Phase 10 is a two- to six-player card game. The objective of the game is to finish each of the 10 phases one at a time. Players will sum up their score at the conclusion of each round based on the amount and kind of cards left in their hand. The aim is to finish the game with the lowest score possible. Keep in mind that if you don’t finish your phase in a round, you’ll have to start over in the following round.
The Phase 10 deck of cards consists of numeric cards ranging from 1 to 12 in four different colours: Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow. For each colour, there are two of each number. There are also eight wild cards (which may represent any number or colour) and four skip cards (which, when played, skip a specified player’s turn, which is chosen by the player playing the skip).
The game is divided into ten parts, which players must finish in the correct order. The phases are as follows:
- 2 sets of 3
- 1 set of 3 + 1 run of 4
- 1 set of 4 + 1 run of 4
- 1 run of 7
- 1 run of 8
- 1 run of 9
- 2 sets of 4
- 7 cards of one color
- 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 2
- 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 3
A set is a collection of numbers that are all the same. A run is a collection of numbers that are arranged in a sequential order. Wilds can be any number in a set, and they can also be any colour in a run.
Step 1 – Deal each player 10 cards after you’ve reached the required number of players. Each participant will begin on phase one at the start of the game. At this stage, players can arrange the cards in their hand in any way that helps them keep track of which cards they have and which ones they need. It’s not required to organise your cards, but it’s a good idea for novice players. The remaining cards are stacked face down in the centre of the playing area. The top card is then turned face up and placed on top of the pile.
Step 2 – In order to begin your turn, you must draw one card. You have the option of drawing one of the face down cards from the pile or the face up card. You must discard a card face up next to the draw pile at the conclusion of your turn. The turn will proceed to the next player, who will draw a card and discard a card usually to the left or clockwise from the person who started.
Step 3 – If a player possesses the appropriate cards for their phase, they may opt to “lay down” their phase after drawing a card to begin their turn. The needed cards for the phase will be laid face up by the player. In the illustration, the player has placed the needed cards for phase 3 on the table.
When it comes to putting down a phase, there are two things to keep in mind. You can lay down more cards than are necessary in your phase, in which case you should play all of them, as after the phase is over, your aim is to discard your hand.
Step 4 – You must attempt to play out the remaining cards in your hand once you have completed and laid down your phase. Always remember to draw one card at the start of each round and discard one card at the end of your turn.
Step 5 – The round ends when one player has completed their phase and discarded the last card in their hand. The remaining players will give their remaining cards in their hand a score, sum it up, and write it down. Each card with a numeric value of 1 to 9 is worth 5 points. Each card with a numeric value between 10 and 12 is worth 10 points. Each Skip and Wild Card is worth 25 points.
Step 6 – One last round of scoring is indicated once a player has finished the 10th and final phase and has gone out to end the round. The totals of all played rounds (which may be more than 10 in games with more than two players) are then tallied together.
The one who receives the lowest score is the winner!
