Cento (The 100 Games) - Game 4: The Multiplication Game

Rules of play

Prerequisite: Familiarity with the multiplication table of the integers 1 through 10.

Ages: 8 and up.

Participants: 2 to 6 players.

Cards in game: All 42 cards of the multiplication table - all marked with

. Inclusion of up to 2 “free” cards (

) is optional.

Object of the game: To discard all cards in a player’s hand.

Set-up: Same as games 1-3. If there are 4 or more players, each player is dealt only 5 cards.

Basic rules of play:

1.	In this game every number is defined only as a product of two multipliers according to the multiplication table (of the integers 1 - 10). These two multipliers are declared at the time of discard. For example, a player discarding “35” has to declare “5 times 7”, and a player discarding “24” can declare “4 times 6” or “3 times 8”. Note: The “Multiplication Table” card might be useful.
2.	Each player in turn may discard one card upon the “open” card, provided these two cards have a common declared multiplier. For example, upon the card “12”, which was discarded by declaring “2 times 6”, the player may discard any card with a multiplier=2 (i.e. “2”, “4” … “20”) or with a multiplier=6 (i.e. “6”, “12” … “60”). Therefore, He may discard “24” by declaring “4 times 6” (common declared multiplier=6), but cannot declare “3 times 8” (no common declared multiplier). Upon the “24” the next player may discard any card with a multiplier=4 or 6 (e.g. discard “28” by declaring “4 times 7”; common declared multiplier=4).
3.	A player who does not discard a card loses a turn and has to draw an extra card from the draw pile.

Special cards rules:

A player discarding a square number (green number at the corners of the card) obliges the following player to lose a turn and draw an extra card from the draw pile.
For example, upon the card “28” which was discarded by declaring “4 times 7”, player A discarded “36” by declaring “4 times 9” (common declared multiplier=4), and player B had to draw a card from the draw pile. Now, player C may continue according to the basic rules of play and discard upon the “36” any card with a multiplier=4 or 9.

A “free” card (

) may replace any number within the multiplication table. The number of a “free” card is declared at the time of discard, provided it matches the “open” card according to the basic rules of play.
Using this card wisely may increase the chance of winning.
For example, upon the card “28” which was discarded by declaring “4 times 7” a player may discard a “free” card, and determine its number is “4” by declaring “4 times 1”, thus obliging the following player to lose a turn and draw a card from the draw pile.

End of game: Same as games 1-3.