Overview

Chanoyu is a casual trick-taking and tableau-building game. To win, be the first player to score at least 15 points, but you will lose if no other player has scored at least 8 points. Win cards in tricks to build your tableau to score points. Face cards cannot take tricks, but when taken, face cards may be added to either end of the trick winner’s tableau as a substitute for any numbered card. Playing a face card to a trick represents opportunities to give face. Tsukumogami cards also cannot take tricks, but when taken, they may be added anywhere in any player's tableau.

Preparing to Play

The person that owns the game is the first host, and decides where the other players sit. The current host shuffles the deck, and places it face-down near the center of the table as the draw pile. Each player then draws their own hand of five cards from the draw pile.

How to Play

Each round consists of ten tricks, and each trick follows the same core loop of five steps:

Lead – The current leader plays any card from their hand face up near the center of the table. On the first trick, the player to the current host’s right leads. Thereafter, the player who won the previous trick leads to the next.

Follow – Proceeding counter-clockwise, the other players each add one card from their hands to the trick. If possible, played cards must match the led suit, but if following suit is not possible, any card may be played. The player who played the highest ranking numbered card in the led suit wins the trick. If there is no highest numbered card in the led suit, then the entire trick is discarded, and the current leader retains the lead.

Build – The winner of the current trick may add any number of cards (and if possible, must add at least one of them) from the current trick to either end of their tableau, as long as the numbered values increase from left to right without duplication. Face cards from the current trick may be played as a substitute for any numbered value, saving face. Gaps are allowed, but score fewer points. Once played to the tableau, cards may neither be rearranged nor discarded, even to fill gaps. Tsukumogami cards may be played anywhere in any player's tableau, even to fill gaps!

Discard – Cards the winner of the current trick does not use are discarded face-down to the side.

Draw – If there are enough cards remaining in the draw pile for every player to do so, each player draws from the draw pile to restore hands to five cards. Three Players -- Drawing will always be possible in games with three players. Over ten tricks, thirty cards will be played. After playing to the tenth trick, when each player still holds four cards (a total of twelve), there will be twelve cards remaining in the draw pile. If you lose count of the number of tricks played, count the draw pile. If there are more than twelve, draw and play another trick. Four Players -- Over the first nine tricks, thirty six cards will be played. After playing to the ninth trick, when each player still holds four cards (a total of sixteen), there will be two cards remaining in the draw pile, which is not enough for every player to draw. Therefore, skip drawing and play the tenth trick using hands of four cards. Five Players -- Over the first six tricks, thirty cards will be played. After playing to the sixth trick, when each player still holds four cards (a total of twenty), there will be four cards remaining in the draw pile, which is not enough for every player to draw. Therefore, skip drawing and play the last four tricks with shrinking hands. The round ends after ten tricks. Everyone discards their hands, then scores their tableau as follows:

1. Add one point for each card in the tableau.
2. Add a bonus of one point if the tableau contains no face cards and no tsukumogami cards.
3. Add a bonus of one point if all of the cards in the tableau are of the same suit.
4. Subtract one point for each separate gap in the tableau, regardless of the gap’s size. Open ends count as gaps.

If no player has accumulated at least 15 points, collect all of the cards face-down and start another round. The player with the most points is the new host. Among players currently tied for the most points, the player seated closest to the right of the previous host is the new host.

Ending and Winning

Continue playing rounds until a player accumulates a score of at least 15 points. If all players have accumulated at least 8 points, then the player with the highest score wins. Among ties for the highest score, the tied player seated closest to the right of the original host (the owner of the deck) wins. However, if any player(s) have not yet accumulated at least 8 points, all of the players who accumulated scores of 15 or more points lose, and the other players share the win instead.