Board games
Quarto
GigamicBlaise Muller1991
- players
- 2
- minutes
- 15
- years
- 8+
In the box
1 board of 16 squares · 16 wooden pieces
Box details
- Designer
- Blaise Muller
- Artwork
- Blaise Muller
- Publisher
- Gigamic
- Mechanics
- Open DraftingPattern BuildingPattern RecognitionSquare Grid
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Line up four pieces sharing at least one characteristic: tall or short, light or dark, round or square, solid or hollow. On your turn, place the piece your opponent chose for you, then choose the one they must place. Lining up four alike pieces and announcing "Quarto" wins the game; a full board with no line announced is a draw.
The rules, step by step
Setup
4 × 4 board, 16 different pieces, 4 characteristics each
- Two players, a board of four squares by four, sixteen pieces all different.
- Each piece combines four characteristics: tall or short, light or dark, round or square, solid or hollow.
- The sixteen pieces are set beside the board, in view of everyone: there is no hidden hand.
How to play
Place the piece given, Choose opponent's piece
- The first player chooses a piece and hands it to their opponent.
- The opponent places it on a free square of their choice, then in turn chooses the piece the other must place.
- You never choose both where you play and which piece: that is the whole tension of the game.
Scoring
No points, Games won
- No points: count the games won.
- Enter 1 for the winner of the game, 0 for the other.
End of the game
4 alike pieces, Announce “Quarto”, Full board: draw
- Lining up four pieces sharing a characteristic, in a row, a column or a diagonal, wins the game.
- The line must be announced by saying "Quarto". If not announced before the next move, it no longer counts.
- Board full with no line announced: the game is a draw.
House rules and pitfalls
Official variant: a square of four adjacent pieces sharing a characteristic also wins.
- Official variant: a square of four adjacent pieces sharing a characteristic also wins. It makes games shorter and much harder.
- The beginner's mistake is choosing a piece that completes nothing right now, without looking at what it will complete on the next move.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · Rules on video · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
What makes this game unique?
Your opponent chooses the piece you will place. You never play your own pieces: you hand the other player the one they must place.
How do you win?
By lining up four pieces sharing at least one characteristic: tall/short, light/dark, round/square, solid/hollow. A row, a column or a diagonal.
Why is it subtler than it looks?
Because in handing over a piece, you can give away victory without seeing it: the four attributes multiply the possible winning lines. You have to think about all four at once.
Do you have to announce "Quarto"?
Yes, according to the rules: the winner must spot and announce their line. If they do not see it and hand over a piece, the game continues.
Is there a harder variant?
Yes: also count 2×2 squares as winning shapes. It multiplies the traps and is only recommended for experienced players.
Rules on video
Videos in French, hosted on YouTube.