Offical Rules PDF

Finale™ — Official Rules

Players: 2–6

Objective

• The objective of Finale is to be the first player to win the selected Challenge

• Players do this by progressing through Levels 1–4 and completing the Finale

• Each Level requires a specific combination of cards, as shown on the Challenge Cards

Components

• Finale Deck, including:

– Number Cards are numbered 1–9

– 0 or 10 Cards

– Wild Cards

– Exchange Cards

– Skip Cards

• Challenge Cards:

– Mellow Yellow

– Balanced Blue

– Rigorous Red

– Grueling Green

Card Types

Number Cards

• Cards numbered 1–9

• Two of each number in each color

0 or 10 Cards

• Each 0 or 10 card may be used as either a 0 or a 10

• There are four 0 or 10 cards total, one in each color

Wild Cards

• A Wild Card may represent any color and any number

• Each Wild Card features a specific dog

• There are six Wild Cards total

Exchange Cards

• To activate an Exchange Card, play it face up at the start of your turn before drawing

• When an Exchange Card is played, it replaces the normal draw for that turn

• When played, the player draws two cards, choosing any combination of:

– Two cards from the draw pile

– One card from the draw pile and the top card of the discard pile

– When choosing two cards from the discard pile, the player must take the top card first, then the card directly beneath it.

Discard Pile Restrictions

• Players may not move or peek at the discard pile to view the card beneath the top card

• A player may only access the card beneath the top card of the discard pile if the top card is taken first

• No cards deeper in the discard pile may ever be accessed

After Playing an Exchange Card

• The player completes their turn normally

• To discard, the Exchange Card is placed on the discard pile first, followed by your

discard on top (this ends your turn)

Additional Exchange Card Rules

• Exchange Cards may be used to form Sets and satisfy Color Requirements

• Exchange Cards may always be drawn normally from the draw pile

• The only time a player may take an Exchange Card from the discard pile is when playing another Exchange Card

• There are four Exchange Cards, one in each color

Non-activated Exchange Cards

• A player has the right to discard an Exchange Card without activating it (drawing two). This functions like a normal discard where the Exchange Card is placed on top of the discard pile. The following player may not draw that Exchange Card from the discard pile (unless using an activated Exchange Card)

Skip Cards

• When discarded, the player names any player to be skipped

• A player may be skipped multiple turns in a row

• Skip Cards may not be taken from the discard pile except when using an Exchange Card

• Skip Cards taken from the discard pile via an Exchange Card may not be used to skip a player on the same turn

• If a Skip Card taken from the discard pile via an Exchange Card is discarded on that turn, it is treated as a normal discard and does not cause a skip

• Skip Cards taken via an Exchange Card that are held may be used normally on a later turn

• Skip Cards may be used to form Sets and satisfy Color Requirements

• There are four Skip Cards, one in each color

• Skip effects do not carry over between rounds

Setup

1. Choose a Challenge Card

• For casual play, players may choose any Challenge

• New players are encouraged to begin with Mellow Yellow

2. Choose a dealer at random

3. Shuffle the deck

4. Deal 10 cards to each player

5. Place remaining cards face down as the draw pile

6. Flip the top card to start the discard pile

7. Play proceeds to the dealer’s left

Starting the Discard Pile

• At the start of the game, the top card of the draw pile is flipped face up to begin the discard pile

• If the card is a Wild, the first player (to the dealer’s left) may draw and use it normally

• If the card is a Skip, the first player is skipped on their first turn

• If the card is an Exchange Card, the first player may draw and use it on a later turn following the Exchange Card rules

Gameplay Overview

Players take turns clockwise.

Each turn follows this order:

1. Draw one card from either the draw pile or discard pile (unless replaced by an Exchange Card)

2. Play any number of cards (available if the player has completed their Level)

3. Discard one card to end the turn

• A player will always discard at the end of their turn unless they have no cards left

Building Blocks of a Level

Levels in Finale are made up of one or more building blocks. These building blocks describe the specific obstacles a player must complete in order to finish a Level. The requirements for each Level are shown on the Challenge Cards.

Set

• A Set is a group of cards that all share the same number or card identity

• For number cards, this means the same number

• For special cards, this means the same card type (Skip or Exchange)

• The color of the cards does not matter

• Wild Cards may be used in a set

A Set must include at least one non-Wild card to establish the identity of the Set. A set made entirely of Wild Cards is not allowed.

(Example: three 7s, or three Skip Cards)

Run

• A Run is a group of cards with consecutive numbers

• Runs may be made using cards of different colors

• Runs may be required to use all four colors, or may be required to be a single color

• Wild Cards may be used in a run

(Example: 3–4–5–6)

0 or 10 Cards in Runs

• When used in a run, a 0 or 10 card must always be placed at the end of the run

• Runs must follow a continuous sequence and may not wrap around

(Example: 8–9–10–1) is not allowed

• A 0 may only appear before a 1

• A 10 may only appear after a 9

Odds & Evens

• Odd numbers are: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

• Even numbers are: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

• Some Levels require cards to be separated into odd and even groups

• When a Level specifies odd or even cards by color, those restrictions must be followed when completing and adding to that group

(Example: four odd numbers of one color and four even numbers of a different color)

Colors

• Some Levels require cards to be a specific color

• When a Level requires a color, all cards used for that requirement must be that color

• Wild Cards may be that color

Dog Requirements (★)

• These Levels are marked with a star (★) on the Challenge Cards

• To complete a Level with a dog requirement, at least one card showing the required dog must be included

• Each numbered card features a specific dog, meaning the same number always shows the same dog across all colors

• The required dog may appear on:

– a Number Card, or

– the Wild Card featuring that dog

• When used to satisfy a dog requirement, a Wild Card may still represent any number and any color

Challenges

Each Challenge in Finale uses a Challenge Card that defines a sequence of Four Levels, numbered Level 1 through Level 4 and then the Finale.

Mellow Yellow Challenge

Level 1: Set & Run - Set of three and a run of four

Level 2: Even or Odd - Eight evens or eight odds

Level 3: Two Sets - Set of three, set of four

Level 4: Colors - Seven of one color

Finale: Butternut’s Run - Run of ten ★ Must include Butternut

Balanced Blue Challenge

Level 1: Set & Colorful Run - Set of three, run of four including each color

Level 2: Color & Set - Five of one color, set of three

Level 3: Fetch Charlie - Run of five, set of three ★ Must include Charlie

Level 4: Alpha Pack - Set of five, set of three

Finale: Violet’s Doghouse - Run of six, set of four ★ Must include Violet

Rigorous Red Challenge

Level 1: Color Run - Set of three, run of four of the same color

Level 2: Meatball’s Treat - Run of eight ★ Must include Meatball

Level 3: Odds & Evens - Four odds of one color, four evens of a different color

Level 4: Scout’s Colorush - Eight of one color ★ Must include Scout

Finale: The Perfect Paw - Run of six same color, two sets of two

Grueling Green Challenge

Level 1: Set & Color - Set of four, four of one color

Level 2: Colorful Run - Run of eight including two of each color

Level 3: Pom-Pom, Pom? - Three sets of three ★ Must include Pom-Pom

Level 4: Retriever Roundup - Four odds of one color, four evens of a different color

★ Must include Charlie & Violet

Finale: Butternut’s Squash - Run of four same color, two sets of three ★ Must include Butternut

Playing Levels

• Levels must be completed in numerical order

• Players may only attempt their current Level

• Players may complete their Level at any time during their turn

• A player may complete a Level on their first turn

• A Level is completed when a player, during their turn, lays down all requirements for that Level (or for a Finale, when attempting)

• Once a Level is completed, the cards are placed face up on the table:

– If a Level has multiple requirements, you must have all requirements completed before placing cards face up on the table

– Groups are not combined into a single pile (example, a set of three, a run of four)

– Each group is treated independently for adding cards

– The player advances to the next Level in the following round, regardless of who ends the round

• Any player who did not complete their current Level in a round must attempt that same Level in the following round. This continues until the Level is completed.

Playing on Completed Levels

• A player may only add cards to completed Levels after they have completed their own current Level

• Players who have completed their Level may add cards to any completed Level on the table, including their own

Once a Wild Card has been used to complete a Level, it is locked in place and may not be replaced, removed, or switched out for another card at any time

• When adding cards to a completed Level:

– Players must continue to follow any restrictions of that Level

– On Balanced Blue Level 1 and Grueling Green Level 2:

– The requirement that the run include each color applies only to completing the Level

– Once completed and on the table, players may add cards of any color to those runs

Ending a Round

• A round ends when a player has no cards left in their hand

• This may occur by discarding a final card, or by playing all remaining cards onto completed Levels

• If all players complete and lay down their Level in the round, the round immediately ends. Play does not need to continue until a player empties their hand.

Finale

• Each Challenge includes four Levels plus the Finale

• Multiple players may complete Levels 1–4, but only one person will complete the Finale

A player may only attempt the Finale at the start of a new round after completing Level 4

• The Finale requires a player to use all 10 cards to complete its requirements

• The first player to complete the Finale, leaving themselves with no cards in hand, immediately ends the game and wins the Challenge

Important Notes

• Exchange and Skip Cards may be used in sets and color requirements

• Exchange Cards, Skip Cards, and 0 or 10 Cards each have four cards total in the deck (one in each color). Players should keep this in mind when attempting to create Sets involving these cards.

Reforming the Draw Pile

• If the draw pile is depleted, the top two cards of the discard pile remain in place

• All remaining cards in the discard pile are shuffled to form a new draw pile

• Play then continues normally

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Grand Finale (Championship Mode)

• Grand Finale is an extended way to play Finale using the same group of players across all four Challenges

• Challenges are played in the following required order:

– Mellow Yellow

– Balanced Blue

– Rigorous Red

– Grueling Green

• Grand Finale may be played in a single extended session or across multiple sessions over several days, with each session advancing the next Challenge.

• Each Challenge is played as a complete game and ends immediately when a player completes the Finale

• Players track their progress and points between Challenges

(using pen and paper or a score sheet)

Grand Finale Scoring

Scoring by Challenge

Mellow Yellow

• Players earn 2 points for each Level completed

• The winner of the Finale earns 6 points

Balanced Blue

• Players earn 3 points for each Level completed

• The winner of the Finale earns 9 points

Rigorous Red

• Players earn 4 points for each Level completed

• The winner of the Finale earns 12 points

Grueling Green

• Players earn 5 points for each Level completed

• The winner of the Finale earns 15 points

• At the conclusion of all four Challenges, the player with the highest total score wins the Grand Finale

Grand Finale Tie-Breaker

If two or more players are tied for the highest total score at the end of the Grand Finale:

1. Shuffle the deck

2. Only the tied players participate

3. Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who goes first

4. Deal five cards to each tied player

5. Play proceeds using standard turn rules

Tie-Breaker Objective

• Play until a player completes a set of three

• Once a set of three is completed, all other tied players receive one final turn to also complete a set of three

• If no other players complete their set of three: Congratulations! We have a Grand Finale Winner.

Extended Tie-Breaker

• If multiple players complete a set of three in the same round, play continues only among those tied players.

• Play continues using normal turn rules until one of the those players empties their hand. That player wins the Grand Finale!

FINALE GAMES

“These are the moments that become the memories”