Café International - Online Guide

Starting The Game

With /join 2-4 players can join the game. With /start the game begins. Alternatively, you can use the Game Tool!

Object of the Game

In Café International people from countries around the world are depicted on the cards. At the beginning of the game, players are dealt five cards at ramdom. On your turn you can bring to people and either place them at appropriate tables or at the bar in the middle. Some of the cards are wild cards. Playing cards to a table or the bar awards points (sometimes -ve) As tables become filled the risks become higher and the points awarded can increase.

The Game

Karten und Punkte eines Spielers

You have 3 options available to you on your turn:

  • Play 2 people (cards) to available tables. Wild cards can be used instead.
  • Play 1 person (card) to the bar.
  • Swap a wild card which has been played the exact card type which it was laid down as.

On your turn click on the cards you wish to play.

a) Playing cards (people) to an available table

Spielfeld

The following rules apply for playing people to tables:

  • Each person must be placed at a table designated by his countries flag.
  • No-one can sit on their own at the end of your turn. There must be a minimum of two people at each table. (Of course if you are playing 2 cards to the same table on your turn then this is OK)
  • Three men or three women may never sit at the same table. A second man may be placed at a table once there is at least one woman there already (and vise versa).
  • Wild cards can be played at any table, provided the sex of the card fulfills the above rules.

If a wild card is placed at a table which could be from 2 different countries, then you must choose which country it represents.

b) Placing a person at the bar.

Bar

All natural cards may be placed at the bar. Wild cards may only be placed at the bar if it is not possible to place them (e.g. no more male positions). You may only place one card if you place at the bar on your turn.

c) Playing a Wild Card

If a wild card exists on a table which matches one of your natural cards, you may take the wild card and replace it with your natural card. If the wild card is representing 2 countries you can replace it with either natural card type.

Points

At the tables

Scoring is as follows: The first card at the table receives 0 points, the second 2 points, the third 3 points and the fourth 4 points. If the table only hase ONE nationality then your points are doubled. If you complete a table with ALL the same nationality then you draw 1 less card. This way you can reduce the number of cards in your hand each time you complete a table with all the same nationality (including wild cards).

At the Bar

The bar is filled up in sequence. The value is shown on the square you place the card. The first 5 spaces are positive. The next squares then score negative points in increasing values. Wild cards placed here do not score positively.

Final Scoring

Each card in your hand at the end of the game scores -5 points. A wild card scores -10 points.

End of the Game

Café International ends when one of five conditions is met:

  • When only 4 cards are left to draw from the deck.
  • All tables are completely occupied
  • The bar is full
  • A player has no more cards in their hand (and has therefore completed 5 single nationality tables).
  • If only one person has a current positive score.