Tabletop games
Rummikub
Goliath GamesEphraim Hertzano1950
- players
- 2–4
- minutes
- 45
- years
- 8+
In the box
106 tiles: 104 numbers from 1 to 13 in 4 colours (two of each) and 2 jokers · 4 racks
Official rules (PDF, publisher's site)
Box details
- Designer
- Ephraim Hertzano
- Artwork
- Micha Hertzano, Ephraim Hertzano, Michael Rüttinger, Sławek Wiechowski
- Publisher
- Goliath Games
- Mechanics
- Set CollectionTile Placement
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
Affiliate link: Marquoir may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The basics
Each player tries to play all their tiles in runs and groups. On your turn, lay down combinations (your initial meld must total at least 30 points) and, once you have opened, freely rearrange everything on the table, as long as it is all valid at the end of your turn; if you play nothing, draw a tile. The round ends when a player has played their last tile: they score the value of the tiles left with the others, who score it as negative points.
Checked against the official rules · October 2026
The rules, step by step
Setup
2 to 4 players, 106 tiles, 14 tiles each
- 106 tiles: two sets of 1 to 13 in four colours (black, red, blue, yellow), making 104, plus two jokers. 2 to 4 players.
- All the tiles are turned face down and mixed; they can be stacked in sevens to form the pool.
- Each player draws a tile: the highest number starts, then these tiles go back into the pool.
- Each player takes fourteen tiles and sets them on their rack. Play goes clockwise.
How to play
Open with 30 points, Groups and runs, Else draw 1 tile
- Your initial meld must total at least 30 points, without using tiles from the table. A joker is allowed: it is worth the tile it replaces.
- A group: three or four tiles of the same number in different colours. A run: at least three consecutive tiles of the same colour.
- The 1 is always the lowest: runs do not wrap around, so 12-13-1 does not exist.
- Once you have made your initial meld, you may rearrange everything on the table, as long as it is all valid at the end of your turn.
- A joker already on the table can be taken back by replacing it with a tile that keeps the combination valid; it must be played again in the same turn to form a new combination, and it cannot be taken back before you have opened.
- Until you have opened, you may not touch the combinations on the table.
- If you cannot or do not want to play, draw a tile and your turn ends.
- Suggested time limit: two minutes per turn in the French rulebook, one minute in the English rulebook. A player who runs over takes back their tiles, puts the table back in order and draws three penalty tiles.
Scoring
Winner: others' tiles, Losers score negative, Leftover joker is 25
- The winner scores the total of the tiles left in the other players' hands, as a positive score.
- Each loser scores the total of their own tiles, as a negative score. A joker left on the rack is worth 25 points according to the French rulebook, 30 according to the English rulebook: settle the value before playing.
- English rulebook: if the pool is empty and nobody can play any more, the player with the lowest total wins the round; each other player loses the difference between their total and the winner's, and the winner scores the sum of those differences.
End of the game
Last tile played, Highest total wins
- The round ends when a player has played their last tile.
- The English rulebook suggests as many rounds as there are players (four with four players, three with three, two with two), though the table may decide otherwise. Three rounds is a common custom, not a rule.
- The English rulebook names as winner the player who has won the most rounds, the score breaking ties; the French rulebook goes by total points.
Going further
Variants · Frequently asked questions · In the same family · Play with the game assistant
Variants
Game length
1 round
A single deal, for a short game.
3 rounds (common practice)
5 rounds
choose them when you start a game: the scorer adapts
Frequently asked questions
How many points do you need for your initial meld in Rummikub?
Thirty points, reached in one go, using only your own tiles. Until you have made it, you cannot touch what is on the table.
Can you really move everything on the table?
Yes, once you have made your initial meld: breaking up runs, reshuffling groups, anything goes as long as every set is valid when you finish your turn. That is what sets Rummikub apart from rummy.
What happens if you cannot finish your rearrangement?
Put the table back exactly as it was, take back your tiles and draw three penalty tiles. The rulebook sets this penalty for a player who runs over the time limit; many tables apply it to any failed rearrangement.
Can you take back a joker already on the table?
Yes, once you have opened, by replacing it with a tile that keeps the combination valid (in a group of three, either of the two missing colours will do), provided you play it again in the same turn. The joker never goes back onto your rack.
How much does a joker left in hand cost?
Twenty-five points against you according to the current French rulebook, thirty according to the English rulebook. Either way, it is the most expensive tile in the game.
Can the 1 follow the 13?
No. The 1 is always the lowest: the run 12-13-1 is not valid.