Hanafuda Koi-Koi: Rules and How to Play
Hanafuda Koi-Koi is a traditional Japanese card game for two players that takes about 15 minutes. Match cards by month and collect sets to score. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- Two players. You need a hanafuda deck of 48 cards (twelve months of four).
- Lay eight cards face up on the table and deal eight to each player. The remaining 24 form the deck.
- Choose a first dealer. After that, whoever scored in the previous round deals.
How to play
- On your turn, play one card from your hand. If a card of the same month is on the table, take both. If not, your card stays on the table.
- Then flip the top card of the deck and do the same with it.
- If two cards of that month are on the table, you choose which one to take. If three are there, the fourth card takes all four.
- Lay your captures in front of you, sorted into brights, animals, ribbons and plains.
- As soon as you make a combination, you choose: stop the round and take the points, or call Koi-Koi.
- Koi-Koi keeps the round going. If the other player scores after that and stops, their points are doubled.
- If both hands run out with no combination, the round scores nothing and the same player deals again.
Winning and scoring
- Combinations score: Five Brights 10, Four Brights 8, Rainy Four Brights 7, Three Brights 5, Flower Viewing 5, Moon Viewing 5, Boar-Deer-Butterfly 5, Red Poem Ribbons 5, Blue Ribbons 5.
- Five animals score 1, five ribbons score 1 and ten plains score 1 — each extra card adds one more point.
- Only the highest of the Bright combinations counts.
- A round worth seven points or more is doubled.
- After the agreed number of rounds (twelve by default), the higher total wins.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | For games that allow a draw, ratings do not change. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rounds | How many rounds decide the overall winner. | 12 rounds | Yes |
| Flower and Moon Viewing | Flower Viewing and Moon Viewing count as combinations. | On | Yes |
| Double from seven | A round worth seven points or more is doubled. | On | Yes |
| Koi-Koi doubles | If the other player scores after your Koi-Koi, their points are doubled. | On | Yes |
| Sake cup counts as a plain | The ninth-month animal card also counts towards the plains. | On | Yes |
| Four of a month / four pairs | Combinations decided by the dealt hand. They score six and end the round. | On | Yes |
Terms
- Koi-Koi
- Calling for the round to continue after you score. You can build a bigger combination, but if the other player scores next, their points are doubled.
- Stop
- Ending the round when you score. Your points are banked and the round is over.
- Brights, animals, ribbons, plains
- The four kinds of card. Of the 48 cards, five are brights, nine animals, ten ribbons and twenty-four plains.
- Red poem ribbons / blue ribbons
- The three written ribbons of pine, plum and cherry, and the three blue ribbons of peony, chrysanthemum and maple. Each set scores five.
- Boar, deer, butterfly
- The boar of clover, the deer of maple and the butterfly of peony. Together they score five.
- Sake cup
- The animal card of the ninth month. It is used for Flower Viewing and Moon Viewing, and also counts as a plain (this can be turned off).
- Four of a month / four pairs
- A dealt hand holding four cards of one month, or four pairs. It scores six at once and ends the round.
- No score
- Both hands run out with no combination. Nobody scores and the same player deals again.
FAQ
When can I call Koi-Koi?
Only on your own turn, right after you make a combination. If your hand is empty you cannot continue, so the round stops there.
What does Koi-Koi change?
The round keeps going. You can build a bigger combination, but if the other player scores first, their points are doubled.
What if two cards of the same month are on the table?
You choose which one to take. If three are there, the fourth card takes all four.
Do the Bright combinations add up?
No. Only the highest of Five, Four, Rainy Four and Three Brights counts.
What are the Rainy Four Brights?
Four brights including the willow (rain) card. They score seven; four brights without it score eight.
What if neither player scores?
The round is worth nothing and the same player deals again.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-13 · Run by Qdan, Inc.