Hanabi Central Wiki
Hanabi cards

Hanabi has one principal type of game piece. In most editions of the game, it takes the form of a card; as such, these game pieces are commonly referred to as "cards" in many Hanabi spaces, including throughout this wiki. But it's worth noting that some editions, namely those in the Deluxe Edition series, these pieces are instead tiles.

Card properties

In the standard game, and moreover in all variants of the game with a known implementation (i.e. those available on hanab-live), each card has two properties: suit and rank.

Suit play order

A card's playability depends on what other cards have already been played of that suit, according to the variant's rules for playing cards of that suit. There are three known play orders:

Standard play order

1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5. Simple as. Used in almost all variant-suits.

Reversed play order

5 -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 1. Standard but reversed. Used only in "%Reversed" variants, which were inspired by the "Black Powder" variant published in the Grands Feux edition of the game. Black Powder = White reversed + 5 standard suits.

Up-or-down play order

Up or Down variants feature up-or-down suits which, as the name implies, can be played in ascending or descending order. Furthermore, they feature an additional rank called "Start" (s), which is touched by no number clues, and which can stand in as the initial 1 or 5. In other words, up-or-down suits can be played in any of the following orders:

  • 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5
  • 5 -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 1
  • s -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5
  • s -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 1

One consequence of these rules is that players must keep track of all previously played cards in a suit, or in other words, whether the suit is playing up or down.

Distribution of ranks in a suit

Each suit in a deck of Hanabi cards comprises cards that follow a distribution of ranks. Several types of distributions can be found among variants in the official game editions and on hanab-live. All suits among known implemented variants span ranks 1 through 5 inclusive, with the exception of up-or-down suits, which additionally feature a card of the "s(tart)" rank.

Standard Distribution

In the Standard Variant, each suit follows the Standard Distribution: three copies of rank 1, two 2s, two 3s, two 4s, and one 5. Visually:

  1. |||
  2. ||
  3. ||
  4. ||
  5. |

This design makes it relatively easy to start progressing the suit, and relatively difficult to finish the suit.

Singleton Distribution

The Singleton Distribution describes, as its name suggests, a single copy of each rank. Visually:

  1. |
  2. |
  3. |
  4. |
  5. |

Variants including a singleton suit have been described in the official rulebook since the first edition releases of Hanabi.

Reversed Standard Distribution

The Reversed Standard Distribution reverses the Standard Distribution, as its name suggests. That is: three copies of rank 5, two 4s, two 3s, two 2s, and one 1. Visually:

  1. |
  2. ||
  3. ||
  4. ||
  5. |||

The only known variant-suits featuring this distribution also play in reversed play order.

Card interaction with clues

A card is identified by a clue according to its values for each of these two properties, and according to the clue map that constitutes part of the variant definition.

Suit names on hanab-live

In hanab-live, it's common to name suits as colors, according to the suit's clue map and distribution of ranks.

All-or-nothing suits

Some suits are defined such that all of its cards are touched by all or none of the color or number clue values. These are named differently depending on whether they follow the Standard distribution or Singleton distribution

Standard-distribution All-or-nothing suits:

No color cluesOne color clueAll color clues
No rank cluesNullBrownMuddy Rainbow
Own rank clueWhiteStandardRainbow
All rank cluesLight PinkPinkOmni

Singleton-distribution All-or-nothing suits:

No color cluesOne color clueAll color clues
No rank cluesDark NullDark BrownCocoa Rainbow
One rank clueGrayBlackDark Rainbow
All rank cluesGray PinkDark PinkDark Omni

Standard suit colors

There are six colors used for standard suits on hanab-live among most variants. The order is generally unimportant, but is used in some applications of game variation like prism.

  1. Red
  2. Yellow
  3. Green
  4. Blue
  5. Purple
  6. Teal

There are further color-names given to Standard suits in variants where suits share clue maps ("Ambiguous" variants on hanab-live).

  1. Red
    i. Tomato
    ii. Carrot
    iii. Mahogany
  2. Green
    i. Lime
    ii. Forest
  3. Blue
    i.Ice
    ii. Sapphire
    iii. Sky
    iv. Berry
    v. Navy
    vi. Ocean

Prism

A prism suit has a color clue map such that ascending ranks cycle through the colors of the other suits in the variant (which is where the color order comes into play, as aforementioned). For example, in the "Prism (5 Suits)" variant, which has four Standard suits and one prism suit, prism cards map to color clues as follows:

Prism 1: red
Prism 2: yellow
Prism 3: green
Prism 4: blue
Prism 5: red

All-or-nothing ranks

hanab-live also features some variants where all-or-nothing properties have been aligned along ranks rather than suits. Examples: Rainbow-Ones, Pink-Fives.

Deceptive ranks

In a Deceptive-rank variant, cards of a certain rank are touched by the cycle of number clues. For example, in Deceptive-Ones (5 Suits)

  • Red 1 is touched by a 2 clue
  • Yellow 1 is touched by a 3 clue
  • Green 1 is touched by a 4 clue,
  • Blue 1 is touched by a 5 clue
  • Purple 1 is touched by a 2 clue (wrapping around)

Matryoshka

The suits are defined to map to increasingly large subsets of the color clues:

  • Red (red)
  • Yam (red / yellow)
  • Geas (red / yellow / green)
  • Beatnik (red / yellow / green / blue)
  • Plum (red / yellow / green / blue / purple)
  • Taupe (red / yellow / green / blue / purple / teal)

Dual-Color suits

A dual-color suit is touched by a unique combination of two color clues.

In the 6-suit version, there are 4 different colors:

  • Orange (red / yellow)
  • Purple (red / blue)
  • Mahogany (red / black)
  • Green (yellow / blue)
  • Tan (yellow / black)
  • Navy (blue / black)
    In the 5-suit version, there are 5 different colors:
  • Orange (red / yellow)
  • Lime (yellow / green)
  • Teal (green / blue)
  • Indigo (blue / purple)
  • Cardinal (purple / red)
    In the 3-suit version, there are 4 different colors:
  • Orange (red / yellow)
  • Green (yellow / blue)
  • Purple (blue / red)

RGB Mix (6 Suits)

  • There are three colors and six suits:
    • Red
    • Yellow (red / green)
    • Green
    • Teal (green / blue)
    • Blue
    • Purple (blue / red)
  • The color names are taken from the
    colors of light in the RGB model.

Special Mix (5 Suits)

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Black (one of each)
    2. Rainbow (all colors)
    3. Pink (all ranks)
    4. White (colorless)
    5. Brown (rankless)

Special Mix (6 Suits)

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Black (one of each)
    2. Rainbow (all colors)
    3. Pink (all ranks)
    4. White (colorless)
    5. Brown (rankless)
    6. Null (clueless)

Ambiguous Mix

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Tomato (red)
    2. Mahogany (red)
    3. Sky (blue)
    4. Navy (blue)
    5. Black (one of each)
    6. White (colorless)

Dual-Color Mix

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Green (blue / yellow)
    2. Purple (blue / red)
    3. Orange (yellow / red)
    4. Black (one of each)
    5. Rainbow (all colors)
    6. White (colorless)

Ambiguous & Dual-Color Mix

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Lime (blue / yellow)
    2. Forest (blue / yellow)
    3. Orchid (blue / red)
    4. Violet (blue / red)
    5. Tangelo (yellow / red)
    6. Peach (yellow / red)

Candy Corn Mix (5 Suits)

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Red
    2. Orange (red / yellow)
    3. Yellow
    4. White (colorless)
    5. Brown (rankless)

Candy Corn Mix (6 Suits)

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Red
    2. Orange (red / yellow)
    3. Yellow
    4. White (colorless)
    5. Brown (rankless)
    6. Cocoa Rainbow (all colors, rankless, one of each)

Holiday Mix (5 Suits)

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Dark Pink (all ranks, one of each)
    2. Green
    3. White (colorless)
    4. Sky (blue)
    5. Navy (blue)

Holiday Mix (6 Suits)

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Light Pink (all ranks, colorless)
    2. Red
    3. Green
    4. White (colorless)
    5. Sky (blue)
    6. Navy (blue)

Valentine Mix (5 Suits)

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Red
    2. Pink (all ranks)
    3. White (colorless)
    4. Light pink (colorless and all ranks)
    5. Cocoa rainbow (all colors, rankless, one of each)

Valentine Mix (6 Suits)

  • This is a mix of several variants. The suits are as follows:
    1. Red
    2. Pink (all ranks)
    3. White (colorless)
    4. Light pink (colorless and all ranks)
    5. Cocoa rainbow (all colors, rankless, one of each)
    6. Null (rankless and colorless)

Critical Fours

  • One 4 is removed from each suit.

Clue Starved

  • Each discard or 5 played only generates 0.5 clues. (The team still starts with 8 clues.)

Color Blind

  • Color clues touch no suits. (Empty color clues are always allowed.)

Number Blind

  • Rank clues touch no suits. (Empty rank clues are always allowed.)

Totally Blind

  • Color clues and rank clues touch no suits. (Empty clues are always allowed.)

Color Mute

  • Color clues cannot be given.

Number Mute

  • Rank clues cannot be given.

Alternating Clues

  • The first clue of the game has no restrictions. After that, each successive clue must be the opposite type as the one prior.
  • For example, if the first clue of the game is a color clue, then the second clue must be a number clue, the third clue must be a color clue, and so forth.
  • This variant was invented by Jake Stiles.

Cow & Pig

  • When players give a clue, they point at the cards clued, but say "moo" if it is a color clue, and "oink" if it is a rank clue.

Duck

  • When players give a clue, they point at the cards clued, but say "quack" instead of a color or number.
  • This variant was invented by Jack Gurev's group.

Odds and Evens

  • Rank clues are limited to 1 and 2.
  • "O" (Odd) rank clue touches all odd cards, "E" (Even) touches all even cards.

Synesthesia

  • Only color clues may be given.
  • In addition to their normal color, cards with rank 1 count as the first color, cards with rank 2 count as the second color, and so on.
  • If the brown suit is in use, its cards only get clued by brown, and not as the color of their rank.

Reversed

  • One of the suits is replaced with a reversed suit.
  • The reversed suit must be played in the opposite order (e.g. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).
  • Two 1's are removed from the reversed suit.
  • Two 5's are added to the reversed suit.

Up or Down

  • Two 1's are removed from each suit.
  • One "START" card is added to each suit.
  • When a stack is empty, you can play either a 1, a 5, or a START card on it.
  • When a stack has a START card on it, you can play either a 2 or a 4 on it.
  • If a stack was started with a 1 (or a START + 2), then it works as a normal stack.
  • If a stack was started with a 5 (or a START + 4), then it must be completed in reverse.
  • A clue token is given when a stack is completed, regardless of whether it is a normal stack or a reversed stack.
  • This variant was invented by Sean McCarthy on the BoardGameGeek forums.

Throw It in a Hole

  • When players play a card, they do not flip it over like normal but instead place it face down in the center of the table.
  • The score of the game is not revealed until the game is over.
  • Players do not get a clue back for successfully playing a 5.
  • The game will automatically end if 3 strikes are accumulated.
  • This variant was invented by Jack Gurev's group.

Funnels

  • Rank clues also touch all lower ranked cards.

Chimneys

  • Rank clues also touch all higher ranked cards.

Full Variant Listing


Variant Order Summary

  • Normal Variants
  • Black
  • Rainbow
  • Pink
  • White
  • Brown
  • Omni
  • Null
  • Muddy Rainbow
  • Light Pink
  • Prism
  • Dark [Suit] / Gray / Cocoa Rainbow / Gray Pink
  • Special Suit Combinations (e.g. Black & Rainbow)
  • Suit-Ones (e.g. Rainbow-Ones, Pink-Ones, White-Ones, etc.)
  • Suit-Fives (e.g. Rainbow-Fives, Pink-Fives, White-Fives, etc.)
  • Deceptive-Ones
  • Deceptive-Fives
  • Suit-Ones or Suit-Fives with Another Special Suit (e.g. Rainbow-Ones & Pink)
  • Ambiguous
  • Very Ambiguous
  • Extremely Ambiguous
  • Dual-Color
  • Mixes
  • Critical Fours
  • Clue Starved
  • Color Blind
  • Number Blind
  • Totally Blind
  • Color Mute
  • Number Mute
  • Alternating Clues
  • Cow & Pig
  • Duck
  • Odds and Evens
  • Synesthesia
  • Reversed
  • Up or Down
  • Throw It in a Hole