StarGames

How to play

A new game can be started by clicking on "New Game". When starting a new game, players may choose who is allowed to join the game, the skill level of the opponents as well as the number of opponents.

The player may also decide whether players can play straight from the hand ("Rummy") and whether the knock function is activated ("Knock"). By clicking the "Knock" button, the player can attempt to take the card on the top of the discard pile before his/her opponent manages to do so. If the player does this quickly enough, he/she will receive the card, plus two further cards from the deck. The player may then make his/her move as normal.

Furthermore, the player may set the point limit for the game, with a choice of 1 or 50 points. 1 means that the game is over after one round. Alternatively, the player may join a game that has been set up by another player.

A red exclamation mark signifies that it is the player’s turn, while a green arrow points at the opponent who is making his/her move.

The time remaining for the move is shown to the right of the table, as is the agreed maximum point total and other useful buttons such as “Player Info.” and “Invite”. The game chat window is also located to the right of the table.

The player’s hand is shown at the bottom of the playing field, along with his/her nickname and points total. At the top left of the screen are two piles of cards. The pile facing upwards is the discard pile, while the other is the deck. A player may take a card from either pile, performed by a single click on the desired pile. To lay a card on the discard pile, the player can either click on the unwanted card in their hand or drag and drop it onto the pile. Jokers can only be moved by dragging and dropping them.

A normally inactive “Lay Cards” button is also shown. As soon as the player has formed a group or sequence that can be laid, this button becomes active. The group or sequence that can be laid is highlighted by a blue line that stretches across all of the layable cards. Cards laid are then shown face-up on the table. To add cards to a group or sequence already laid, a player can simply drag and drop the desired card into position. To assist with the ordering of cards, a blue arrow shows the ends of the groups and sequences.

Instead of the "Lay Cards" button, the "Knock" button may be shown. By clicking on this button, the player can attempt to take the card on the top of the discard pile before his/her opponent. If the player does this quickly enough, he/she will receive the card, plus two further cards from the deck. The player may then make his/her move as normal.

The player has the opportunity to re-order the cards in his/her hand. This is possible while the other players are taking their turns and can be done by simply dragging and dropping the cards into the desired position.

At the end of the round the point value of the cards that the player is still holding is shown. The player must then click “Next”. If a player reaches or exceeds the points set out at the start of the game, the game comes to an end in the 2-player version. In games with more than two players, a red cross is shown above the player’s name as well as the button “Exit”. Once the player clicks on this button, he/she leaves the game and is taken directly to the lobby. If the player has fewer points than the limit, the player can click on “Next”. New cards are dealt and the next round begins.

Rules

Rummy is a card game for 2 to 4 players. It is played with two decks of 52 cards and 6 Jokers. The Jokers can be used to complete groups or sequences. Any players who exceed this number during the game are knocked out.

Each player receives 13 cards at the start of each round. The aim of the game is to lay all of the cards on the playing field in groups or sequences. At the beginning of a player’s turn, he/she must first take a card from either the deck or the card discarded by the previous player. Should the player have a recognised group or sequence of cards, he/she may lay it. Finally, the player must discard a card, irrespective of whether a group or sequence was laid. The turn is then over and the next player may go.

A group consists of at least 3 cards of the same value, e.g. three 10s or four Aces. However, no card may appear twice in the group, meaning that a group of e.g. 10 of Diamonds, 10 of Clubs and 10 of Diamonds is not possible.

A sequence is a number of consecutive cards of the same suit in ascending order, e.g. 8♦, 9♦, 10♦ or 10♣, J♣, Q♣. Aces can be either high or low, however one cannot lay a sequence consisting of a King, Ace and a 2. This is referred to as “laying around the corner”.

While a player may lay a set of 3 cards, only one of the 3 may be a Joker. This means that Ace, Joker, Joker, for example, is not a valid combination, as it is unclear as to whether the cards form a group or a sequence.

A player requires at least 30 points in hand to lay for the first time. If the player holds, for example, three 7s, he/she must wait as this group totals only 21 points. Once the player can lay a group or sequence of at least 30 points in value, the cards may then be laid. Any player who has already laid once in the round, may then add his/her own cards to any group or sequence he/she has already laid. E.g. The player may add a 6♣ or 9♣ to a sequence consisting of 7♣, 8♣ and 9♣.

Hint: If there is a group or a sequence laid on the playing field which includes a Joker, a player may take this and replace it with the card that the Joker represented.

As soon as a player has laid all of his/her cards, the round is over. The values of the cards remaining in the opponents' hands are then calculated and added/deducted from each player's individual score. Any cards which players still hold count as negative points. If a player exceeds the agreed negative point limit, he/she will be knocked out of the game. The remaining players are taken to the next round. The last player remaining is declared as the winner. In the 2-player version of the game, the player who stays under the limit wins the game.

Points

During the game the cards have the following values:

• Picture cards are worth 10 points
• Aces are worth 1 or 11 points depending on where they are used

• in a sequence (low or high, respectively)
• All numbered cards are worth their face value
• Jokers assume the value of the card that they are replacing

At the end of the game, the points for each player are determined as follows:

• Picture cards count as 10 points
• Aces count as 15 points
• Jokers count as 30 points
• All remaining cards are worth their face value.

In calculation of points at the end of the round, cards laid on the table count as positive points and cards held in hands count as negative points.

If a player manages to lay all of his/her cards in one go, the opponents' negative points are doubled. This is referred to as "playing straight from the hand".