilometres they laid down; each Safety played scores 100 points, while a Safety left in hand scores nothing; each Coup-Fourré scores 300 points on top of the Safety, so 400 in all; the winner of a hand scores 400 points for it; winning without using any 200 card earns a 200-point bonus; and if a player was unable to lay down a single distance card, every other player scores 500 points.

Common Variants

1. With 4 players, and likewise with 8, you can agree to race to 700 km instead of 1000, which makes for noticeably shorter hands.
2. The other main variant is the points game described above: rather than stopping at the first race won, you play hand after hand until someone reaches 5000 points.

Why This Game Is So Popular

Mille Bornes is a popular game due to its fast-paced strategy and excitement of racing against opponents while overcoming unexpected obstacles. The game's simple yet engaging mechanics allow for strategic decision-making, bluffing, and quick thinking, making each game unpredictable and exciting. One memorable moment during play is when a player successfully plays a "Botte Prioritaire" to gain an advantage over their opponents and secure their victory.

Where to Get the Game

Embark on a thrilling racing adventure with the Mille Bornes card game. Get your copy here on Amazon

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not understanding the importance of Green Lights and "Bottes" in the game.
2. Playing distance cards without a Green Light or with obstacles in the "Pile de Bataille."
3. Not being aware of the limitations of each obstacle and the corresponding parades.

FAQ

1. Can I play Mille Bornes with a standard deck of playing cards?

   • No, Mille Bornes requires a specific deck designed for the game.

2. Is there a time limit on playing obstacles in Mille Bornes?

   • No, there is no time limit on playing obstacles in Mille Bornes.

3. How many cards do I hold?

   • Six. You draw one at the start of your turn, so you momentarily hold seven, and after playing you must always be back to six in hand.

4. Does the Priority Vehicle safety protect me from everything?

   • No. It stops opponents attacking you with a Stop card or a Speed Limit, and saves you from needing a Green Light afterwards, but an Out of Gas, Flat Tyre or Accident card still halts you until you play the matching remedy. Note also that once you have played it, opponents place their attacks on your last remedy, since you no longer need a Green Light to get going again.

5. Can I attack a player who has not started racing yet?

   • You can place a Speed Limit in front of an opponent even if they have not yet started to play. The other attacks target a player who is on the move.

6. Is there a limit on the 200 km cards?

   • Yes: you may not lay down a 200 card more than twice.

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