Abluxxen (Linko) - Online Guide

Starting the Game

With /join 2-5 players can join the game. With /start the game begins. Alternatively, you can use the Game Management Tool

Object of the Game

Abluxxen is a short card game with an annoyance factor. The players try to place as many cards as possible in front of them and thereby make points. Cards left in your hand at the end of the game give you penalty points. Sounds easy. If only there weren't any opponents that regularly "abluxx" (abscond with) your cards...

These rules are simply instructions for the online game. You can download the complete rules here.

Game Board

Spielfeld
  1. Player name. The player whose turn it is has coloured paws around his head. The player with a star currently has to perform an action (e.g. drawing cards).
  2. Number of cards in hand
  3. Cards on the table (the top ones can be "abluxx"ed)
  4. Player's Cards
  5. Open display of draw cards
  6. Face-down draw pile

Game Material

104 numbered cards (8x each of the numbers 1-13), 5 jokers

Flow of the game

At the beginning of the game each player gets 13 cards. Six cards are turned up from the draw pile.

The starting player now plays one or more cards of the same value.

He clicks the desired cards (1). Once he is done, he plays them by clicking the green paw (2).

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If he has already played other cards in the game, the new cards are placed on top of the old ones.

The player can now "abluxx" (take away) the opponents' cards if he can trump their top-most combination, i.e. he plays the same number of cards and their value is higher.

Abluxxen

Vreneli could now play her three 7s and thereby abluxx Nessi's three 5s. Or she can play four 11s or 12s and abluxx Ungeheuer's four 10s. But she would then not be able to take the three 5s because they are only three cards.

If you abluxx another player, you can either take the cards onto your hand and force the other player to draw as many cards as they were abluxxed for or, if you don't want them, the opponent gets to choose to either pick up the cards again or to discard them and draw the same number.

Auswahl

Galuppy has abluxxed Nessi's three 5s with her three 9s. She can now decide to take the three 5s (green) or not (red).

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If she clicks green, Nessi had to draw three new cards. The game continues after that.

If she clicks red, Nessi gets the same window and can decide to either take the 5s (green) or discard hem and take three new cards (red).

Abluxxing is checked in order starting with the active player. Once all abluxxes have been decided and everybody has drawn their cards, the player behind the abluxxer gets to play cards. The player who gets to play (and possibly abluxx) cards at the moment has coloured paws around their head.

End of the Game

The game ends immediately, once

  • a player plays his last card(s). There is no more abluxxing.

OR

  • if the entire draw pile including the six face-up cards has been used up. Once the last card is drawn, the game ends immediately.

Each player now gets a point for each card in front of them regardless of card value. Each card left in hand is 1 minus point.

Miscellaneous

Joker
  • Jokers can either be played as the highest cards (also trumping 13s) or along with other cards, in which case they take on their values.
  • If you can abluxx with the cards you've played, you have to. You can't refuse to abluxx, however you can refuse to take the abluxxed cards.
  • You can only abluxx the top-most cards of a player.
  • You can only abluxx once per player and turn (the cards underneath abluxxed cards are taboo in this turn).
  • The face-up cards are only filled up after a player has drawn all the cards they need to draw.

Game Options

duel

You have to use the "duel" option to play a 2 player game. An imaginary friend plays a third player. Most of the normal rules stay the same but there are a few changes:

  • Both (real) players get 2 jokers and 11 further cards to begin with.
  • The 13 cards of the ghost player are placed face-up. 13s and jokers are removed and placed on top of the lowest face-up draw cards. These two cards can then be drawn as one.
  • You can not only abluxx the ghost's top cards but all of them. If you can, you have to.
  • If you abluxx the ghost, you always have to take the cards onto your own hand. The ghost's cards are then filled up to 13 again.
  • If you can abluxx several of the ghost's combinations you have to pick one.
  • If you can abluxx both the opponent and the ghost, you always abluxx the ghost first.

You can find the complete rules for the duel variant here.