Koala & Wine

How to play

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Koala and Wine is a simple, quick to learn, short and fun card game

Each player starts with a secret selection of glasses

To WIN be the last player to possess glasses on the table. You LOSE when you don’t have any glass left.

Along the game try to steal as many glasses as possible from the other players and remember the exact position of your glasses when the Sommelier will ask you to reveal one of your glasses.
You will also have to support the Wine lobbyists to eliminate glasses from other players.

The koalas on the Green actions cards will help you during the game.

The Oenologist allows you to have a glance at a glass on the table.
The Tipsy taster swaps two glasses to bring confusion.
The Grape picker takes a card from the hand of another player.

And if someone tries to steal one of your glasses with the Wine thieves, use your Stop! Thieves card.

đŸ· Steal wineÂ đŸ·
Remember the glasses’ position 🧠
🐹 Have fun with the Koalas🐹

OBJECTIVE

  • Memorise the glasses to steal as many as possible and keep yours.
  • You are eliminated when you lose all your glasses.
  • The game ends when there is only one player left: the winner!

Sample round video

Have a look at our sample round video to see how easy it is to play  Koala and Wine!

To view the full details of the rules keep scrolling down.

SETUP

Each player starts with 3 glasses (glass cards) and 3 hands cards.

 

1. SERVE 3 GLASSES

To distribute 3 glasses per player, pick as many of each type of glass as you have players (for example, if there are four players you take four RED, four ROSÉ and four WHITE glasses).

Then, mix the glasses and distribute 3 glasses per player without revealing them.

2. MEMORISE YOUR GLASSES

Remember the type of wine and the position of your glasses! You can only see your 3 glasses at once at the beginning of the game.

When the game starts, all the glasses are turned face down in front of each player.

3. PREPARE YOUR HAND

Distribute 3 hand cards per player. You can have 3 different types of hand cards: the THIEVES cards, the GREEN cards, and the STOP cards. Advanced players can also use the special BLUE cards.

Note: If you received a BLACK card, put the card back in the middle of the drawing deck and draw a new card.

Note: As a beginner, we suggest that you play with the basic cards and remove all cards from the extension pack from the deck. You can then decide to include a few of them for your next game.

4. START TO PLAY

The youngest player starts the game (or the oldest, cutest, smartest, you decide!). One after the other, each player plays cards from their hand, then ends their turn by drawing.

On the online version we did  the setup for you! All you have to do is remember your 3 glasses and start the game!

WHEN IT’S YOUR TURN TO PLAY

1. PLAY YOUR HAND CARDS

Play your hand cards to steal glasses, swap cards, or take hand cards from the others!

You can play your hand cards in any order.

For the first round (until each player has played once), you can only play ONE hand card per person.

From the second round, each turn you can play either:

  • As many GREEN cards as you want + one THIEVES card;
  • Or one BLUE card (if you play with the expansion cards)

On the online version Click on the hand card you want to play then click on the glass(es) or the player you want to target

2. FINISH YOUR TURN BY DRAWING

To finish your turn, draw at least one card from the top of the drawing pile. You must always show the card that you draw so that other players can check if it’s a black card.

Note: You can keep drawing cards until you have at least 3 in your hand.

Note: Before drawing, you can’t finish your turn with more than 5 hand cards. If you have 5 hand cards or more, you will have to play or discard some of them before being able to draw.

On the online version: Click on “end turn and draw a card”. the card drawn is automatically revealed to all players.

If YOU DRAW A BLACK CARD,

You have no option but to do what is required from the card. Once you have played the BLACK card, put it back in the middle of the drawing deck.

Then, if you have less than 3 cards in your hand you can draw again.

CARDS DESCRIPTION

GLASSES (x18)

There are 3 types of wine: Rosé, Red and White, distributed at random among the players.

You are eliminated when you lose all your glasses.

THIEVES (x6)

Choose the glass that you want to steal. The owner of the glass must reveal the card to all players.

  • If the glass matches the type of wine on your THIEVES card, you win the glass. Take the card and put it next to your other glasses, face down.
  • Otherwise, the targeted player will keep the glass card and win your THIEVES card. The glass stays in its initial position, face down.

You can only play one THIEVES card per turn, even if you fail.

    See the following animation on how to play a Wine thieves card for more information:

    STOP (x4)

    When another player is attacking you with a THIEVES card, play the STOP card to directly stop it. You don’t need to reveal your glass and you can take the THIEVES card that was used against you.

    GREEN CARDS

    You can play as many Green actions cards as you want per round. 

    TIPSY TASTER (x9)

    Swap the position of two glasses on the table. You are not allowed to see or reveal the two glasses. No one can see the type of wine of the swapped glasses.

    Examples: Swap two glasses of the same player, a glass of a player with a glass of another player, one of your glass card with another player’s glass card etc. No one can see the type of wine of the swapped glasses.

    On the online version click on your Action card then click on the two glasses you want to swap

    GRAPE PICKER (x10)

    Take a random card from the hand of another player. You can immediately play the new card, unless it is a BLUE card or if it is a THIEVES card and you have already played one.

    On the online version click on your Action card then click on the name of player you want to pick a card

    OENOLOGIST (x9)

    Choose a glass on the table, look at it and then return it face down to its place. Only you can see the glass card. Do not reveal it to other players!

    On the online version click on your Action card then click on the glass you want to see (only you can see the type of wine)

    BLACK CARDS

    If you draw a BLACK card, you have no option but to do what is required from the card. Once you have played the BLACK card, put it back in the middle of the drawing deck. Then, if you have less than 3 cards in your hand you can draw again.

    SOMMELIER (x6)

    You must show one of your glasses of the type served by the Sommelier to the other players.

    • If your glass is of the correct type, you are fine, just turn your glass face down.
    • If your glass does not contain the right type of wine, you lose the glass! If you don’t have a glass with the right kind of wine, you also lose one of your glasses!

    The type of wine corresponds to the colour of the triangle on the card.

    On the online version: click on the glass you want to show

    LOBBYISTS (x6)

    You must find another player’s glass corresponding to the type of wine being attacked by the lobbyists (corresponding to the colour of the triangle on the card).

    • If you’re correct, that player loses the glass.
    • Otherwise, you will lose one of your glasses! In this case, it is the target player who chooses which of your glasses will be discarded.

    Each time a LOBBYISTS card is drawn, one player will inevitably lose a glass!

      On the online version: click on the glass you want to eliminate

      WINE FAIR (x2)

       

      All players simultaneously turn over one of their glasses. Allow a few seconds to observe (and memorise!) before turning the glasses face down again.

      On the online version: All player must click on the glass you decide to reveal – all the selected glass cards will be visible to everyone for a few seconds before turning face down again

      NB: Once played, the Black cards go back to the middle of the drawing deck. So the more you play, the more likely you are to draw a Black card!

      On the online version: the probability of drawing a Black card is displayed with the “% chances of Black” next to the drawing deck

      Sample round video

      Now that you know the rules, have a look at our sample round video to see how easy it is to play Koala and Wine!

      EXTRA CARDS (EXTENSION PACK)

      As a beginner, we suggest that you play with the basic cards and remove all cards from the extension pack from the deck. You can then decide to include a few of them for your next game.

      EXTRA GREEN CARDS

      SNEAKY TASTER (x4)

      The SNEAKY taster is a variant of the TIPSY taster. Without looking at them, take two glasses and swap them under the table. The other players will not know if you have exchanged the glasses or not.

      AUDITOR (x2)

      Check all your glasses.

      METEOROLOGIST (x2)

      See the next 3 cards in the drawing deck.

      EXTRA BLACK CARDS

      FARANDOLE (x2)

      Every player must give one of their glasses to the next player. The glasses will not be revealed.

      AUCTION (x1)

      When a player draws the AUCTION card, all players should offer to discard a certain number of cards from their hand in order to win the last eliminated glass. The player offering to discard the greatest number of cards wins the glass.

      If no glasses have been eliminated yet, you must put this card back in the middle of the drawing deck.

      If two players have the same amount of hand cards, the player who drew the card decides. This card can only be used once.

      EXTRA BLUE CARDS

      You can’t play the THIEVES or a GREEN card if you play a BLUE card.

       

      CHARITY (x1)

      When you play this card, the player with the most glasses must give one of their glasses to a player of their choice.

      BLIND TEST (x3)

      Point out a glass belonging to another player. The owner of the selected glass must announce the type of wine of the glass. The glass is then revealed to everyone. If the glass doesn’t match the announcement, you win the glass.

      VINTAGE (x1)

      All your glasses are protected from the action of BLACK cards and other players’ actions for one turn.

       

      CONTEST (x2)

      Announce a type of wine of your choice. All other players must reveal a glass of that type as quickly as possible. You win the glass of the slowest player, or the player who revealed a glass of the incorrect type first. You can only win one glass.

      AGEING (x1)

      Reveal one of your glasses before covering it with the AGEING card. Your glass is now fully protected until you draw a SOMMELIER or until you lose all your other glasses.

      Variant rules for 2 or 3 players

      Now that you have played Koala and Wine, you may want to spice the 2 or 3 players rules.

      Here our suggested variant:

      For the setup

      • 2 glass cards per person (instead of 3)
      • 3 hand cards per person
      • and 3 additional glass cards in the middle, turn face down (like the glass cards of another player).

       

      Special rule

      If you want to steal a glass card, steal the middle glass cards first!

      Players can only use the “Wine thieves” card against another player if there is no glass card left in the middle.

      If you tried to steal a glass card in the middle but failed to target the correct type of wine, then your Wine thieves card goes back in middle of the drawing deck.

      When you draw a Black card
      You can target the middle glass cards if you draw a card Wine Lobbyist