Tichu

1991 · Card Game

Tichu

A partnership climbing card game in which teams try to be the first to empty their hands while accumulating points. Players play combinations—single cards, pairs, straights, full houses, etc.—by either beating the current top combination or passing; when everyone passes back to the leader, that player wins the trick and leads the next. Rounds award points for specific cards won in tricks, and the last player out hands remaining cards to opponents, affecting scoring. Before play, players may declare risk-reward bets that award or penalize large points if they succeed or fail. The first team to reach the target score wins.

Players
3–10 best 4
Playing time
30–90 min
Age
10+
Complexity
2.3 / 5
7.6 on Ludoyafrom $10.99Team-Based GameHand ManagementLadder Climbing

Where to buy it

Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.

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On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
660
Plays logged
588
Players
1h 23m
Average play
181
In collections
11
On wishlists

7.6/10

from 59 Ludoya reviews

  • Fun8.0
  • Interaction8.0
  • Replayability8.0
  • Uniqueness6.0
  • Looks6.0
  • Accessibility10.0
  • Mestremuten8.0

    Rating: 4/5 Production value: 3/4 Is the game in my collection/Love to have?: 1/1

  • Garfield6.0

    #9 It's funny, but I wouldn't play it very often. It's based too much on luck and it can last for 2 hours!

  • Sup7.5

    Sleeved

Read the reviews and rate it

Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

When and how do we pass the three cards at the start — do we pick them up before playing?

After each player has taken 14 cards, every player pushes 3 cards face down — one to each other player — and then may pick up the three cards that were pushed to him, adding them to his hand (p.1).

What combinations can I lead and how are they beaten?

You may lead singles, pairs, sequences of pairs, three-of-a-kind, full houses (trio+pair), or sequences of length at least 5; each combination can only be beaten by the same kind of higher combination (except bombs), and sequences must be the same length to beat (p.1).

How does the Mah Jong wish work — when must someone play the wished rank?

When the Mah Jong is played its owner may wish a normal rank (not a special card); the next player who actually has that rank and can lawfully play it must play it on his ordinary turn, but players who play bombs out of turn do not have to fulfill the wish — if a bomb wins the trick the new winner must fulfill the wish when leading next (p.1, p.3).

What exactly do the Phoenix, Dragon and Hound do?

The Phoenix is a joker in combinations (not for bombs), counts as half a rank higher when played as a single (and is worth −25 points), the Dragon is the highest single card worth +25 and, when it wins a trick, its holder gives that trick to an opponent of his choice, and the Hound has no trick-taking power — when led it simply transfers the right to lead to the player's partner (p.2).

When can bombs be played and can they beat the Dragon or take the Hound?

Bombs (either five-or-more consecutive cards in the same suit or four-of-a-kind) may be played at any time, even out of turn, and beat any non-bomb (including the Dragon); however, bombs cannot be used to take the Hound (they cannot be used to take the Hound and its transfer of lead) (p.2, p.3).

How is the round scored and what happens with the last trick (Dragon & Phoenix effects)?

The round ends when only one player has cards left; tricks are revealed and score +10 per king/ten, +5 per five, +25 for the Dragon and −25 for the Phoenix (total 100 points per deal), and although the last trick ends immediately when the third-last player finishes, it is still awarded to whoever wins it (and the Dragon, if it wins, still gives that trick to an opponent) (p.2, p.3).

Opens Ludoya's rules assistant, which reads this game's rulebook.

Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.