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Matching Elements is a tiles game popular among casual and professional players alike. Each complete set of tiles has 342 tiles with six differently colored sets of 57 tiles that have numbers marked on them. Each tile has two numbers between 0-12 on it that add up to a multiple of three which is no more than 24.
Tiles
0-0, 0-3, 0-6, 0-9, 0-12
1-2, 1-5, 1-8, 1-11
2-1, 2-4, 2-7, 2-10
3-0, 3-3, 3-6, 3-9, 3-12
4-2, 4-5, 4-8, 4-11
5-1, 5-4, 5-7, 5-10
6-0, 6-3, 6-6, 6-9 6-12
7-2, 7-5, 7-8, 7-11
8-1, 8-4, 8-7, 8-10
9-0, 9-3, 9-6, 9-9, 9-12
10-2, 10-5, 10-8, 10-11
11-1, 11-4, 11-7, 11-10
12-0, 12-3, 12-6, 12-9, 12-12
Rules
The game is played by 3-6 players. Players are encouraged to make teams of two or three if six players are present.
To determine the first dealer, each player blindly chooses a tile at random from the bag, called the Boneyard. This is when the first bid happens. After looking at their tile, players can either bid points up to the amount on their tile or choose to fold. Each player who bids must bid higher than the last. This goes on until players can bid no higher. The player who can bid the highest gets to be the dealer for the first round and is awarded as many points as they bid. If a player has drawn a double tile, they can state that immediately and automatically win the dealer selection. If two players have doubles, the player with the highest value double wins unless someone has the 0-0 tile which is an automatic win. This will net the player 24 points.
Once the dealer is determined, they give each player twelve tiles for 3-4 players (36-48 tiles total) and nine tiles for 5-6 players (45-54 tiles total). All other tiles are left in the Boneyard where tiles will be drawn from during gameplay.
The dealer gets to decide the starting color and each player must state a number of points to bet. This number is based on what each player thinks they can potentially win in the round. There is no minimum or maximum but each bet must be at least one point higher than the player before them. If the Dealer wants to increase their original bet, they can do so and each player can choose to increase their bet as well or hold on their previous bets. This continues until the dealer holds on their bet.
Once all players have stated their final bets, the dealer puts down the first tile that must match their stated color. Other players must place a tile that either matches the color or one of the numbers on the tile. Tiles that match the starting color are placed perpendicular to the first tile and nets the players 3 points. Tiles that do not match the starting color but are the same number are set on one of the open sides of the tile with the matching numbers touching and nets the player 1 point. Tiles that match both the color and one of the numbers can be put in either orientation and nets the player 4 points. If a player puts down one of the doubles, they get double whatever points they would receive otherwise (2, 6, or 8).
The round is over when no other tiles can be placed. Players then count up their points and subtract points equal to the number of tiles that remain in their possession. If anyone does not get enough points to match their original bet, they get no points for the round. The player with the most points gets to be the next dealer. The winner keeps all of the tiles from their winning round and puts them to the side in their "Bank" and they do not reenter play.
The new dealer hands out the maximum number of tiles and players with tiles left over from the last round only get enough tiles to get them back to the maximum number for the group size and choose a new starting color. Rounds continue if this fashion until the boneyard begins running low on new tiles and all players cannot get the maximum hand size at the start of the next round. Once this occurs, the player with the least number of points at the end of the round is out for the rest of the game. The winner of that round gets all of the tiles the eliminated player had in their Bank to add to their own pile. This continues until only two players remain.
Both players count the number of tiles in their Bank. Before the winner of the last round gets to deal or choose a color, the player with the larger Bank gets to decide how many tiles from each Bank can be reentered into play for the final round. This number can be no higher than the maximum number of tiles in the smaller Bank. Any doubles are shown immediately upon drawing them and the player automatically starts with its total in points to add to their points at the end of the round. Play continues as the other rounds did except no opening bet is made. Players lay down tiles until no more tiles can be placed. The player with the most points after adding their doubles bonus to the total points earned that round is the winner.