Rainbow

Rainbow is a short card-shedding game, where cards are played as sets, runs, or singles.

The cards are numbered from 1 to 6 and there are ten of each. Everyone is dealt a large hand of cards and one card per player is placed face-up on the table: these are points, available to be claimed in order of the strongest hand.

How do you determine the strongest hand? The starting player can play a set (multiples of the same card) a run (two or more cards of consecutive numbers) or a single. If a set or run is played, all players must do likewise – you cannot have sets and runs in the same hand. The only exception is a single, which you can always play. After everyone has played from their hands, the ‘points’ cards get claimed. Let’s say someone started the hand with a run of 2+3. The second player beats this with a 3+4 and the third player beats both of them with a longer run of 1+2+3. The fourth player simply plays a single card, meaning they are last – but have more cards in their hands for subsequent rounds. Everyone claims the points cards – and now all the played cards from this hand become the points cards for the next hand!

This pattern continues until 2 or more players are out of cards. Everyone adds up their claimed points cards and the player with the most points is the winner!