What is Abjad?

Abjad is an educational card game consisting of 169 cards.

Letters = 149 Cards

Action Cards = 20 Cards

How to play Abjad?

Choose a dealer by having each player pick one card. The person with the highest number is the dealer. In this instance, Action cards have a value of zero.

Take turns beginning with the player to the dealer›s left and go clockwise around the table.

Beginner Level:

1. Deal each player 7 cards and place the remaining cards face down in the middle of the table. This pile of cards in the middle is known as the draw pile.

2. Turn over the top card of the draw pile and place this card next to the draw pile to form the discard pile.

3. Place one of your cards on the discard pile when it›s your turn. Your card must have the same letter (any shape of the letter, for example: ب   بـ   ـبـ   ـب), color or wording as the top card of the discard pile... unless you have a Wild card, in which case you can choose which color cards will be played.

4. Draw a card if you cannot discard. Play the drawn card if you can. If you can›t, it›s the next person›s turn.

5. Announce a suit when you place a wild card on the discard pile. You can play a Wild card any time it›s your turn and can name any suit you wish.

6. Follow the directions of an Action card that is played on the discard pile by the player preceding you. This may mean that you have to draw two cards, skip a turn or change playing direction.

Skip card: When you play this card, the next player is «skipped» (loses their turn). This card may only be played on a matching color or on another Skip card. If a Skip card is turned up at the beginning of play, the player to the left of the dealer is «Skipped», hence the player to the left of that player starts play.

Reverse Card: When you play this card, the direction of play reverses (if play is currently to the left, then play changes to the right, and vice versa). This card may only be played on a matching color or another Reverse card. If this card is turned up at the beginning of play, the dealer goes first, then play moves to the right instead of the left.

Draw Two card: When you play this card, the next player must draw 2 cards and miss their turn. This card may only be played on a matching color or on another Draw Two card. If turned up at the beginning of play, the same rule applies. 

Wild card: When you play this card, you get to choose the color that continues play (any color including the color in play before the Wild card was laid down). You may play a Wild card on your turn even if you have another playable card in your hand. If a Wild card is turned up at the beginning of play, the person to the left of the dealer chooses the color that continues play.

7. Remember to Say «ABJAD» when you have one card left in your hand. If you forget to say ABJAD and another player catches you, you must draw two cards.

8. Tally each player›s scores at the end of each game. The game is over when one player is completely out of cards. That person gets all the points.

9. Repeat the game until one player scores 1000 points.

Scoring:

The first player to get rid of their cards in a round receives points for all the cards left in their opponent›s hands as follows:

All letters cards .................. Face Value

Draw Two.............................. 30 Points

Reverse ................................. 30 Points

Skip ........................................ 30 Points

Wild ........................................ 60 Points

Once the score for the round has been tallied, if no player has reached 1000 points, reshuffle the cards and begin a new round.

Example:   أ ب ج د   cards are calculated as:

أ = 1

ب = 2

ج = 5

د = 8

Total = 16 points

Winning the Game:

The WINNER is the first player to reach 1000 points.

Medium Level:

1. Remove action cards.

2. Give each player 10 cards.

3. Put 10 cards face up in the middle of the table.

4. Each player has to form as much words as much words as he can from his cards.

5. Any player can change 3 of his cards with cards from the cards placed in the middle of the table.

6. Tally each player›s scores at the end of each round.

7. Deal each player new 10 cards and repeat the game. The game finishes when the draw pile is out of cards.

8. The player with most points wins the game.

Advanced:

1. Remove action cards.

2. Give each player 10 cards.

3. Each player has to form as much words as he can from his cards.

4. Tally each player›s scores at the end of each round.

5. Deal each player new 10 cards and repeat the game. The game finishes when the draw pile is out of cards.

6. The player with most points wins the game.

Sequence Game:

1. Keep YELLOW cards only.

2. Give each player 5 cards.

3. Put 1 card face up in the middle of the table.

4. You have to place the letter that comes before or after the letter that is placed in the table.

Example: If the card placed in the table has the letter ح then you have to put the letter ج on the right side and the letter خ on the left side.

5. The game is over when one player is completely out of cards. That person wins the game.

Guess Game:

Each player can take any cards that he wants to form a word and the other player has to know the meaning of the word, if he knows he will get the points of the cards, if he doesn›t know then he tells him the meaning of the word and he gets the points. The player with most points wins the game.