Hanabi Rules

Game Overview

Hanabi is a cooperative card game originating from Japan, designed by Antoine Bauza and published in 2010. The game requires 2-5 players and the following materials: 50 fireworks cards in five colors (red, yellow, green, blue, white) with values ranging from 1 to 5, 10 colorful fireworks cards (optional for advanced gameplay), 10 Note tokens (+ 1 spare), 3 Storm tokens, and a playing surface. You can purchase the game here.

Objective

The objective of Hanabi is for the players to work together as a team to play the fireworks cards in the correct order, sorted by color and number. The more cards the players play correctly, the higher their score at the end of the game.

Setup

The oldest player is appointed as the first player and sets the tokens in the play area. The eight Note tokens are placed white-side-up, and the three Storm tokens are placed lightning-side-down. The fireworks cards are shuffled, and depending on the number of players, each player receives the following hand:

• With 2 or 3 players: 5 cards in hand
• With 4 or 5 players: 4 cards in hand

Important: Unlike other card games, players may not see their own hand! The players take their hand cards so that the back is facing the player. The fronts can only be seen by the other players. The remaining cards are placed face down in the draw pile in the middle of the table. The first player starts.

How to Play

Play proceeds clockwise. On a player's turn, they must perform exactly one of the following:

1. Give a hint or
2. Discard a card or
3. Play a card.

The player has to choose an action. A player may not pass.

Important: Players are not allowed to give hints or suggestions on other players' turns.

Give a hint

To give a hint, one Note token must be flipped from its white side to its black side. If there are no Note tokens white-side-up, a player may not choose the Give a hint action. Now the player gives a teammate a hint. They have one of two options:

• Color Hint: The player chooses a color and indicates to their teammate which of their hand cards match the chosen color by pointing at the cards. Important: The player must indicate all cards of that color in their teammate's hand! Example: You have two yellow cards, here and here. Indicating that a player has no cards of a particular color is allowed! Example: You have no blue cards.
• Value Hint: The player chooses a number value and gives a teammate a hint in the exact same fashion as a Color Hint. Example: You have a 5, here. Example: You have no Twos.

Discard a card

To discard a card, one Note token must be flipped from its black side to its white side. If there are no Note tokens black-side-up, a player may not choose the Discard a card action. Now the player discards one card from their hand (without looking at the fronts of their hand cards) and discards it face-up in the discard pile near the draw deck. The player then draws another card into their hand in the same fashion as their original card hands, never looking at the front.

Play a card

By playing out cards, the fireworks are created in the middle of the table. The player takes one card from their hand and places it face up in the middle of the table. Two things can happen:

• The card can be played correctly: The player places the card face up so that it extends a current firework or starts a new firework.
• The card cannot be played correctly: The gods are angry with this error and send a flash from the sky. The player turns a Storm token lightning-side-up. The incorrect card is discarded to the discard pile near the draw deck.

The Fireworks

The fireworks will be in the middle of the table and are designed in five different colors. For each color, an ascending series with numerical values from 1 to 5 is formed. A firework must start with the number 1, and each card played to a firework must increment the previously played card by one. A firework may not contain more than one card of each value.

Scoring and End of Game

The game can end in three ways:

1. The third Storm token is turned lightning-side-up. The gods deliver their wrath in the form of a storm that puts an end to the fireworks. The game ends immediately, and the players earn zero points.
2. The players complete all five fireworks correctly. The game ends immediately, and the players celebrate their spectacular victory with the maximum score of 25 points.
3. If a player draws the last card from the draw deck, the game is almost over. Each player - including the player who drew the last card - gets one last turn. Note: Cards cannot be drawn in this last round.

Finally, the fireworks will be counted. For this, each firework earns the players a score equal to the highest value card in its color series. The quality of the fireworks display according to the rating scale of the International Association of Pyrotechnics is:

• 0-5 - Oh dear! The crowd booed.
• 6-10 - Poor! Hardly applauded.
• 11-15 - OK! The viewers have seen better.
• 16-20 - Good! The audience is pleased.
• 21-24 - Very good! The audience is enthusiastic!
• 25 - Legendary! The audience will never forget this show!

Common Variants

The game comes with optional colorful fireworks cards and an additional Note token that can be used for more advanced gameplay.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not understanding the importance of hints: Players must communicate effectively and give helpful hints to their teammates to succeed in the game.
2. Ignoring the sequential order of cards: Fireworks are built in a sequential order by color and number. Players must keep this in mind when playing their cards.
3. Discarding cards without considering their potential use: Players should discard cards strategically to minimize the likelihood of playing incorrect cards and triggering Storm tokens.
4. Overemphasizing the use of hints: While hints are essential, overusing them can lead to a lack of communication about the cards in hand and hinder the team's progress.
5. Failing to adapt to the game's pace: Hanabi requires players to adjust their strategies based on the cards available and the game's progress. Ignoring this aspect can lead to mistakes and lost opportunities.