Zodiac Race Rules
Objective
The aim of the game is to be the first player to collect all 12 zodiac animals of the same element (Water/blue, Wood/green, Earth/yellow, Metal/silver grey or Fire/red) in the correct order, starting with the Rat and ending with the Pig.
The full animal order is; Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog & Pig.
The image below shows a valid winning sequence of 12 cards. All animals are in order and of the same element. In this instance, the Water Yin Yang is substituting the Water Dog.
TIP: You can reference the zodiac wheel on the back side of the game box at any stage of the game if you are in doubt as to which animal comes next in the sequence.
Setup
1. Shuffle the deck of 65 cards thoroughly.
2. Deal 5 cards to each player, face down.
3. Place the remaining cards face down in the centre to form the draw pile.
Game Play
The player to the left of the dealer starts the game. Play proceeds clockwise.
On their turn, a player may choose to either:
1. Lay down a valid sequence of zodiac animals of the same element (colour) in front of them. This may be a single card or as many animals in sequence as they have in their hand. See the section below on Valid Sequence.
2. Discard one or multiple cards from their hand onto the discard pile. The player has 3 options if they choose to discard a card. See the section below on Discarding Cards. The discarded card/s must be placed face up on the discard pile.
If a player draws a card they can use to add to their sequence, they may lay down the card/s immediately after drawing, even if they have already drawn a card during their turn.
The first player to complete a valid sequence of all 12 zodiac animals of the same suit wins the game.
Discarding Cards
If a player on their turn chooses to discard a card onto the discard pile, they have 3 choices of play being either;
1. Pick up a fresh card from the draw pile, or;
2. Swap their discarded card for the top card on the discard pile, or;
3. Request the corresponding animal in the desired element. For example; if a player discards a Wood Pig and they are collecting Earth animals, they may ask the other players if they have the Earth Pig. If they do, they must give that card to the player requesting it and take a card from the draw pile to maintain a hand of 5 cards.
Multiple cards may be discarded in a single turn if the cards are all either the same animal or the same element (colour). When discarding multiple cards, the player must take the corresponding number of cards entirely from either the draw pile or the discard pile.
Valid Sequence
1. A valid sequence consists of all 12 zodiac animals of the same suit in the order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
2. Each player may only have one sequence in front of them at any given time.
3. Yin Yang cards may be used as a substitute for any zodiac animal in a sequence, but must be of the same element (colour). See section below on Yin Yang Cards.
4. A valid sequence must be continuous - for example, a Rooster may not be added to the sequence if the Monkey is not already collected.
The first card collected must always be a Rat or Yin Yang of the same element (see section on Yin Yang cards for their correct use). Once cards are added to the players sequenced collection, the player may pick up additional cards from the draw pile so that they maintain a hand of 5 cards.
Yin Yang Cards
There are 5 Yin Yang cards in the deck, 1 for each element (Wood, Earth, Fire, Water & Metal). These cards have special attributes and may be used as follows;
1. When using a Yin Yang card in a sequence;
A. A Yin Yang may substitute any animal in a valid sequence, but must be of the same element.
B. A Yin Yang card used in a valid sequence may be replaced and rearranged within the sequence when the substituted animal card becomes available.
2. When discarding a Yin Yang card the player has 2 options;
A. The player may request any card of their element (including a Yin Yang) that another player may have in their hand.
B. The player may retrieve the top (up-most) card of their element within the discard pile.
3. When discarding yin yang cards, only one Yin Yang card may be used in a turn.
4. A Yin Yang card has no special function if discarded with another card/s.
End of Turn
1. After a player has drawn and either laid down a sequence or discarded a card, their turn ends. The player should ensure they have drawn from the draw pile and have 5 cards in hand before play proceeds to the next player.
2. Play proceeds to the next player in clockwise order.
Winning the Game
The first player to successfully lay down a Pig (or Yin Yang substitute) to complete a valid sequence of all 12 zodiac animals of the same element (colour) wins the game.
Additional Rules
1. If the draw pile runs out, immediately shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile before the next player commences their turn.
3. If a player draws a card at the end of their turn that they can use in their sequence, they may lay down that card/s and re-draw new card/s before the play proceeds to the next player.
4. If two or more players complete a valid sequence in the same turn, the player who completed it first wins.
5. If at any stage during a game it is discovered that a player has missed an animal in their current sequence, the player must on their next turn, discard all animals collected after the missing card that had been laid down.