INTRODUCTION

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Unkindness™ is a cutthroat card game themed around the extensive mythologies of ravens as both harbingers of the ill-omened as well as guardians.

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The deck consists of 64 cards broken down into three colors. Each color is also represented by a symbol. The colors have ranked strengths with orange (Thorns) being the weakest and purple (Berry Leaf) being the strongest. Each color has two of each number ranging from 1 to 10. Each color also has a corresponding Raven. These Ravens are higher than the 10s. There is a seventh one that is represented by all three colors. This is referred to as “The Multicolored One”.

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The object of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your hand. Each player who is caught with cards in their hand at the end of a round is assigned points based on the number of cards in their hand (for more information on scoring, see the scoring section of the rules). The first person to 100 points ends the game and the winner is declared to be the player with the lowest score.

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FIRST HAND

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At the beginning of each hand, the deck is dealt evenly out to each player (each player will end up with 16 cards). The person who plays first (only on the first turn) is the person who is holding the multicolored one card. They must start the game by playing a hand that contains "The Multicolored One". From here, the game play will go in a clockwise direction until one person is out of cards.

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Each player may play a corresponding hand that is higher than the previous hand played. Players may choose to simply pass by knocking on the table or saying “pass”. This means that a player may lie about being able to play. Once a hand is laid that has been passed on by all other players, the player who played that hand now leads. They will lay any hand that they choose (see below for valid hands). This continues until a person is out of cards.

A person who has only one card in hand must announce to the table that they are on their last card. This can be done simply by saying “last card” or something similar, as long as it is evident. The person who is playing before that person in rotation must play their strongest card if singles are being played. If this player is leading, then they must play a multiple-card hand if possible or strongest single card (this may mean having to lead with an Unkindness™!).

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SUBSEQUENT HANDS

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At the start of the next round and all subsequent rounds, each player is dealt 16 cards. The shuffling and dealing is done by the person who won the previous hand. However, the person who scored the highest on the pervious round is given the title of "Bad Omen" and must give the winner of the pervious hand their strongest card. In return, the winner (the "Good Omen") of the hand will choose any card that they do not want in their hand and give it to the suck. This exchange must take place in front of the other players. The "Good Omen" of the pervious round may choose to give back the card that they received from the "Bad Omen". Once the exchange is finalized, the next round may proceed (in the opposite direction from the previous round). The "Good Omen" leads that hand.

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Should there be a tie for number of cards in a player's hand at the end of the round, the "Bad Omen" is then the player with higher overall score between the those who tied. If the score is also tied between the players, the "Bad Omen" becomes the person closest to the left side of the winner.

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The game ends when a player has accumulated 100 points. The player with the lowest score is considered the winner.

 

 

SCORING

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Once a player goes out, totals will be taken by the scorekeeper and added to previous totals.

1-7 cards left in hand = 1 point per card

8-10 cards left in hand = 2 points per card

11-13 cards left in hand = 3 points per card

14-15 cards left in hand = 4 points per card

If a player is caught with all 16 cards in hand at the end of a round, they receive 80 points.

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Scoring can be kept on a notepad or random piece of paper. However, we also have an official scoresheet available for download FOR FREE. If you make your own, do not forget that each round goes in the opposite direct than the last!

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VALID HANDS AND RANKINGS

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Orange < Teal < Purple or Thorns < Bone < Berry Leaf

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Each hand strength is measured by number before color. A purple 8, for example, is higher than a teal 8 but lower than an orange 9. Ravens are higher than 10s.

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-Single-card hand: Any play that is made-up of a single card. 

-Double-card hand: Any play made-up of two matching numbers (colors can be different).

-Set of triples: Any hand made-up of three matching numbers.

-Five-card hands: Any play using five cards. Five-card hands adhere to the following hierarchy below:

               -Straight: A hand made-up of five consecutive numbers but do not match colors.

               -Flush: A hand made-up of five cards that share a color but are not in any particular order.

               -Full house: A set of triples + a pair. The triples in a full house take priority when deciding strength.

               -Straight Flush: A hand made-up of five consecutive numbers that share a color.

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               IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE RAVENS CANNOT BE USED IN FLUSHES OR STRAIGHTS.

 

They can, however, be used as a pair or set of triples and therefore, can be played in a Full House.

An “Unkindness™” hand: Any hand that is made-up of a four-of-a-kind or more (ex. Five-of-a-kind, six-of-a-kind, or the extremely rare seven-of-a-kind).

 

EXAMPLE OF A BIT OF PLAY

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Only a hand of the same type may be played on top of a previous hand. For example: If Joey leads with a single one, Monica cannot play a five-card hand on top. Instead, she may play a higher single card (better one if possible or higher) or she may pass/knock. She does not have to play the next numerical card either. For instance, if Joey led with the same one, Monica could play any single card higher than that one (a Raven for instance). The only exception to this rule is the Unkindness™ hand which acts as a higher strength hand, no matter what was played. For example, if Monica played the purple raven on Joey’s teal two then Racheal could play an Unkindness™ of ones (four, five, six or even seven ones) on Monica’s raven.

Unkindness hands can only be topped by better Unkindness™ hands. An example is a four-of-a-kind is topped by a higher four-of-a-kind or a higher strength hand such as a five-of-a-kind and so forth.