The YEBOGame is family orientated.  It is made up of 6 rounds, inspired by Rummy and the ancient Chinese game of Mahjong and players as young as 8 can participate.  

The YEBOGame is played with 144 wooden blocks that feature African inspired art and symbology and it is based on skill and luck.  It is played with 4 players but as few as 2 can play the game.  

The aim of the game is to score the highest points by trying to collect the blocks that have the highest value by each player picking up and discarding the blocks in turn.  Only the blocks that are put down are totalled up for scoring.  The player that wins a round does not guarantee the highest score, that will go to the most strategic player. The overall winner is the player with the highest accumulative score at the end of all 6 rounds.

SUITS: The Fundamental Blocks – 4 of each Pots, Masks and Shields they are from 1 – 9 and are recognisable by their symbols which represents the number of the block.  In total there are 36 blocks in each suit.  

FLOWERS AND BIRDS: The Enhancing Blocks – There are 3 different Flowers and 3 Birds numbered 1 – 3 and there are 4 of each.  They are more valuable than suits because they are harder to collect.  In the mixed games, the 1 Flower is matched with the 1 Bird, etc.

WILDLIFE: The Sightings Blocks – There are 8 different Wildlife blocks, each with their own value.  They are high scoring and when they are dealt and/or drawn from the Fence they are revealed face up for all the players to see.  Then, they are replenished with another block from either side of the Fence.  The game then continues in the opposite direction.

AFRICA: The Wild Blocks – These 4 blocks work like a blank when collecting sets, runs, and pairs but have no value.  Although, they are high value when collected as a set, run or pair.  Any unused Africa blocks a player is holding at the end of a round carries a 50-point deduction to that players score.  Any player can take an Africa block if they draw the block that the Africa represents and use it in their own hand, by replacing the Africa block with the tile it represents.  

1. Turn all the blocks face down and mix them around until you feel that they are sufficiently jumbled.  
2. Each player takes a block from the shuffled pile at random and the player with the highest valued block will be the Chief of the first game and take the first turn.  In the event of a tie, tied players draw additional blocks until the tie is broken.  
3. Return the blocks selected in step 2 to the playing area within the Fence, face down. 
4. To begin the setup, stack 2 rows 18 blocks long.  Do this 4 times to create a square. (go to Gallery)
5. Once complete, push these rows towards the centre of the table to create a tight square, known as The Fence.  You should now have a square consisting of all 144 blocks, 2 rows tall.
6. The Chief of the game draws a stack of 4 blocks, 2 next to each other and the 2 underneath (go to gallery) from any point of the Fence and announces in which direction they want the other players to draw their stacks of 4 from.  Do this 3 times until each player has 12 blocks in their hand.
7. Players arrange their 12 blocks in front of them so that only they can see their hand.  
8. Any Sightings are placed face up next to your hand and those players, starting with the Chief and moving around the table in the direction the Chief announced, draws another block from the Fence to replace their sightings and replenish their hand.
9. Each player takes their turn in the direction that the Chief announced.  A player may draw their blocks from either opening of the Fence once the round is in play.
10. A turn is played by picking up a block from the Fence and discarding a block into the centre of the Fence face up.  As the block is discarded the player announces it for all players to hear.  E.G 1 Pot, 9 Shield.

You may now begin playing The YEBOGame!

• Yebo is called each time a player wishes to claim the last discarded block and the game continues play from that player.  
• The player that starts each round is The Chief who rules over the game.
• The blocks are drawn from either side of The Fence, one from the top the next one underneath it.
• The overall winner is the player with the highest score after all 6 rounds have been played.
• The Chief, after reviewing their hand drawn from The Fence, can dictate which of the 6 rounds they wish to play.
• Each round may only be selected and played once. 
• The player that wins each round, starts the next round and is the new Chief.
• A discarded block can only be claimed by a player when that player already has 2 blocks of a set or run.  
• If a Yebo has not been called, then the in-turn player may claim the discarded block. 
• Once the active player has picked up and looked at their block, Yebo may no longer be called or awarded. 
• If 2 players call Yebo, it is the next in-turn player that takes the block.
• All sets and runs and pairs must be displayed as they are formed for all players to see. 
• A player cannot win a round if they did not announce that they are looking for one final block to win.
• If there is no winner and the blocks in the Fence have run out, the Chief of that round makes the decision to rebuild the Fence and continue with the round until someone wins, or to score the round as is.  If the round is restarted, then that Chief remains the Chief.  
• When a 4th block is drawn from the Fence, it is placed face up on top of the set or run and like Sightings, the player must draw another block from the Fence to replenish their hand.
• Each time a Sighting is drawn from the Fence, the direction of play reverses.
• Once an Africa block has been exposed in a set, run or pair it can be taken by any player who picks up the block to replace the Africa.  This replacement block can only be drawn from the Fence.
• An Africa block cannot be discarded or used as a 4^th block.
• There are always 12 blocks in each hand at any given time.  4^th blocks and Sightings do not count towards the hand size of 12 blocks.
• 4th blocks are only drawn from the Fence and cannot be a Yebo.
• Players cannot add a 4th block to another player’s hand.  They can only be added to their own sets and runs. 
• Only 1 Africa block, when used as a wild block, may be used per Set or Run. 2 Africa blocks may be collected as a pair or 3 may be collected as a set or run.
• A player will win on their last discarded block.
• Score only on displayed Sets, Runs and Pairs.

YEBO – When a discarded block is desired by any player a Yebo must be called. Any player can only Yebo if they already have two blocks of a sequence which they can then play and expose to the table.  If two players require that block, the next in-turn player has preference over it.  Keep your eyes and ears on the game!

The round continues from the player that played a Yebo and some players might miss a turn.  

THE FENCE – The Fence is the central feature of the game, and it is constructed from the 144 blocks.  It is built two layers high to form a tight contained square.  18 blocks on each side and 2 rows high, face down.  

THE CHIEF – Each game is controlled by a Chief; the player that begins the first game by picking up the highest numbered block and the player that wins each round from then on.  The Chief can dictate which game they wish played according to their 12 blocks drawn from the Fence and in which direction the game will move.  

THE DISCARD – Each time a block is discarded into the middle of the Fence face up, that player must name the block for all to hear.  This is so that there is no dispute about which block was last discarded, because only the last discarded block can be a Yebo.  If no one has called Yebo then in-turn players may pick up the last discard to help towards creating the start of a set or run.  

SIGHTING – These are high scoring and sought after because there are only 8 unique Sighting blocks and only 1 of each.  The Sighting is placed face up to the side for all to see.  The player replenishes their hand from the Fence and the game reverses direction. 

4^TH BLOCK – This block, when drawn from the Fence, can be added to the players own already exposed set or run of 3 blocks.  A player cannot add to another player’s set or run.

Duration of play: 6 rounds +/- 90 Minutes

SETS: A set is three of any identical blocks. (3 x 2 Shield, 3 x 1 Flower etc. or even 3 x Africa blocks)

Round 1 – Collect 4 sets of 3 from only one suit.    May include Birds and Flowers.  Yebo allowed throughout the game.  

RUNS: Any 3 consecutive numbers from the same Suit. (i.e., 2, 3, 4Pot, 7, 8, 9Pot, 5, 6, 7Pot).  

Round 2 – Collect 4 runs of 3 consecutive numbers from only one suit. May include one of each Birds or 1 of each Flowers (one of each number).  Yebo allowed throughout the game.  

PAIRS: Two of the identical blocks from 1 suit.  

Round 3 – Collect 2 of the same block from only one suit.  May include Birds and Flowers.  No Yebo is allowed, except the last discarded block to win. 

MIXED SETS: Any 3 of the same number from each Suit. (e.g., 1 Pot, 1 Shield, 1 Mask).  

Round 4 – Using all three suits, collect 4 sets of 3 blocks, one block from each suit. May include one of each Bird and one of each flower.  Yebo allowed throughout the game.  No 4th blocks.

MIXED RUNS: Any 3 consecutive numbers, 1 from each Suit. (i.e., 3pot, 4shield, 5mask).  

Round 5 – Using all three suits, collect 4 sets of 3 consecutive numbers, 1 from each suit.  Birds and Flowers not included.  Yebo allowed throughout game.  No 4th blocks.  

MIXED PAIRS: Two of the same number blocks from two different suits. (i.e., 4 Pot, 4 Shield) 

Round 6 – Using 2 suits only, collect the same number block from each chosen suit to make a pair. Birds and Flowers included.  No Yebo is allowed, except the last discard block to win.  

Displayed only SUITS = 10 each

Displayed only FLOWERS and BIRDS = 20 each

AFRICA used as a wild block = 0

SIGHTINGS = as noted on each block

Extra points

WINNER – extra 20.

AFRICA unused – less 50.

Set or run of AFRICA = 50 each

Pair of AFRICA in game 3 and 6 = 20 each

• Decide as soon as possible which suit to collect when beginning a new round.  1. Choose the suit that has pairs.  Pairs on hand allow you to Yebo the third block in your Set or Run.  2. Choose the suit that you have the most of.
• Look and listen to the Discard.  The game can move fast at times and a player may confuse the Suits, Flowers and Birds and call a Discard incorrectly.  You might miss out on a Yebo.
• Be careful when taking an Africa block from another players exposed set or run.  If you don’t need an Africa block, it might be best to leave it where it is.  If you get caught with it unused, it takes 50 points from your total score.
• Don’t forget to announce that you are looking for 1 final block to win.  You will have to wait another round and that could give another player the opportunity to win.  Remember, the aim of the game is to score the highest points.