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Hanafuda Games: Compare the Ways to Play
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Last updated 2026-10-19 · Run by Qdan, Inc.
Hanafuda games use flower cards either to capture matching months and build scoring combinations or to add values and compare with a dealer; player counts, round endings and scoring differ.
Compare Koi-Koi, Hana-Awase, Hachi-Hachi, Go-Stop and Oicho-Kabu, then follow Play to try each game.
Browse hanafuda games — Choose a game to play by name or player count.
Three Games to Try First
- Hanafuda Koi-Koi
Try matching months and choosing when to stop in a two-player game.
- Hana-awase
Play out the hands to compare card points with combination points.
- Oicho-Kabu
Use the displayed numbers to compare totals with the dealer before learning pictorial sets.
Choose by players and how you score
Start with Koi-Koi for two-player combinations and stop-or-continue decisions, or Hana-Awase to play out the hands, especially with three players. Hachi-Hachi adds starting-hand sets and round multipliers, Go-Stop adds target scores and exchanges of junk cards, and Oicho-Kabu compares numerical totals rather than captured pictures.
Compare players, combinations, round length and points
Players, match time and learning effort come from BGJ’s game information. Match time can include several rounds and is not a per-round estimate. Here a round runs from dealing to settlement, or one deal in Oicho-Kabu; hand sizes and ending conditions help compare its length. BGJ rules specify details such as two- and four-player Hana-Awase and scoring multipliers; general references may differ, so check each game’s rules and settings.
2–6 players
10–20 min
- Quick to learn1 game
- Learn step by step3 games
- More to learn1 game
- Mostly skill0 games
- Luck and skill3 games
- Mostly luck2 games
Player counts and times span the smallest to largest values in this group. Learning and luck describe each game, rather than a quality score.
| Game | Players and match time | How combinations form | Round length and ending | How points are counted | Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanafuda Koi-Koi | 2 players, About 15 min | Collect brights, animals, ribbons, plains or named sets | Stop after a combination, or exhaust both eight-card hands | Add combination points; defaults double 7+ points and wins after an opponent’s call | Stop at a new combination or continue |
| Go-Stop | 2–3 players, About 10 min | Collect brights, three birds, ribbon sets, animals or junk units | Until Stop or an empty stock; BGJ estimates about 4 minutes per round | Apply Go bonuses and multipliers; collect each opponent’s payment | Go or Stop at the target; watch opponents’ junk and brights |
| Hana-awase | 2–4 players, About 20 min | Build captured combinations and collect high-value cards | Exhaust all hands: 7 cards each with three players, 10 with two, 5 with four | Settle card points against the player-count baseline, then add combination payments | Pursue a combination or capture valuable cards |
| Hachi-hachi | 3 players, About 20 min | Score sets in the dealt hand as well as captured cards | End on a captured combination or exhaust seven-card hands; Sage continues play | Settle five components, including card difference from 88, with round multipliers | Check the multiplier and starting sets; end or declare Sage |
| Oicho-Kabu | 2–6 players, About 10 min | Add month values; special hands include three equal values | One deal compares four table hands with the dealer; up to three cards per hand | Transfer the points placed against the dealer; special hands have multipliers | Choose points for table hands and whether to draw when allowed |
Make combinations and choose whether to continue
Capture cards by matching their months, build scoring combinations called yaku, and choose whether to continue or end the round. For example, collecting the boar, deer and butterfly makes a combination in Koi-Koi, but continuing gives your opponent a chance to score first.
Hanafuda Koi-Koi
Match months to capture cards and make combinations such as boar, deer and butterfly before your opponent. Each turn uses one hand card and one card from the stock. When a new combination forms, stop to score or call koi-koi to continue. If your opponent then makes a combination and stops, their score doubles under BGJ defaults. This is a two-player game. [1]
- How combinations form
- Collect brights, animals, ribbons, plains or named sets
- Round length and ending
- Stop after a combination, or exhaust both eight-card hands
- How points are counted
- Add combination points; defaults double 7+ points and wins after an opponent’s call
Go-Stop
Capture matching months and reach the target score, then Stop to collect points or Go to continue. BGJ uses a three-point target with three players and seven with two; after Go, raise your combination score before choosing again. A three-bird set, captures that take opponents’ junk cards and payment multipliers make the scoring different from Koi-Koi. [4]
- How combinations form
- Collect brights, three birds, ribbon sets, animals or junk units
- Round length and ending
- Until Stop or an empty stock; BGJ estimates about 4 minutes per round
- How points are counted
- Apply Go bonuses and multipliers; collect each opponent’s payment
Count card values and combinations
Matching months also earns cards with individual point values that contribute to settlement. For example, three-player Hana-Awase uses 88 as the baseline for a share of the deck’s 264 card points, while Hachi-Hachi also checks starting-hand combinations and round multipliers.
Hana-awase
Capture matching months to collect valuable cards and scoring combinations. Play continues until everyone has used their hand, even after a combination appears. Card values are 20 for brights, 10 for animals, 5 for ribbons and 1 for plains; combination payments are added in settlement. The reference game is for three players; BGJ also supports two and four, adjusting the card-point baseline. [2]
- How combinations form
- Build captured combinations and collect high-value cards
- Round length and ending
- Exhaust all hands: 7 cards each with three players, 10 with two, 5 with four
- How points are counted
- Settle card points against the player-count baseline, then add combination payments
Hachi-hachi
Capture matching months and combine card-point settlement with scoring sets in a fixed three-player game. Starting-hand combinations score as well as sets made from captured cards. A new captured set can end the round, or Sage lets play continue in pursuit of another. BGJ separately settles starting sets, captured sets, Sage, bonus feats and the difference from 88 card points, with round multipliers of one, two or four. [3]
- How combinations form
- Score sets in the dealt hand as well as captured cards
- Round length and ending
- End on a captured combination or exhaust seven-card hands; Sage continues play
- How points are counted
- Settle five components, including card difference from 88, with round multipliers
Add card values and compare with the dealer
Use each card’s month as a number, add the values and compare the last digit with the dealer, aiming for nine. For example, April and May total nine; Oicho-Kabu asks whether to draw a third card rather than which matching month to capture.
Oicho-Kabu
Get the last digit of your card total closer to nine than the dealer’s, or win with a special hand, to gain game points. BGJ uses the forty flower cards for January through October, valued by month. Players put points on table cards and follow the two-card total to decide whether a third card is drawn. Special hands such as three equal values beat ordinary totals. Only game points are used.
- How combinations form
- Add month values; special hands include three equal values
- Round length and ending
- One deal compares four table hands with the dealer; up to three cards per hand
- How points are counted
- Transfer the points placed against the dealer; special hands have multipliers
BGJ rules [9]
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of hanafuda games can I play?
You can match months and build scoring sets in Koi-Koi, Hana-Awase, Hachi-Hachi and Go-Stop, or add card values against a dealer in Oicho-Kabu. This guide compares combinations, players, round endings and points.
Which hanafuda games are there besides Koi-Koi?
Hana-Awase, Hachi-Hachi, Go-Stop and Oicho-Kabu are alternatives you can try here. Hana-Awase plays out the hands; Hachi-Hachi adds starting sets and multipliers; Go-Stop uses target scores and a Go or Stop decision; Oicho-Kabu compares the last digit of totals.
Can two, three or more people play hanafuda?
BGJ offers Koi-Koi for two, Hana-Awase for two to four, Hachi-Hachi for exactly three, Go-Stop for two or three and Oicho-Kabu for two to six. For four players capturing matching months, choose Hana-Awase; larger groups can compare numerical hands in Oicho-Kabu.
Do all hanafuda games use the same combinations and points?
Scoring combinations and values differ between games. Koi-Koi scores captured sets, Hana-Awase also settles card values, and Hachi-Hachi adds starting-hand sets and round multipliers. Go-Stop has bird sets, junk units and payment multipliers; Oicho-Kabu compares numerical totals and special hands.
Are the displayed times the length of one round?
The displayed time estimates a whole match. An individual round may finish at a scoring combination or when the hands run out, so the comparison gives ending conditions and hand sizes instead. Games with a round-count setting also let you choose a shorter match.
Sources and How BGJ Plays
- Card manufacturer’s official rules — こいこいMatching months, combinations, continuing and doubled scores; see BGJ settings for details (Japanese) / Checked: ↩
- Card manufacturer’s official rules — 花合わせThree-player reference rules, exhausting hands, card points and the 88-point baseline; two and four players are BGJ options (Japanese) / Checked: ↩
- Card manufacturer’s official rules — 八八（はちはち）Three-player reference rules, starting sets, captured sets, Sage, the 88-point baseline and round multipliers (Japanese) / Checked: ↩
- John McLeod (rules editor) — Go StopMatching months, target scores, Go or Stop, junk cards and multipliers; payment details differ from BGJ / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Hanafuda Koi-KoiPublished status, languages, players, match time, learning effort, combinations, scoring and round endings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Go-StopPublished status, languages, players, match time, learning effort, combinations, scoring and round endings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Hana-awasePublished status, languages, players, match time, learning effort, combinations, scoring and round endings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Hachi-hachiPublished status, languages, players, match time, learning effort, combinations, scoring and round endings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Oicho-KabuPublished status, languages, players, match time, learning effort, combinations, scoring and round endings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩