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Summary

Tock is a game for 2 to 6 players. With 4 or 6 players, it is possible to create two or three teams of 2 players, sitting opposite of each other.

The game concepts is the same as Ludo, Sorry! or Mensch ärgere Dich nicht: Each player owns 4 pawns, has to bring them out of their start area into the game, and then run them around the circle into their home zone.

The difference is that the players don't roll a die. Instead, standard playing cards (like those used in Bridge or Rummy) are dealt to the players, and they can choose to play one of their cards to move a pawn.


Object of the game

In single player games (no teams), the winner is the player who is first to get all 4 pawns into his home.

In team games, the winner is the team that is first to get the pawns of both players into their corresponding homes. After the first player of a team brings all of his pawns into his home, both players continue to play with the remaining color.

Playing a hand of cards

The game begins with dealing three to five cards to each player. The number of cards dealt depends on the number of players, and varies so that the 52 cards of the deck can be distributed evenly. When all cards of a hand are playerd, the role of the dealer moves to the next player.

Beginning with the player following the dealer, each player plays one of his hand cards. The cards determines which move is possible. Then the next player takes his turn and plays a card, until all hands are empty. Then the role of the dealer moves the player following the previous dealer, new hands are dealt from the remaining deck and the cards are played.

When all cards of the deck have been dealt and played, they are shuffeled as the new deck and the game continues.

Exchanging of cards

In team games, each player exchanges one card with his team partner. Both partners choose a card, then the cards are exchanged. It is important to choose a card that is most useful for the team partner.

Start Field

Each player has a start zone, where their pawns are placed at the beginning of the game. Near the start zone, a field in the game circle is marked in the player's color. When a pawn is brought into play (see Ace or King), it is placed on that start field. Pawns are protected on that start field. They cannot be eaten, they cannot be skipped, and they cannot be swapped by a Jack. Once a pawn leaves the start field, the protection is over, even if it returns to it!

Eating and Skipping

When a pawn is moved so that it stops on a field that is occupied by another pawn, that pawn is eaten (or thrown). It is removed to its start zone. Outside of the home zones, it is possible to eat ANY pawn, even your own or those of your team partner. If your start field is coccupied by the pawn of another player, and you play a start card (Ace or King), that pawn is eaten, too. If you can't play any other card, you may even be forced to eat yourself.

Normally, it's no problem to overtake other pawns, just count the field where they are standing as any empty field and hop along. There are three exceptions. (1) The Start Field (see above), (2) the Seven (see below), (3) the home zone. You cannot skip pawns in the home zone. So, if using a card requires a pawn to skip other pawns, but they can't be skipped, the card cannot be used for that pawn.

Entering the home zone

When you want to enter your home zone, the played card must fit. You must use the complete movement that a card provices. If that movement goes too far, you cannot enter the home zone, but must continue on the circle.

To play or not to play - being blocked

As long as you can play a card that lets you make a allowed move, you must play. If that's not possible, you must discard one card. There are three situations that can force you to discard: (1) All your pawns are in your start zone, and you have neither Ace nor King. (2) You queue up behind some obstinate pawn that won't leave it's Start Field. (3) Your predecessor played or discarded a Ten (see below).

Effects of cards

Playing a card allows you to move pawns by one or more fields. You can move pawns along the ring of fields, and you can move pawns into their own home zone. Cards that are not mentioned simply move one pawn by the number of fields given by the value of the card.

The color (or suit) of the cards has no meaning in Tock.

- Ace : Bring a new pawn from your start zone to the start field, or move one pawn that is already in the game forward by one field.

- 4 : Move one of your pawns 4 fields backwards! It is not possible to move backwards into the home fields. And it's not possible to back out of your home zone to go on a quick hunt. Home is Home!

- 7: You get seven one-step moves. You can do them with one pawn, or distribute them between your pawns. But you must play them all, even if it hurts. Since the pawns do single steps, all other pawns on their way are eaten. There is one restriction: you cannot use a 7 to move your last pawn into your home and continue to play with the pawns of your team partner. You must complete your move before you can start helping your partner.

- 10: You move one of your pawns forward by 10 fields. Additionally, this forbids the next player all movement, so they have to discard one of their cards. The Stop Moving function of the 10 is always active, even when a 10 is discarded! There's one exception: The effect of a 10 does not carry over to the next hand, so when you play a 10 and the next player has an empty hand, there is no forced discard.

Pay attention! Normally, when you click on a card, you just select it for movement. But if your predecessor played a 10, the function of a click changes to Discard, and the clicked card is discarded at once. This is evil by design, not a bug!

- Jack: Exchange one of your pawns with any other pawn that's on the ring of fields. Pawns that are standing on their start field cannot be exchanged! You are allowed to exchange two of your own pawns, which has no effect at all. But sometimes, that's just what one needs.

- Queen: Move one of your pawns by 12 fields

- King: You can move one of your pawns by 13 fields, or bring a new pawn from your start zone to the start field.