Ramayana Card Game - How to play

About RAMAYANA CARD GAME                 
(Concept and Design: Mangala Madhuchand)

Ramayana Card Game is a pack of 30 playing cards designed keeping the mythological story of Ramayana as the theme with the sole purpose of clubbing entertainment and education while the players get engaged in the game. While 28 cards represent various characters involved in Ramayana, 29^th and 30^th cards are the Golden Deer cards (just like “joker” that you find in any standard Card Game pack). These 2 cards can be used to represent any character or prop not found in the pack but helps form a “SET” confirming with the story. They can also be used to repeat any of the 27 characters that is already existing in the pack.

How to Play

Level 1:  NO. OF PLAYERS: 2 to 4 with one pack. NO. OF CARDS: 4 cards per player (to create a “SET”of 4 cards)

(Note: Examples of types of “SETS” that can be created are listed down below in this post)

Distribute 4 cards to each player. Let the players be seated in a circle and cards held in such a way that only deer pictures face the players. Assuming 4 players are playing, after distribution, 14 cards are left. Pile these remaining cards and place it in the centre of the circle, all cards piled with deer picture facing up. Remove topmost card from the pile and place it next to the pile with the deer picture facing down.

The players now start to prepare a “SET” of 4 cards. Game begins with one of the players picking a single card. Card to be picked can either be the open card next to the pile or the topmost closed card from the pile. Player has to put back any one other card next to the pile. Process repeats with rest of the players completing one round. Any number of rounds can be played. The first player who creates a “SET” is declared as the winner.  If, with the 4 cards already in hand, a player can create a set, then that player becomes the winner! Rest of the players can resume the game.

Level 2:  NO. OF PLAYERS: 3 or 6 with one pack. NO. OF CARDS: 10 cards each if it’s 3 players and 6 cards each if it’s 6 players

With 10 cards you can create

3 “SETS” of 3 cards each and close down one card or 2 “SETS” i.e., 1 set of 4 cards and 1 set of 6 cards

OR

2 “SETS” i.e., 1 set of 4 cards and 1 set of 5 cards with remaining single card closed down 

OR

2 ‘SETS” i.e., 1 set of 3 cards and 1 set of 7 cards)

With 6 cards you can create

2 “SETS” of 3 cards each 

OR 1 “SET” of  5 cards with remaining card faced down 

OR

1 “SET” of 6 cards or 2 “SETS” i.e., 1 set of 4 cards and 1 set of 2 cards)

Permutations and Combinations for creating sets here is only to give you an idea. However you can create your own ways of making sets

Different ways of creating SETS

Family based, character type based or event based.

Examples of props that can be used to create event based sets:  Shiva’s bow, Pushpaka Vimana, Rama’s ring, Sanjeevini mountain etc.

Examples of ‘SETS’ using 4 cards

Dasharatha, Kausalya, Sumitra, Kaikeyi  (King + his 3 wives) – Family based

Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha, Shatrughna (Sons of King Dasharatha) – Family based

Sita, Urmila, Shrutakirti, Mandavi (Daughters in Law of King Dasharatha) – Family based

Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman (The core team during Rama’s exile) – Family based

Dasharatha, Kausalya, Rama, Sita (King, his 1^st wife, their son and daughter in law) – Family based

Vasishta, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Bharadwaja (all sages) – Character Type based

Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Indrajit, Shoorpanakha (all demons) – Character Type based

Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Ravana (characters involved in the golden deer event) – Event based

Examples of ‘SETS’ using 3 cards

Kausalya, Sumitra, Kaikeyi  (King’s 3 wives)

Dasharatha, Kausalya, Rama (King + 1^st wife + Son)

Sita, Urmila, Shrutakirti, Mandavi (Daughters in Law of King Dasharatha)

Rama, Lakshmana, Sita (The core team during Rama’s exile)

Dasharatha, Kausalya, Rama, Sita (King, his 1^st wife, their son and daughter in law)

Vasishta/Vishwamitra/Gautama/Bharadwaja (any 3 of these 4 sages)

Ravana/ Kumbhakarna/ Indrajit/Shoorpanakha/Khara/Dooshana (any 3 of these 6 demons)

Examples of Event based ‘SETS’

Rama + Janaka + Shiva’s bow

Ravana + Sita + Pushpaka Vimana

Rama + Sugreeva + 7 trees

Hanuman + Sita + Rama’s finger ring

Hanuman + Lakshmana + Sanjeevini mountain

Sita + Lakshmana + Deer Card (used here as "Golden Deer")

Note: “Valmiki” card is used only for event based sets. While it is not mandatory to use “Valmiki” card, in case more than one player creates event based set, the player who includes “Valmiki” card in the set (in addition to the relevant cards needed for creating the event) is declared as the winner.

Note: Examples of ‘SETS” listed above are just to give ideas on various possible permutations and combinations. However, players can create their own different sets based on the story.

This game can be made even more interesting, exciting and challenging by assigning points to cards.

All Characters from the pack (except “Valmiki”) when used in “family based” or “character based” sets	2 points
All characters from the pack (except “Valmiki”) when used in “event based” sets	3 points
Deer Card when used as any character from the pack in “family based” or “character based” sets	1 point
Deer Card when used as any character from the pack in “event based” sets	2 points
Deer Card when used as a character that is part of Ramayana story but not from the pack in “family based” or “character based” sets	3 points
Deer Card when used as character that is part of Ramayana story but not from the pack in “event based” set	4 points
Deer Card when used as prop	4 points
Ðeer Card when used as “Golden Deer”  in event based set	6 points
Deer Card NOT to be used as ‘Valmiki”.  If used….then	Minus 5 points
Any event based set	Bonus 5 points
Valmiki (to be used only as accompaniment to any event based set)	10 points

“Ramayana Card Game” conceptualised and designed by Mrs. Mangala Madhuchand -  Architect, Artist and Blogger at www.mangalaspotpourri.blogspot.in is available for sale. For enquiries, kindly inbox me - Mangala Madhuchand on FB or via "comments" to this post