Setup

Place 1 random card of each color in a 2x2 square on the table. This is the start of the (shared) Map.

Create a deck from all remaining cards.

Deal each player 8 cards (to take into their hand).
Place the rest as a facedown draw pile to the side.

Objective

The game ends when a player is out of cards. The number of music notes left in your hand represent your negative points.

It’s recommended to play a few games in a row, keeping track of score. The player with the best score at the end ( = least negative score) wins!

Gameplay

From start player, take clockwise turns until done.

On your turn, add 1 hand card to the Map.

The card must connect to the existing map.
The card has to be in the same row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) as another card of the same color.
The card can’t be adjacent to a card of the same color.

By doing so, you’ll have created one or more “Pairs”: your new card and the older ones of the same color (in the same row). All pairs created count.

Each Pair has two important properties.

(Number) Range: all numbers between its lowest number and its highest. (Example: a 2-6 Pair has range 3, 4, and 5.)
(Note) Difference: subtract the lowest number of notes from the highest. (Example: a 1-Note card and a 4-Note card have a difference of 3.)

Example of valid card placement and the pair you create from it.

Now everyone may give you hand cards that match these criteria:

Its number is inside the number range and it’s the same color.
Its number of music notes is equal to the note difference.

Take all cards received into your hand. If you end your turn without any cards, the game ends (and you win). Have fun!

Example of penalty cards others may throw at you for making a certain pair.

Expansions & Variants

Played the base game a few times and ready for more? Try these expansions and variants.

Variant: Safesong

This expansion defines a third property that your Pairs have.

Distance: how many other cards are in-between the two cards on the map.

First, change these existing rules.

Adjacency: you are allowed to play cards of the same color adjacent to each other now!
Map Size: the map has a maximum size of 8 by 8 cards. Also, once somebody created a “Safesong” (see below), the affected rows are now “done”: they can’t grow any longer.

The following rules are required now.

Safesong: if all Pairs you created have distance 3(+), you are safe! Nobody may throw anything at you.
Silence: if you create a Pair with distance 0, players may throw any single hand card at you.

The following rules are optional.

Toned Down: if you create (at least) one Pair with distance 3(+), you may choose what people are allowed to throw at you. (That is, they may only give cards based on range OR notes OR distance.)
Dissonance: people may also throw cards at you if their number or number of notes matches the distance you created. This rule only applies if, otherwise, no possible throwable card exists. (That is, the Range and Note Difference are both 0.)

Example of the Distance property and the new rules it allows.

Variant: Wildcard

You might’ve noticed that the Purple color is a bit special. (It has fewer cards / numbers.)

If you play this Variant, the Purple color becomes a wildcard! It is any color you want.

In practice, this means the following.

If a wildcard number is inside the range somebody created, you can always throw it to them. (Even if their Pair used a different color.)
If someone creates a Pair using wildcards, then you can throw any card at them that has a number within its range.

Variant: Cooperative

This Variant allows you to play the game cooperatively. (Everyone wins/loses together.)

What changes?

During the game, you keep track of a single faceup pile of cards for each color, next to the board.
Instead of throwing a card at another player, you may also decide to add it to such a pile. You may only do so, however, if your number is higher than the current number at the top of the pile.
The game ends when all players have emptied their hand except one. You win if every faceup pile (next to the board) contains exactly 10 music notes.

Example of how to setup and play the cooperative variant (with slight modifications to base game).

Expansion: Talkytoot

This expansion adds extra material: cards that also contain special actions.

Such actions can trigger …

When paired (they are part of a Pair created this turn)
When thrown (at another player)
When drawn (from the deck)
or When Scored (at the end of the game)

They usually allow you to do something you really want to do but can’t following the regular rules. Less likely, they are penalties or restrictions to obey.

It’s recommended to include just some of them—perhaps the one you like the most!—as all of them at the same time is very overwhelming.

There are two cards that mention Distance. Only include those if playing with the “Safesong” variant (see above).