Rules

🛠️ Setting up

Deck composition

Normal Drinko is played with the following deck composition:

• 1x  Each colored 0 digit card;
• 2x  Each colored 1-9 digit card;
• 2x  Each colored skip card;
• 2x  Each colored +1 card;
• 1x  Each colored +2 card;
• 1x  Each colored +3 card;
• 2x Deflect card;
• 2x Split card;
  
• 1x  Target card.
  

When you have a good feel for how vanilla Drinko is balanced, you can optionally look at Game variants.

Draw deck

Once your deck composition is complete, we can set up the draw deck:

• Shuffle the deck.
• Give each player 7 cards face-down.

Put the rest of the cards face down on a pile. This is the draw deck.

Play pile

Next, draw a card from the top of the draw pile. Turn it face up and put it next to the draw pile. This is the initial play pile.

The initial card must be a colored number card. If it is not, repeat these steps until it is.

▶️ Playing the game

Choose a player to start. The game begins with their turn, staring with a clockwise turn order.

🔵 Normal play

On their turn, each player must play a legal card from their hand:

• If a card has the same color or type as the last played card, it can be played.
• Special cards can always be played.
• Any card can be played after a special card.
• (See Cards for a full reference.)

If you don't have a legal card to play, you must draw a card from the Draw Deck. This ends your turn.

🚂 Drink Train

Any card with a drink amount on it will start a Drink Train phase. During this phase, we are stacking drinks and cards to draw (amount of drinks = amount of cards).

• Normal matching rules apply:
  • You can only play a card if the color or type is equal to the last card played..
  • ..or if the last card was a Special card.
• Drinks can "only go up":
  • ❌ Playing less drinks is not allowed: You cannot play a +1 after a +2/+3.
    
  • ✔️ Playing equal is legal: a +1 after another +1 is allowed.
  • ✔️ Playing more is legal: a +2 after a +1 is allowed.
  • ✔️ Any drink amount can be played after a Special card was played.
    
• Special cards can always be played.

The Drink Train ends when someone fails to play a legal card from their hand. When this happens, they must drink and draw cards equal to the size of the drink train. This ends their turn, after which 🔵 Normal play resumes.

📣 Calling Drinko!

You must say "Drinko!" as soon as you have only one card left.

You have until the next person plays their card to call Drinko. If someone tries to call you out on it before then, it's not too late! Just call it immediately.

If you fail to call Drinko before the next player finishes their turn, other players have until your next turn to call you out on it. After that, they are too late.

If someone successfully calls you out on failing to say Drinko, drink twice and draw 7 cards.

🏆 Win conditions

Your last card cannot be a special card.

Players can win the game by playing all their cards. However, their last card must not be a special card. If it is, they must draw two cards. The game continues.

🌶️ Game variants

There's a few things you can tweak to change up the gameplay of Drinko.

Optional: Suffer card

Discouraged: This card has not been playtested. I recommend playing normally first -- it'll get you plenty drunk already!

If you want, you can add the Suffer card if you want to live dangerously. Try playing the game normally first.

Optional: Plus Zero, Minus One cards

Not recommended: During playtesting of the +0 card, it was found to just extend the round length, but with no added fun. I suspect the -1 card is going to be even worse in practice.

Plus 0  and Minus 1  cards can also be added. Beware that the Plus 0 and Minus 1 may make the game take longer with minimal or no added fun.

Cards

This chapter is a quick reference for what cards can be played when.

Colored 0-9

Effect

Nothing special.

Playability

🔵 Normal: Can be played if the last card was the same color, the same digit, or a special card.

🚂 Drink train: Cannot be played.

Colored Skip 

Effect

The next person has their turn skipped. It is now the turn of the player after them.

Playability

🔵 Normal: If the last card was the same color, the same type, or a special card.

🚂 Drink Train: Cannot be played.

Colored +1/+2/+3 

Effect

If there was no active 🚂 Drink Train, playing these will start one. See 🚂 Drink Train for the corresponding rules.

The 🚂 Drink Train gains cards and drinks equal to the number on the card.

Playability

🔵 Normal: Can be played if the last card was the same color, the same type, or a special card.

🚂 Drink Train: Can be played if:

• The last card was the same color, and an equal or lesser drink count.
  • Example: A red +3 can not be played after a red +1 or +2.
• The last card was a different color, and an equal drink count.
  • Example: A red +2 can be played after a green +2.
• The last card was a special card.

Deflect

Effect

Turn order is reversed. If a 🚂Drink Train is active, the drink train continues in the new turn order.

Playability

Always.

Target 

Effect

Choose a player. It is now their turn.

If a 🚂 Drink Train is active, it is carried over to the chosen player.

Playability

Always.

Split 

Effect

Only has an effect during a 🚂 Drink Train.

Choose another player. You and them must both drink half of the drinks, rounded up. You still draw cards equal to the full amount of drinks. The other player does not need to draw.

Playability

Always.

Suffer 

Effect

Only has an effect during a 🚂 Drink Train.

Every player drinks a copy of the full drink train. The player who played this card must still draw cards equal to the full amount of drinks.

Playability

Always.