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[[Category:Card games]]
== Overview ==
For tips on how to play hanabi, see <b>[[Tips_hanabi]]</b>
== Introduction ==


* Hanabi is a cooperative game. Your goal, as a team, is to build a fabulous fireworks show.
Hanabi is a cooperative game where your collective goal is to build a fabulous fireworks show. Like any decent show, you should start with small fireworks and finish with the big ones. You will do this by playing red, yellow, green, blue and white cards from ranks 1 to 5. The problem? You don't know what cards you have. But you know which ones your fellow players do. So you must communicate with each other to build a proper show by placing cards in sequential order with no misfires.
* You do this by playing the cards in the correct order.
* However, you cannot see your own cards; you can only see the cards of your team mates.


==== Final Score Ratings ====
====Cards and Firework Stacks====


{| class="wikitable"
The deck has 50 cards. The cards come in five colors: {{pill|red|firebrick}} {{pill|yellow|gold}} {{pill|green|green}} {{pill|blue|royalblue}} {{pill|white|white}}
|-
!Points
!Overall impression
|-
|5 or less
|horrible, booed by the crowd...
|-
|6-10
|mediocre, just a spattering of applause.
|-
|11-15
|honourable, but will not be remembered for very long...
|-
|16-20
|excellent, crowd pleasing.
|-
|21-24
|amazing, will be remembered for a very long time!
|-
|25
|legendary, everyone left speechless, stars in their eyes
|}


== Card distribution ==
Each color has 10 cards: 3 {{HCard|1|silver}}, 2 {{HCard|2|silver}}, 2 {{HCard|3|silver}}, 2 {{HCard|4|silver}}, 1 {{HCard|5|silver}}.


* In a game of Hanabi on '''normal difficulty''', the deck contains 50 cards.
There is only one firework stack of each color which start empty. {{hTable}}
* Each card has exactly one colour: either Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, or White.


There are 10 cards in each colour:
Each firework must be placed in ascending order starting from 1, so you are aiming for {{hTable|5|5|5|5|5}}.
* three 1s
* two 2s
* two 3s
* two 4s
* one 5


=== Multicolour cards ===
Playing a card on any stack that is not the next number in the sequence will result in a misfire. '''If three misfires occur, the game is over and the players lose.'''


* There are three variants that add a 6th colour: the multicolour.
====Communication====
* There are three difficulties:


==== Tricky ====
You communicate with your teammates via '''clues'''. You have a limited number of clues, represented by tokens like this: {{Hclue|s=1}}


* Adds 10 multicolour cards to the normal game.
Each time a clue is given, one {{Hclue|s=1}} moves from the white area (available tokens) to the black (used tokens): {{hClues|s=1.2|a7=}}.
* These cards get marked by a separate multicolour clue.


==== Hard ====
If there are no tokens available, you must play or discard on your turn.


* '''5''' multicolour cards to the normal game: one of each number.
{{reminder|Do '''not''' give information via chat. That is cheating. If you do, you are dishonored and your reputation as a master pyrotechnician is tainted.}}
* These cards get marked by a separate multicolour clue.


==== Very Difficult ====
==Setup==


* Adds 10 multicolour cards to the normal game.
In a 2-3 player game, each player gets a hand of 5 cards. In a 4-5 player game, each player gets a hand of 4 cards.  
* These cards get marked by ANY colour clue.


== Game play ==
==Gameplay==


* You each take turns.
On your turn, you can do one of three things.  
* During a turn, a player may take one (1) of three actions.
* After your action, the turn ends and it is the next player's turn.
* The game can end in several ways:
*# All cards have been drawn from the deck. After this happens, everybody gets 1 more turn. The game ends with the score at the last turn.
*# Your team played all possible cards. In this case, the game ends immediately and you receive the maximum possible score.
*# Your team made three mistakes that caused misfires. In this case, you lose the game and get negative ten (-10) points.
*# Your team 'abandons' the game. Although discouraged, you receive zero (0) points.


== Turn ==
<ul class="bulletlist" style="margin:1em 0;padding-inline-start:40px;">
  <li>Give a clue.</li>
  <li>Discard a card.</li>
  <li>Play a card.</li>
</ul>


* During your turn, you have one (1) action.
==== Give a Clue ====
* You can choose to do one of the following:


==== Give a colour or number clue to a teammate ====
To give a clue, there must be at least 1 {{Hclue|s=1}} in the white area.
Select another player's card. You have the choice of telling the player:


* This costs one clue-token (-1).
<ul class="bulletlist" style="margin:1em 0;padding-inline-start:40px;">
* You cannot give a clue if there are zero (0) clue-tokens left.
  <li>Which cards '''of that color''' the player has</li>
* When you give a clue, you must indicate '''all''' cards of a certain colour, or '''all''' cards of a certain number.
  <li>Which cards '''of that number''' the player has</li>
</ul>


==== Play a card ====
At that point, 1 {{Hclue|s=1}} is moved from the white "available" zone to the black "used" zone.


* When a card is played, it is evaluated.
The game records these clues, so you can tell which cards other players have pointed out are what number and what color.
* If the card fits in one of sequences, it is placed in the appropriate colour stack on the table.
* If it does not fit, it is placed in the discard pile and the team gets a misfire-token.
* Then draw a new card.


==== Discard a card ====
==== Play a Card ====


* When you discard, the card is placed in the discard pile and you get a clue-token (+1).
Select a card in your hand and then {{button|Play selected card}} or just drag the card onto the firework stacks in the center to play it.
* ''Note:'' cards on the discard pile are out of the game and can never return.
<ul class="bulletlist" style="margin:1em 0;padding-inline-start:40px;">
* Then draw a new card.
  <li>If it '''is''' the next card in sequence for a color, it is automatically placed on the appropriate stack, adding to or completing the firework stack.</li>
  <li>If it '''is not''' the next card in sequence for any color, then the firework has misfired and the card is discarded.</li>
</ul>
A replacement card is automatically added to the left side of the player's hand.


== Options ==
If the played card completes a firework stack, 1 {{Hclue|s=1}} moves from the spent black area to the white available area.


=== Black Powder ===
==== Discard a Card ====


* You may not give clues regarding the colour black.
To discard a card, there must be at least 1 {{Hclue|s=1}} in the black area.
* Black cards must be played in reverse order, from 5 to 1.
* In the deck there are three black 5s, two black 4s, two black 3s, two black 2s, and one black 1.


=== Five Flamboyants ===
Select a card in your hand and then {{button|Discard selected card}} or just drag the card onto the discard area to discard it.


After playing the last card of a colour, randomly select one of the following bonuses for immediate use:
A replacement card is automatically added to the left side of the player's hand.
* Gain a clue token.
* Gain a clue token and recover a life.
* Give a clue regarding a colour.
* Give a clue regarding a number.
* Shuffle a discarded card into the deck.
* Play a discarded card, if possible.


== Lingo ==
1 {{Hclue|s=1}} moves from the black area to the white area, making it available.


When you play with others, certain words are used to describe certain objects or situations. Here is a short list.
Discarding is a necessary part of the game as you will need to restore {{Hclue|s=1}} in order to clue more cards.


;Marked: A card that is highlighted by a clue.
== Game End ==
;Unmarked: A card that is not clued.
;chop: The oldest, unmarked card. The card that you have no information on and will chop from your hand.
;draw: The newest, unmarked card. The card that you have no information on and was freshly drawn.
;To bomb: A play that causes the third misfire-token. Sometimes called '''explosion'''
;Unique: A card that has no copy (left) in the deck.
;Double discard: When consecutive players have the same card on chop. A special problem, since, to each of the consecutive players, a number to chop does not look like a unique save.
;Double save: When a player has two consecutive unique cards, requiring consecutive save clues.
;Strategy: A set of rules / guidelines / conventions on how to interpret actions by players (including spending of clue-tokens).


== ELO rating ==
There are three ways the game can end:
<ul class="bulletlist" style="margin:1em 0;padding-inline-start:40px;">
  <li>If the players cause 3 misfires (misplayed cards), the game immediately ends and the players lose.</li>
  <li>If all 5 firework stacks are completed, the players have won and are granted a stunning victory with 25 points.</li>
  <li>If the deck is empty, each player plays one more time (including the player who emptied the deck).</li>
</ul>


* If you are playing with ELO rating on, your ELO may be changed at the end of the game.
====Scoring====
* Here is how it works:
*# Every player on the team is temporarily considered as having the average ELO rating of the team.
*# The system will generate a bot associated with the score your team has achieved (let’s call it '''''Hanabot''''').
*#* Hanabot’s ELO rating depends on the variant you are playing (50 cards, 60 cards, 60 cards multicolour), the number of players on the team and, most importantly, your team's score.
*#* All Hanabot’s ELO ratings have been set by an experienced player, they are not random or simply proportional to the score/number of players.
*# Your team (actually your team's average ELO) will now compete against Hanabot.
*#* The system will calculate your team’s ELO gain/loss as though your team had tied with Hanabot.
*#* If your score is below 18 (50-card game) or below 21 (60-card game), Hanabot's ELO is always 1000.


* You can find <b>[http://forum.boardgamearena.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4814 all bots' ELO ratings here]</b>
The score is automatically counted as the game progresses, visible in the player panels.
* The 55-card variant (50 cards + 1 of each value in the sixth color) cannot be played with ELO rating on.
** This is because this variant is highly dependent on draw and a team’s score may not always reflect the players’ skills.
* If you achieve the perfect score and this should cost you ELO points, you will be considered as having beaten the bot associated with the score, so that you lose no ELO points.
* To be confirmed: I think the ELO-system has had an overhaul.


== About "cheating" ==
Artistic impression is determined by the Artisan League of Fireworks Technicians reference scale:


* In the "real life Hanabi", you can talk. That's why we chose to let the chat open for the online version.
{|class="wikitable" style="width:auto;" border="2"
|-style="background:#ccd4;text-align:left;font-weight:600;"
!Points
!Overall impression
|-
|0-5
|Horrible, booed by the crowd...
|-
|6-10
|Mediocre, just a spattering of applause...
|-
|11-15
|Honorable attempt, but quickly forgotten...
|-
|16-20
|Excellent, crowd pleasing.
|-
|21-24
|Amazing, will be remembered for weeks!
|-
|25-29
|Legendary, everyone left speechless, stars in their eyes!
|-
|30
|Divine, the display outshines the stars!
|}


* As a consequence, it is very easy to cheat at Hanabi.
The only way to score above 25 is to include multicolored cards. See '''Variants''' below.
** However, as you can imagine, cheating is very stupid and has no interest... except for ELO boosting.
** This is why there is no international ranking for this game (ie: best player, second best player) and no trophies associated to it.


* Another method of cheating is to deliberately avoid finishing games that would cause ELO to drop.
== Variants ==
** While some argue that games become "boring" once 30 becomes impossible, it is rarely the case that games are abandoned on 29 points while waiting for the final 5 to be drawn.


== Conventions ==
==== Colors ====


* If you want to play "full information" style, meaning that you wait until you know both the colour and number of a card before you play it, you will likely be short on clue-tokens in >99% of the decks.
{|class="wikitable" style="width:auto;" border="2"
* The logical conclusion is, that you cannot play a full information style game, and the team must agree on some sort of convention.
|-style="background:#ccd4;text-align:left;font-weight:600;"
** Meaning: a certain amount of meta-information is assigned to the clues.
!Name
!# of Cards
!Definition
|-
|Normal
|style="text-align:left;"|5 colors
|style="text-align:left;"|Play with a 50-card deck of 5 colors (red, yellow, green, blue, white) to make 5 firework stacks.
|-
|Tricky
|style="text-align:left;"|6th color (10 cards)
|style="text-align:left;"|Add a sixth color--{{pill|multicolor|#b0b}}--to make a deck of 60 cards and make 6 firework stacks.
|-
|Difficult
|style="text-align:left;"|6th color (5 unique cards)
|style="text-align:left;"|Same as Tricky, except {{pill|multicolor|#b0b}} cards only have one card of each rank:
1 {{Hm|1}}, 1 {{Hm|2}}, 1 {{Hm|3}}, 1 {{Hm|4}}, 1 {{Hm|5}}
{{info|This variant is always played in friendly mode because the score depends too much on the luck of the draw to reflect true skill.}}
|-
|Avalanche of Colors
|style="text-align:left;"|Multicolor (10 multicolor cards)
|style="text-align:left;"|{{pill|multicolor|#b0b}} cards are wild, which means these cards are '''''clued by any color'''''.
|}


* Many players have different kinds of conventions.
==== Black Powder ====
* When different players in the same team assign different meta-information to the same clue, the game becomes unplayable.
** This is why the BGA table-settings give the option to set a table convention since the end of 2020.
** Please see this <b>[https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=102&t=18031 post]</b> started by [https://boardgamearena.com/player?id=84207926 Romain672].
* Ideally, all players adhere to the convention, to avoid miscommunication.


* Below, the meta-information of several conventions is explained.
Ten {{pill|black|black}} cards are added to the deck. Black cards are played in '''descending''' order (from {{Hk|5}} to {{Hk|1}}).
* In the examples, colours are indicated by their first letter:
This is why instead of three 1s and one 5, there are three 5s and one 1.
R - Red - <span style="background:red">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>,
Y - Yellow - <span style="background:yellow">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>,
G - Green - <span style="background:lime">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>,
B - Blue - <span style="background:blue">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>,
W - White - <span style="border:1px; border-style:solid; border-colour:black">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>,
M - Multi-colour - <span style="border:1px; border-style:solid; border-colour:black"><span style="background:red">&nbsp;</span><span style="background:yellow">&nbsp;</span><span style="background:lime">&nbsp;</span><span style="background:blue">&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</span>,
P - black Powder - <span style="background:black">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>.
** ''For example:'' Y2 means the card with number 2 and colour yellow.


=== Standard convention ===
You '''cannot give color clues''' for black cards. They have no color (who can see a black firework?). So black cards can only be clued with number.


*You can assume the following meta-information:
The game score starts at -5. That's -1 point for every card missing from the black powder stack.
** Every card that gets marked, will be playable at some point.
** A card marked with a number, can be played when all "number-1" cards are played.
*** ''This is usually explained as: number-clues mean that these cards should be saved and played later on in the game.''
*** ''It is custom to play saved cards from oldest to newest.''
** A colour-clue means that the newest, previously unmarked card, is the next playable card in the sequence.
** The oldest, unmarked card is safe to discard.
*** ''Obviously, if a player has a card that he is sure he will never be able to play, for example a card on which is marked as blue when the blue pile has already been completed, such card must be discarded in priority.''
* Clues you should avoid giving (bad clues):
** Giving a clue that marks 0 new cards.
** Give a clue that tells a lie (does not conform to the meta-information above).
** As a special remark: Since every marked card is assumed playable, you shouldn't mark useless, or duplicate cards. So if you have a saved 4, you are forbidden from marking 4s, unless you are sure you are not holding a copy of that 4.
* Sometimes, a "bad" clue can't be avoided.
** ''For example:'' when you need to save a unique 3 (using a number-clue) to avoid it being discarded, but you also accidentally mark a useless card.
** Or if you are forced to give a colour-clue from a flamboyant, and you use it to mark 0 new cards.
* When a lie has been told, it needs to be corrected.
* A correction-clue can never mean "play", it can only mean "discard".


==== Example 1 ====
==== 5 Flamboyants ====


    new -> old
Also known as "The Sumptuous 5". When you play the last card on a firework stack (typically the 5), a bonus tile is randomly selected for immediate use. Bonus tiles have different effects:
P1: R1, Y1, G1, B1, W1
P2: R2, Y4, R3, B3, G'''5'''
P3: G4, Y1, R4, Y3, Y2


Table: R1, Y5, G1, B3, W4
<ul class="bulletlist" style="margin:1em 0;padding-inline-start:40px;">
  <li>Gain a {{Hclue|s=1}}</li>
  <li>Gain a {{Hclue|s=1}} and remove 1 misfire</li>
  <li>Give a color clue to a player for free</li>
  <li>Give a number clue to a player for free</li>
  <li>Shuffle a discarded card back into the deck (optional)</li>
  <li>Play a discarded card (optional)</li>
</ul>


* It's P1's turn, and P2 knows his oldest card is 5.
==== Convention Used ====
* P1 will give R-clue to P2.
* This will tell P2, that the newest card is the next playable in the sequence (so must be R2), and that the other red can be R3, R4, or R5 (because it must be playable at some later point in the game).


==== Example 2 ====
''Hanabi'' is a game about communication, but there aren't enough {{Hclue|s=1}} to be able to indicate both color ''and'' number of every played card. So to give more information, the team must agree on a set of interpretations for clues, plays, and discards, called '''conventions'''.


    new -> old
If the players use different conventions to communicate, they are sure to lose. You can read more about conventions on the '''[[Tips_hanabi|Tips]]''' page.
P1: R1, Y1, G1, B1, W1
P2: W5, Y4, '''R'''3, B3, G'''5'''
P3: W2, G4, Y1, R4, Y3


Table: R2, Y5, G1, B3, W4
During game setup, the creator can indicate which convention set the players should use. These are not enforceable, so please respect the convention set that the table creator set.


* It is P1's turn again, and P2 knows his oldest card is 5, and his middle card is R.
{|class="wikitable" style="width:auto;" border="2"
* P1 will give R-clue to P3.
|-style="background:#ccd4;text-align:left;font-weight:600;"
* This will tell P3, that his middle card is the next playable in the sequence (so must be R4, because R3 is already marked).
!Convention&nbsp;set
* This will give P2 the meta-information that his saved red card, is R3.
!Summary
** ''This particular move is sometimes called prompting, and is a common way to allow a card that is saved by colour to get played without re-cluing it.''
!Reference
|-
!style="background:#ccd4;text-align:center;font-weight:600;"|Unspecified
|style="text-align:left;"|No convention set
|
|-
!style="background:#ccd4;text-align:center;font-weight:600;"|Finesse
|style="text-align:left;"|
Players assume every marked card is useful.
Useless cards are discarded in priority ''e.g. cards marked blue when the blue stack is completed.''<br>
The oldest, unmarked card is safe to discard if there is no card to play.
A number clue that marks the oldest, unmarked card means save this card for later.
Otherwise it is a left-focused play clue.
Play clues may also include the '''newest, unmarked''' card in every hand.
|[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VzgN6WoeYwh5NYtHECzUNZqFvpVcg-EdObU-YNMlyhc Reference]
|-
!style="background:#ccd4;text-align:center;font-weight:600;"|Layered Finesse
|style="text-align:left;"|Same as Finesse with the addition that finessed cards can also be layered behind other unrelated, but playable cards.
|[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VzgN6WoeYwh5NYtHECzUNZqFvpVcg-EdObU-YNMlyhc Reference]
|-
!style="background:#ccd4;text-align:center;font-weight:600;"|Hgroup
|style="text-align:left;"|This is a comprehensive convention set with several detailed interpretations, many based on the last card (known as the "chop card") and order of clues given. See reference for more details.
|[https://hanabi.github.io H-Group]
|-
!style="background:#ccd4;text-align:center;font-weight:600;"|Other
|style="text-align:left;"|You can specify which convention set should be used in the table presentation header of the table when it starts.
|
|}


==== Example 3 ====
====Preset Deck====


    new -> old
Preset decks are useful for comparing teams/conventions using the same deck. You can select to have no preset deck or choose one of 5 preset decks of the day. These change every day at 0:00 UTC.
P1: R1, Y1, G1, B1, W1
P2: R3, Y4, R'''2''', B3, G5
P3: G4, Y1, R4, Y3, Y2


Table: R1, Y5, G0, B3, W4
====Unofficial variant====


* It is P1's turn, and P2 knows his middle card is 2.
In a two-player game, hand size is 6 instead of 5. In a five-player game, hand size is 3 instead of 4.
* P1 will give R-clue to P2.
* This will tell P2 that his newest card is the next playable in the sequence (so must be R3, because R2 is now visible with 100% information).
 
=== ''Finesse'' ===
 
* Finesse builds on the standard convention (making it a bit more complex).
* In the finesse convention, the timing of the clue gives you extra information.
* You can assume the following meta-information:
** Every card that gets marked, will be playable at some point.
** If the oldest, unmarked card gets marked with a number-clue, then the clue meant "save this/these card(s)". (It is custom to play saved cards from oldest to newest when appropriate.)
** A clue that doesn't mark the oldest card, means that the newest, previously unmarked card, is the next playable card in the sequence.
** The oldest, unmarked card is safe to discard unless that player is busy like having a known play or being forced to do a save on the following player's hand.
*** ''Obviously, if a player has a card that he is sure he will never be able to play, for example a card on which is marked as blue when the blue pile has already been completed, such card must be discarded in priority.''
** If more than 1 person are able to give the same clue, then the last possible person should give that clue.
*** ''Note:'' This approach is disputed by some players.
*** These players argue it is often better to "steal" the clue of the players in front of you.
**** For instance, if they have four trash cards; if they have a duplicate playable, so you wish them to discard a copy; or if you foresee that by encouraging a discard now, a double discard situation could be avoided next move.
**** On the other hand, leaving the clue for the nearest player can improve the value of the given clue---either through finesse possibilities from your draw, or their ability to bluff.
**** Overall, these players argue the decision to "steal" should be carefully considered.
** If a player gets skipped (P1 clues P3, instead of P2; then P2 is skipped), it means either:
**# The skipped player is forbidden from giving that clue; or
**# The skipped player has something to play.
*** ''Note:'' It is '''never''' okay to force a discard. This creates ambiguity on skipping; which should be avoided. And "cluing" a useless card is considered a waste of clue.
 
==== Clues you should avoid giving (bad clues) ====
 
* Giving a clue that marks 0 new cards.
* Give a clue that tells a lie (does not conform to the meta-information above).
* As a special remark: don't mark useless, or duplicate cards. So if you have a saved 4, you are forbidden from marking 4s, unless you are sure you are not holding a copy of that 4.
** ''Exceptions remain:'' circumstances might make it a good move for you to do it anyway. Maybe because others are also "forbidden" to clue that card or because others can't see why it is important to get it clued right now to not lose a card that's following it.
 
==== Special interpretation for play-clues ====
 
* When receiving a clue for the "next playable card in the sequence", the linking cards are not limited to already marked cards (like in standard convention).
* The newest, unmarked cards in every player's hand should be considered as well.
 
====== Example ======
 
    new -> old
P1: ??, ??, ??, ??, ??
P2: B1, Y5, B3, W1, W2
P3: R5, R2, B2, G2, Y2
 
Table: R0, Y0, G0, B0, W0
 
* P1 gives B-clue to P3.
* This gives the information that B2 is the next playable card in the sequence, and that P2 is either not allowed to give B-clue, or has something to play.
* Since P2 has no marked cards, he was not blocked from giving B-clue, so he must have something to play.
* This something, must be the missing link (B1, to enable B2) that makes B2 the next playable card.
* Since there is no logical (marked) card that could be B1, P2 must assume his newest, unmarked card is B1 and blind-plays this card.
 
===== Example of reversed finesse =====
 
    new -> old
P1: ??, ??, ??, ??, ??
P2: R5, R2, B2, G2, Y2
P3: B1, Y5, B3, W1, W2
 
Table: R0, Y0, G0, B0, W0
 
* P1 gives B-clue to P2.
* This gives the information that B2 is the next playable card in the sequence.
* P2 sees that the newest, unmarked card in the hand of P3 is of the same colour (blue) '''and''' playable now. P2 concludes it is a finesse, with the players in reversed order, so his blue card must be B2.
 
===== Example of a bluff =====
 
    new -> old
P1: ??, ??, ??, ??, ??
P2: W1, Y5, B3, W1, W2
P3: R5, R2, B2, G2, Y2
 
Table: R0, Y0, G0, B0, W0
 
* P1 gives B-clue to P3.
* This gives the information that B2 is the next playable card in the sequence, and that P2 is either not allowed to give B-clue, or has something to play.
* Since P2 has no marked cards, he was not blocked from giving B-clue, so he must have something to play.
* This something, must be the missing link (B1, to enable B2) that makes B2 the next playable card.
* Since there is no logical (marked) card that could be B1, P2 must assume his newest, unmarked card is B1 and blind-plays this card.
* However, at this point the "lie" is revealed (because the colour of the played card does '''not''' match the colour of the finesse-clue).
* The blind-played card is '''not''' B1, but W1. P3, up to this point, was thinking he had B1.
* The blind-play of P2 gives him extra information: his blue card is in fact B2.
 
==== ''Off discard'' ====
 
* It happens that in his turn a player no longer has a clue token and that a card must absolutely be played, it is then possible for him to discard another card than his card furthest to the right.
* This move tells the next player to play the card in the same position as the one that was discarded.
 
===== Example =====
 
* It's player 1's turn, there are no more clue tokens, a 1B has already been played and a 2B card has already been discarded (in bold the clues known by the players):
 
    new -> old
P1: a? b? c? d? e?
P2: 4Y 5R 2R 2B 2'''G'''
P3: 2G 1'''B''' 5Y 3'''B''' 3W
 
* Player 1 discards card d? instead of the e? card.
* This indicates to the player that he must play their card in the same position (therefore 2B), which avoids losing it and thus condemning the blue pile.
* This movement is risky because the discarded card can be important or even blocking for the rest of the game.
* This movement should therefore only be used if there is no other solution.
* It is up to the other players to make sure, before leaving a player without a clue token, that the card he could discard to give this clue is not essential for the rest of the game.
 
=== Hat-guessing ===
 
* [https://github.com/hanabi/hanabi.github.io/blob/main/misc/hat-guessing.md Github hat-guessing]
 
=== Logical Leftism ===
 
* [http://hanabilogic.eklablog.com/basics-level-1-a117610126 Hanabi Logic basics-level-1]
* [http://hanabilogic.eklablog.com/-a163408102 Hanabi Logic logical-leftism-in-a-nutshell]
 
=== Closest Friend ===
 
* TODO
 
=== Secret convention ===
 
* TODO
 
=== Conventional Leftism ===
 
* [http://hanabilogic.eklablog.com/ll-vs-cl-the-differences-a132077536 Hanabi Logic ll-vs-cl-the-differences] gives some clues, but doesn't explain Conventional Leftism from first principles.
 
=== Chop-focus ===
 
* TODO
 
== Strategy ==
 
* In addition to the convention(s), there is also some strategy to the game.
* You should '''not''' confuse strategy with convention! Strategy is '''team''' vs '''deck'''; convention is communication within the team.
* A simple example of strategy is saving 2s in 2-player games.
** Using number-2-clue to communicate that those cards need to be saved, is a convention.
 
=== Examples ===
 
* More advanced players will try to avoid losing as many "first" (non-unique) cards as possible.
* It's a good strategy to keep good cards in the game as long as possible - even if they are not yet playable.
** ''The other copy of that card might be far down the draw pile.''
* Trying to mark at least 12 cards with the first 8 clue-tokens.
** This gives 99% chance of always having enough tokens in the game.
* Not using the last two clue-tokens for "single plays".
** This avoids running out of clue-tokens in times when you need to save critical cards.
 
For strategy tips, see <b>[[Tips_hanabi]]</b>

Latest revision as of 12:36, 8 August 2026

Overview

Hanabi is a cooperative game where your collective goal is to build a fabulous fireworks show. Like any decent show, you should start with small fireworks and finish with the big ones. You will do this by playing red, yellow, green, blue and white cards from ranks 1 to 5. The problem? You don't know what cards you have. But you know which ones your fellow players do. So you must communicate with each other to build a proper show by placing cards in sequential order with no misfires.

Cards and Firework Stacks

The deck has 50 cards. The cards come in five colors: red yellow green blue white

Each color has 10 cards: 3 card1,with a Hanabi card 1clue,, 2 card2,with a Hanabi card 2clue,, 2 card3,with a Hanabi card 3clue,, 2 card4,with a Hanabi card 4clue,, 1 card5,with a Hanabi card 5clue,.

There is only one firework stack of each color which start empty. cards in the deckredyellowgreenbluewhitemulticolorblack powder

Each firework must be placed in ascending order starting from 1, so you are aiming for cards in the deckred5yellow5green5blue5white5multicolorblack powder.

Playing a card on any stack that is not the next number in the sequence will result in a misfire. If three misfires occur, the game is over and the players lose.

Communication

You communicate with your teammates via clues. You have a limited number of clues, represented by tokens like this: ​ clue tokens

Each time a clue is given, one ​ clue tokens moves from the white area (available tokens) to the black (used tokens): ​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens​ clue tokens1 clue tokens2 clue tokens3 clue tokens4 clue tokens5 clue tokens6 clue tokens7 clue tokens8 clue tokens.

If there are no tokens available, you must play or discard on your turn.

MediaWiki-note-icons.png​Do not give information via chat. That is cheating. If you do, you are dishonored and your reputation as a master pyrotechnician is tainted.

Setup

In a 2-3 player game, each player gets a hand of 5 cards. In a 4-5 player game, each player gets a hand of 4 cards.

Gameplay

On your turn, you can do one of three things.

  • Give a clue.
  • Discard a card.
  • Play a card.

Give a Clue

To give a clue, there must be at least 1 ​ clue tokens in the white area. Select another player's card. You have the choice of telling the player:

  • Which cards of that color the player has
  • Which cards of that number the player has

At that point, 1 ​ clue tokens is moved from the white "available" zone to the black "used" zone.

The game records these clues, so you can tell which cards other players have pointed out are what number and what color.

Play a Card

Select a card in your hand and then Play selected card or just drag the card onto the firework stacks in the center to play it.

  • If it is the next card in sequence for a color, it is automatically placed on the appropriate stack, adding to or completing the firework stack.
  • If it is not the next card in sequence for any color, then the firework has misfired and the card is discarded.

A replacement card is automatically added to the left side of the player's hand.

If the played card completes a firework stack, 1 ​ clue tokens moves from the spent black area to the white available area.

Discard a Card

To discard a card, there must be at least 1 ​ clue tokens in the black area.

Select a card in your hand and then Discard selected card or just drag the card onto the discard area to discard it.

A replacement card is automatically added to the left side of the player's hand.

1 ​ clue tokens moves from the black area to the white area, making it available.

Discarding is a necessary part of the game as you will need to restore ​ clue tokens in order to clue more cards.

Game End

There are three ways the game can end:

  • If the players cause 3 misfires (misplayed cards), the game immediately ends and the players lose.
  • If all 5 firework stacks are completed, the players have won and are granted a stunning victory with 25 points.
  • If the deck is empty, each player plays one more time (including the player who emptied the deck).

Scoring

The score is automatically counted as the game progresses, visible in the player panels.

Artistic impression is determined by the Artisan League of Fireworks Technicians reference scale:

Points Overall impression
0-5 Horrible, booed by the crowd...
6-10 Mediocre, just a spattering of applause...
11-15 Honorable attempt, but quickly forgotten...
16-20 Excellent, crowd pleasing.
21-24 Amazing, will be remembered for weeks!
25-29 Legendary, everyone left speechless, stars in their eyes!
30 Divine, the display outshines the stars!

The only way to score above 25 is to include multicolored cards. See Variants below.

Variants

Colors

Name # of Cards Definition
Normal 5 colors Play with a 50-card deck of 5 colors (red, yellow, green, blue, white) to make 5 firework stacks.
Tricky 6th color (10 cards) Add a sixth color--multicolor--to make a deck of 60 cards and make 6 firework stacks.
Difficult 6th color (5 unique cards) Same as Tricky, except multicolor cards only have one card of each rank:

1 multicolour1,with a multicolour 1clue,, 1 multicolour2,with a multicolour 2clue,, 1 multicolour3,with a multicolour 3clue,, 1 multicolour4,with a multicolour 4clue,, 1 multicolour5,with a multicolour 5clue,

MediaWiki-note-icons.png​This variant is always played in friendly mode because the score depends too much on the luck of the draw to reflect true skill.
Avalanche of Colors Multicolor (10 multicolor cards) multicolor cards are wild, which means these cards are clued by any color.

Black Powder

Ten black cards are added to the deck. Black cards are played in descending order (from black powder5,with a black powder 5clue, to black powder1,with a black powder 1clue,). This is why instead of three 1s and one 5, there are three 5s and one 1.

You cannot give color clues for black cards. They have no color (who can see a black firework?). So black cards can only be clued with number.

The game score starts at -5. That's -1 point for every card missing from the black powder stack.

5 Flamboyants

Also known as "The Sumptuous 5". When you play the last card on a firework stack (typically the 5), a bonus tile is randomly selected for immediate use. Bonus tiles have different effects:

  • Gain a ​ clue tokens
  • Gain a ​ clue tokens and remove 1 misfire
  • Give a color clue to a player for free
  • Give a number clue to a player for free
  • Shuffle a discarded card back into the deck (optional)
  • Play a discarded card (optional)

Convention Used

Hanabi is a game about communication, but there aren't enough ​ clue tokens to be able to indicate both color and number of every played card. So to give more information, the team must agree on a set of interpretations for clues, plays, and discards, called conventions.

If the players use different conventions to communicate, they are sure to lose. You can read more about conventions on the Tips page.

During game setup, the creator can indicate which convention set the players should use. These are not enforceable, so please respect the convention set that the table creator set.

Convention set Summary Reference
Unspecified No convention set
Finesse

Players assume every marked card is useful. Useless cards are discarded in priority e.g. cards marked blue when the blue stack is completed.
The oldest, unmarked card is safe to discard if there is no card to play. A number clue that marks the oldest, unmarked card means save this card for later. Otherwise it is a left-focused play clue. Play clues may also include the newest, unmarked card in every hand.

Reference
Layered Finesse Same as Finesse with the addition that finessed cards can also be layered behind other unrelated, but playable cards. Reference
Hgroup This is a comprehensive convention set with several detailed interpretations, many based on the last card (known as the "chop card") and order of clues given. See reference for more details. H-Group
Other You can specify which convention set should be used in the table presentation header of the table when it starts.

Preset Deck

Preset decks are useful for comparing teams/conventions using the same deck. You can select to have no preset deck or choose one of 5 preset decks of the day. These change every day at 0:00 UTC.

Unofficial variant

In a two-player game, hand size is 6 instead of 5. In a five-player game, hand size is 3 instead of 4.

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