-Original Mahjongg Rules-
The original gameplay rules for Mahjongg are long and lengthy. They also deal with special combinations relying on the color of some of the original tiles used. Without color it is verry difficult to create those special hands. Otherwise its fairly identicle to mahjongg. To play mahjongg with playing cards is rather simple though. Instead of walls you create 4 stacks of cards which represent each wall. Discards are much more difficult with my cards instead of standard mahjongg cards. Not only do they take up more space as playing cards but mine do it even more so. This is why I advise against useing my cards to play mahjongg with. However If you simply MUST do so, then feel free to enjoy it as much as possible. If you come up with some card playing rules and ideas, email me! I'ld like to post them here.

My version of the game simply strips away a lot of the point aspects of the mahjongg game and concentrates on who "goes out" first.

-The Suites-

The Cast suite has 36 cards. There are 4 sets of cards numbered 1 through 9.

Compareable to the Mahjongg suite of "Characters".

The Items suite has 36 cards. There are 4 sets of cards numbered 1 through 9.

Compareable to the Mahjongg suite of "Dots"

The Lands suite has 36 cards. There are 4 sets of cards numbered 1 through 9.

Compareable to the Mahjongg suite of "Bamboo"

The Season sutie has 16 cards. There are 4 sets of cards labeled, Spring, Autumn, Winter, Summer.

Compareable to the Mahjongg suite of "Winds"

The Reason sutie has 12 cards. There are 4 sets of cards labeled, Good, Evil, Chaos.

Compareable to the Mahjongg suite of "Dragons"

The Family sutie has 4 cards.

Compareable to the Mahjongg suite of "Flowers-a"

The Elements sutie has 4 cards.

Compareable to the Mahjongg suite of "Flowers-b"

The Virtues sutie has 8 cards.

Compareable to the Mahjongg suite of "Jokers"

The Jokers suite has 8 cards.

Compareable to the Mahjongg suite of "Jokers" This is a now defunct joker set. Boring and unused but available.

-Duplicates?-
In these instructions I use the term "duplicate" to easily explain gameplay. To make it easier to understand what I mean by 'duplicate' please read the following paragraph.

In Mahjongg there are 4 duplicates of each "tile". In this case cards. For example if I used traditional mahjongg imagery; there would be four (#2 of bamboo) cards. It would be as if paying with four poker decks. There are 4 cards that match exactly in both number and in suite. In my "Compass of Fate" game I decided to make each of these 4 cards unique. Therefore you only need to pay attention to 1 of 3 symbols on the card. If it is a numbered suite, the # symbol is in the upper left corner. If it is not a numbered suite then it is the upper-title given to each card. As for a suite symbol, the border of the card identifies that. For example. There are four cards of the 'cast' suite with the #1 and the upper-title "farmer". Whereas in the non-numbered "reason" suite there are 4 "good" cards.

See the bottom of this page to see an image that identifies each suite

-PLAYERS-
TCOF can be played with 2, 3, or 4 players. Gameplay is almost identicle amoung the differnt groups with the exception of the number of 'Holding Cards'. It is preffered to be played on a table as the cards can take up a considerable amount of space.

-Objective-
The objective of the game is to use all of your cards. The first one to do so wins. You use your cards by creating combinations. These combinations are.. 3 duplicate cards (Triads). 4 duplicate cards (Quads). Pairs of the same kind of card (Pairs). and 3 cards of the same suite in numerical order (Runs). Obviously you can not create a run with the Season, Reason, Elements, Family, or Virtues suites.

-Table Setup-
For easy of play I will quote rules as meant for 2 players. The table setup should have spaces for 3 piles in the center. One is the Dealing pile. A second will be the Discard pile. The third is the 'Holding' pile. The holding pile is a set of cards set aside to even out gameplay in 2 & 3 player games. the Dealing and Holding pile are always face down. The 'Discard' pile is face up and only one card ever shows.

-Dealing-
In all games 13 cards are dealt for 4 players face down. The sets not used by players will be set aside face down into what becomes the 'holding' pile. The original game was for only 4 players. This 'holding' pile perserves the unknown aspect of which cards can not be used during the entire game. The first player pulls one card from the dealing pile and the game begins.

-Gameplay-
The gameplay starts with the initial player drawing a card from the dealing pile. Players can only have 13 cards in their hand during gameplay except when drawing or claiming the last and winning card. Thus createing the final winning combination of 14 cards. Once a card is drawn from the dealing pile the player decides to keep it or discard it or one of his other cards. keeping his inhand count to 13 cards. When discarding a card the player shows the card to the other players. If one of the other players can create a combination he can 'claim' the card. When 'claiming' a card the player claiming it exposes the combination that was created. Once a combination is 'exposed' it can not be altered or added onto. Cards can not be claimed for creating 'pairs'. Unless claiming the winning card, the claiming player then discards one of his other cards to keep his total (including exposed cards) count to 13. Then the play continues to the next player from the 'claiming' player. Turns go clockwise. If no one claims the discarded card then the next player draws a card from the dealing pile.

-2 PLAYER-
To play this game with two players set aside 26 cards in the Holding pile. In this variant you can not use any more than 2 pairs in your total winning combination. You can not claim for 'runs' either.

-3 PLAYERS-
The rules for a 3 player game is the same as the 2 player's. The only exception is that there are 13 cards in the Holding pile.. With more players the pace of the game is much faster. You might consider haveing more than one game to determine the winner.

-4 PLAYERS-
In the 4 player variant there is no Holding pile and you can use more than 2 pairs. It IS forbidden to win useing a hand consisting of nothing but pairs. Playing with 4 players goes much faster. It is suggested to have 2 to 4 games. The player who wins the most number of times is the winner.

-SOLITAIRE-
There are no current rules for Soliataire TCOF

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