Eleusis Express

by John Golden Eleusis Express is a card game of inductive reasoning. It is a modification of Robert Abbotts game Eleusis. The idea !ne player has a secret rule for "hich cards can be played. A very easy example each card has to be a different color from the card before it. !ther players lay do"n cards they thin# fit the pattern. If a player lays do"n a card that "or#s$ he can try to guess the rule. %umber of players Eleusis Express is for three to eight players. &robably best "ith four or five. The stoc# 'huffle together t"o dec#s to form the stoc#. If the stoc# runs out$ you can (a) shuffle in another dec# or (b) declare the round is over at that point. !b*ect A game consists of one or more rounds (hands of play). A different player is chosen as dealer of each ne" round$ and it is the dealer "ho chooses the secret rule. The dealer does not play a hand that round. +is score is based on the scores of the other players. All plays are made to a central layout that gro"s as the round progresses. An example is sho"n belo". A layout consists of a hori,ontal mainline of correct cards$ those that follo" the secret rule. -elo" the mainline are vertical sidelines of mista#e cards$ those that did not follo" the rule. These sideline cards can be overlapped to save space.

The secret rule If your group is playing this game for the first time$ the dealer should pic# a rule from the section Samples of easy secret rules. !r he could ma#e a slight variation on one of those rules. Eventually youll "ant to create ne" rules. +ere are some guidelines A rule should allo" for several cards to be played at any given time$ but not too many. .The next card must be one higher/ is "ay too restrictive.

.The next card must be a different suit/ is "ay too permissive. Avoid exceptions or "ild cards$ li#e .face cards are al"ays right/ or .an ace can be high or lo"./ And remember 0hatever rule you come up "ith$ it "ill al"ays be harder than you thin# it "ill be. 'et up The dealer "rites do"n his secret rule$ then deals t"elve cards to each player. +e turns over the top card and puts it on the table. This "ill be the start of the mainline. -efore play starts$ the dealer may give a hint about his rule. The player to the left of the dealer goes first$ then the play continues around to the left. &lay In his turn$ a player puts one card on the table. The dealer says "hether its correct or not. If correct$ it goes to the right of the last card on the mainline. If incorrect$ it goes belo" the last card (it either starts a sideline or it adds to a sideline). The player "ho ma#es an incorrect play must dra" one card from the dec#. Thus his hand remains the same si,e. The player ma#ing a correct play does not dra" a card$ so his hand is reduced by one. 1eclaring %o &lay A player has the option of declaring that he has no correct card to play. +e sho"s his hand (to everyone) and the dealer says "hether the player is right or not. If the player is "rong2he could have played2the dealer chooses one correct card from his hand and puts it on the layout to the right of the last mainline card. The player #eeps his hand and he must dra" one card from the stoc#. If the player is right2he really could not have played2and his hand is do"n to one card$ that card is put in the stoc# and the round is over. If he has more than one card$ the dealer counts his cards and puts them on the bottom of the stoc#. +e then deals the player a ne" hand$ but "ith one less card. Guessing the rule 0henever a player ma#es a correct play$ or ma#es a correct declaration of no3play$ he is given the right to guess the rule. Everyone must hear his guess. The dealer then says "hether the player is right or "rong. If he is "rong$ the game continues. If he is right$ the round ends. 'coring If a player correctly guesses the rule$ or if one player gets rid of all his cards$ the hand comes to an end. The scores are no" recorded. A player scores 45 points$ minus 4 point for each card left in his hand. If a player correctly guessed the rule$ he is given a 63point bonus. If a player got rid of all his cards$ he is given a 73point bonus. The dealer scores the same as the highest3scoring player in the round. +o"ever . . . if youre not playing in the Eleusis Express %ational 8inals$ you probably should not "orry too much about scoring. It is more important to put together an en*oyable game$ one "here players are able to discover the rules. 8or example$ if its half"ay through a hand and the dealer reali,es that no one can figure out his rule$ he could start giving out hints. That might technically be considered cheating and it "ould increase the dealers score$ but it is o#ay. It "ill ma#e the game much more en*oyable. And the players shouldnt "orry about discussing the rule "ith each other$ even if they are supposed to be competing. Ending the game The game should last until everyone has had a chance to be dealer. 9sually theres not enough time for that$ so if time runs out$ that is "here the game ends. Then$ add up the scores for the hands and declare the "inner. 'amples of easy secret rules

If the last card "as red$ play a blac# card. If the last card "as blac#$ play a red card. :In all these rules$ .last card/ refers to the last card accepted on the mainline or$ if no card has yet been accepted$ it refers to the .starter/ card.; If the last card "as a spade$ play a heart< if last card "as a heart$ play a diamond< if last "as diamond$ play club< and if last "as club$ play a spade. The cards on the mainline must follo" this pattern three red cards$ then three blac#$ then three red$ then three blac#$ etc. If the last card is an odd3numbered card$ play an even3numbered card< if the last is even$ play an odd. :0hen numbers are involved$ ace is usually 4 (odd)$ *ac# is 44 (odd)$ =ueen is 45 (even)$ and #ing is 47 (odd). This "as the rule used in the round that created the sample layout above.; If the last card is among the cards ace to >$ play a card ? to #ing. If last is among ? to #ing$ play ace to >. &lay a card "ith a number that is 4$ 5$ or 7 higher than the number of the last card. The numbers can .turn3the3corner./

'amples of hard secret rules

If the last card is an odd3numbered card$ play a red card. If the last card is even$ play a blac# card. The card played must be the same suit or the same number as the last card. If the last card is blac#$ play a card "ith a number that is e=ual to or lo"er than the number of the last card. If the last card is red$ play a card e=ual to or higher than the last card.

'ee also Eleusis and Eleusis Express