Teach the Game
A short teach before the first round.
How you win
“At the end of your turn, be ahead under the current rule—or leave the round.”
You need the strongest qualifying card or set in your Palette, the face-up cards in front of you. Add a card there, change the shared rule using the Canvas, or do both. Basic Red7 ends when only one player remains. [Advanced] Advanced Red7 instead scores several rounds.
The boards
There is no board. Each player has a private hand and a public Palette. The shared Canvas is the face-up rule pile; only its top color matters. The remaining numbered cards form the draw deck. A card in the Canvas never counts toward anyone’s Palette.
A round/turn
Take one option: play one hand card to your Palette; discard one hand card to the Canvas; or first play to your Palette and then discard another hand card to the Canvas. You may instead concede. You must be winning at the end of your turn. Turn your hand and Palette face down when eliminated.
Show a Red comparison first: Red 5 beats Violet 5, but any 6 beats either 5. Then demonstrate Orange: a pair of 2s beats a single 7. All seven rules.
[Actions] Leave Action rules off for the first round; odd-numbered cards then have no special ability.
How the game ends
The last player left wins Basic Red7. [Advanced] A round winner scores their qualifying set; reach 40 points with two players, 35 with three or 30 with four. If too few cards remain for another deal, highest total wins.
Ways to score
| Source | Result |
|---|---|
| Basic: survive the round | Win the game; no point tally. |
| [Advanced] Qualifying cards in the winner’s Palette | Each scores its printed number, then stays out of future deals. |
| Other cards, hands and Canvas | No points. |
What each resource is for
| Resource | Why you want it; how you get and use it |
|---|---|
| Hand | Your future options. Start with seven; spend cards to improve your Palette or alter the rule. [Advanced] A sufficiently high Canvas discard may replenish one card. |
| Palette | Your public claim to be winning. Add hand cards here; only qualifying cards count for the active rule. |
| Canvas | Choose the test everyone must face. Discard a hand card here to use its color’s rule. |
| [Advanced] Score pile | Banked points, collected by winning; its cards never return to the deal. |
Teaching tips
Use one short Basic round before scoring. Ask players to count only cards that meet the current rule, then break ties by the highest such card. Keep the color guide visible; color order is a tie-breaker, not a substitute for number.