Rules
How to play
Koi-Koi is a two-player matching game played with a 48-card hanafuda deck — twelve months, four cards each. Capture pairs of the same month, then build yaku. When you complete one, either stop and take the points, or call koi-koi and risk them for more.
A turn
- Play one card from your hand. If it shares a month with a table card, you capture both. Two matches: choose one. Three of a month already out: take all four.
- If nothing matches, the card rests on the table.
- Draw the top of the deck and match the same way.
- New yaku in your captures? Stop, or koi-koi and keep playing.
Koi-Koi
Stopping scores your current yaku. Seven or more points double. If the other player already called koi-koi and you then finish a yaku, your score doubles again. If the cards run out after a koi-koi with no new yaku, the month is a draw.
Yaku
五光 · Five Brights
Crane, curtain, moon, rain man, phoenix.
10
四光 · Four Brights
Four lights, excluding the rain man.
8
雨四光 · Rain Four
Four lights including the rain man.
7
三光 · Three Brights
Three lights, excluding the rain man.
6
猪鹿蝶 · Boar Deer Butterfly
Boar, deer, and butterfly. +1 per extra animal.
5+
赤短 · Poetry Ribbons
The three poetry ribbons of pine, plum, and cherry.
5+
青短 · Blue Ribbons
The three blue ribbons of peony, chrysanthemum, and maple.
5+
月見酒 · Moon Viewing
Moon and sake cup.
5
花見酒 · Cherry Viewing
Cherry curtain and sake cup.
5
タネ · Animals
Any five animals, if you lack Ino-Shika-Chō.
1+
短冊 · Ribbons
Any five ribbons, if you lack the poetry/blue sets.
1+
カス · Chaff
Ten plain cards. +1 for each extra.
1+
The year
Four cards for each month. Brights, animals, ribbons, and chaff.
松 Pine · January
梅 Plum · February
桜 Cherry · March
藤 Wisteria · April
菖蒲 Iris · May
牡丹 Peony · June
萩 Clover · July
芒 Pampas · August
菊 Chrysanthemum · September
紅葉 Maple · October
柳 Willow · November
桐 Paulownia · December
Two-player tables use a direct connection. It is meant for friends you invite — there is no referee.