Objective
The goal of Rakado is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards by playing them in the correct sequence on the discard pile. The first player who has no cards left in their hand wins the game.
Game Materials
- A set of 108 cards, consisting of five suits with numbers from 1 to 10, and seven special action cards per suit (Draw Two, Skip, Reverse).
- Players: 2 to 10
Setup
- Shuffle the cards thoroughly.
- Deal 7 cards to each player.
- Place the remaining deck face down in the middle and turn the top card face up to start the discard pile.
Game Play
- The player to the left of the dealer starts.
- Play proceeds clockwise.
On your turn, you must:
- Play a card from your hand onto the discard pile.
- The card must match either the color or number of the top card on the discard pile.
- Action cards can be played at any time if their specific conditions are met.
- If you cannot play a card, draw a card from the draw pile.
- If you can play this new card, you may immediately do so.
Special Action Cards: - Draw Two (+2): The next player must draw two cards and miss their turn. - Skip: The next player's turn is skipped. - Reverse: The order of play is reversed.
Special Situations
- In case of a Draw Two chain (multiple consecutive +2 cards), the required drawn cards accumulate.
- If the draw pile is exhausted, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.
Winning
The first player with no cards left in their hand shouts "Rakado!" and wins the game.
Strategic Tips
- Use Action Cards Wisely: Collect and hold on to action cards to alter the course of the game to your advantage when necessary.
- Draw vs. Hold: Sometimes it is strategically better to not play a card if it means you can use an action card to greater effect in the subsequent turn.
