WHAT IS THE MATCHRIX?
MATCHrix is a collectible card game with simple rules and strategies designed to be as social as it is competitive. Players alternately lay down cards in "dominoes" fashion, matching their symbols in a race to get rid of their cards. Over the course of the game, a large "matrix" of cards is layed on the table, clustering in patterns of color and form. When played in public, strangers will interrupt to comment on the artwork. Special cards can turn the game around in a second.

PLAYERS:
2-5 players.

CARDS:
Standard BISTRO SINISTRO trading cards with MATCH markings.

CARD COUNT:
The deck should contain at least 12 cards per player.

OBJECT:
Each player's goal is to deplete the cards in their hand by playing, in turn, matching cards adjacent to one another on a growing mat(ch)rix.

PREPARING TO PLAY:

1. Gather the appropriate number of cards, merge them into one deck, then shuffle.
2. Determine a dealer randomly, arbitrarily or by group consensus.
3. Deal each player 7 cards then place the deck face down off to the side. This becomes the Draw Deck.
4. Turn over the top card in the Draw Deck and place it in the center of the playing area.
5. Play starts with the player on dealer's left and continues clockwise.

BASIC GAMEPLAY:
Each player plays cards from their hand in turn until one player has none left to play. A player can play any number of cards from their hand during their turn as long as they follow the "Rules of Matching".

TAKING A TURN:

1. DRAW A CARD: At the beginning of each turn, the player will draw a card from the remaining deck.
2. PLAY CARDS: Play a string of cards from one's hand, each of which must follow the "Rules of Matching".
3. CAPPER EFFECTS: If a Capper card was played, then add up its power and direct opponents to draw extra cards accordingly.
4. AND SO ON: If the player still possesses cards in their hand, gameplay continues to the next player. If player has played their last card, gameplay stops. The first player to "go out" is the winner.

RULES OF MATCHING:
Cards match if they share at least one symbol in common. A matches a but DOES NOT match a . A card can only be played if it meets ALL of the following criteria.

• It shares at least one common symbol with each adjacent card.
• It is adjacent to the previous card played by that player on that turn (if one has been played).
• It is adjacent to the existing MATCHrix of cards (cards played before current turn).

CAPPERS:
A Capper is a special card that features the symbol of a black or white crown emblazoned with one of the ten regular MATCH symbol letters. This special card allows the player to cause opponents to draw extra cards from the deck.

When placed, the player of the Capper counts up all matching symbols in every direction which the Capper is attached to the existing Matchrix. The total matches becomes the "power" of the Capper. The Capper-player then, immediately, spends the "power" by causing other players to draw cards. One "point" of power is spent for every one card other players are caused to draw. For example: three people are playing and one person uses a Capper that gathers 6 power, that player can cause each of the two opponents to draw 3 cards each. Alternately, that same 6 power can be spent to cause one of the opponents to draw 5 cards and the other opponent to draw 1 card.

Things to note about Cappers:

• When a Capper is played in such a way as to be adjacent to two or more cards, the "power" is totalled for each direction of adjacency. For example, if a Capper is played so it matches a card on "top" and on the "left", it gathers its power along both the vertical column and left-horizontal row.
• Capper cards act as "dead ends" in the Matchrix. No new cards can be played next to a Capper. Therefore, it must be the last card played during the turn.
• Cappers follow the same rules of adjacency as any other card. The "crown" symbol, for the purposes of matching, is treated as if it were the common "circle" symbol.
• A Capper cannot be played as the last card in a player's hand. One must have cards remaining in their hand in order to play a Capper.
• If a Capper is overturned as the first card to "seed" the Matchrix at the start of the game, each player must draw one extra card, then a new card is overturned on top of the Capper. If the new "seed" is also a Capper, repeat the process until a valid "seed" is overturned.

WHEN THE DRAW DECK RUNS OUT:
In some games, the draw deck will be depleted before any of the players have "gone out". The official rule for this situation is to keep playing without drawing cards. Sudden death. Play otherwise continues as normal until a player wins by using all of their cards.

Alternately, the dealer can gather up all of the cards in the Matchrix, shuffle them, deal one new card to each player (including the dealer), then overturn one card in the center of the playfield to start a new Matchrix.

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