TAO

About the game

TAO is our own take on the classic “match the colour or number” card game, made for playing with friends and family wherever they are. One person creates a room, sends a link, and everyone else joins by simply typing a nickname: no download, no sign-up. You play around a cosy garden table with cat opponents (or a simple flat table if your device prefers), trying to shed your cards with clever Skips, Reverses, Draw Twos and Wilds. Just don’t forget to call “TAO!” when you’re down to your last card. TAO is our own independent multiplayer card game: free to play, personal and noncommercial.

How a game begins

1. Open TAO and type your nickname (up to 16 characters).
2. Choose 2, 3 or 4 players and the game length: First to 500 or Single round.
3. If you like, set a room password so only people you tell can join.
4. Press Create room and complete the short “are you human?” check.
5. Copy the room link from the waiting room and send it to your friends.
6. Your friends open the link and type their nickname, plus the password if you set one. Each nickname must be different.
7. Once every seat is taken, the host presses Start the game.
8. Each player gets 7 cards, one card is turned face up, and the player after the dealer takes the first turn.

The rules

1. Goal: Be the first player to get rid of all your cards.
2. The first card: Each round starts with a number card turned face up from the deck. Action cards and Wilds are never used as the starting card, so the first turn is always a normal one.
3. Dealer and first turn: The first dealer is chosen at random. The player after the dealer goes first. In each new round the role of dealer moves on by one player.
4. Playing a card: On your turn, play one card that matches the top card of the discard pile by colour, number or symbol (for example, a Skip on a Skip). Wild cards can always be played.
5. After a Wild: Only the colour chosen by the player who played the Wild counts. Play a card of that colour, or another Wild.
6. Drawing: Instead of playing, you may draw one card from the draw pile, even if you could have played.
   • If the drawn card fits, you can play it right away or keep it.
   • If it doesn’t fit, it goes into your hand and your turn ends.
   • After drawing, you may only play the card you just drew.
7. Turn order: Play passes from player to player, around the table in seat order, until a Reverse changes the direction.
8. Empty draw pile: When the draw pile runs out, the discard pile (except its top card) is shuffled to make a new draw pile.
9. No stacking: A Draw Two or Wild Draw Four can’t be passed on with another Draw card. The next player simply draws and misses their turn.
10. Calling TAO: When you’re about to play your second-to-last card, call “TAO!” with the Call TAO button.
    • You can call it on your turn while holding two cards, before you play.
    • Or call it within 3 seconds of being left with one card.
    • If you don’t, you automatically draw 2 penalty cards.
    • Nobody has to catch you: the game keeps track.
    • Drawing more cards cancels your TAO! call, so you’ll need to call it again later.
11. Going out: The round ends the moment a player plays their last card. Any card can be your last one, including Wilds and action cards. If your last card is a Draw Two or Wild Draw Four, the next player still draws those cards, and they count towards your score!
12. Winning a round: The player who goes out scores points for the cards left in everyone else’s hands. All remaining hands are shown face up at the end of the round.
13. Winning the match: It depends on the game length chosen for the room:
    • In First to 500, rounds continue until someone reaches 500 points or more. That player wins the match.
    • In Single round, whoever goes out first wins.
14. A new match: Afterwards, anyone can start a new match with the same players, with all scores reset to zero.

Special cards

• Skip: The next player misses their turn.
• Reverse: Reverses the direction of play. With only two players, Reverse works like a Skip, so you play again.
• Draw Two: The next player draws 2 cards and misses their turn.
• Wild: Choose the colour that must be played next. It can be played on any card.
• Wild Draw Four: Choose the next colour. The next player draws 4 cards and misses their turn.
  • In TAO you may play it at any time on your turn, even if you hold a card of the current colour.
  • Because of that, it can’t be challenged.

Scoring

When a player goes out, they score the total value of all cards left in their opponents’ hands: