Halli Galli rules

2 to 6 players · ages 6+ · 15 minutes · reaction game

A bell, 56 fruit cards and a table full of people who slap too soon.

Don't have the box yet? Halli Galli is in the shop.

Set up in one minute

1. Put the bell in the middle of the table where everyone can reach it. A cloth or placemat underneath saves your tabletop.
2. Shuffle the 56 cards and deal them out one at a time until they are all gone. With five players not everyone gets the same number, and that is fine.
3. Place your pile face down in front of you and do not look at it.
4. The player to the left of the dealer goes first.

How to play a turn

In short: take turns flipping over a card, and as soon as exactly five fruits of the same kind are showing, slap the bell. Whoever rings first wins all the face-up piles. Ring wrongly and you give every player a card.

1. Flip the top card of your face-down pile away from you, so the others see it just as quickly as you do.
2. Place it face up on your own pile, on top of your previous card. Only each player's top card counts.
3. Look at all the face-up cards on the table. If there are exactly five fruits of one kind, slap the bell. Five bananas on one card counts, and so does three plus two.
4. Were you first to ring, and were you right? Take all the face-up piles, put them face down under your own pile and flip the first card of the new round.
5. Rang too soon? Give every other player one card from your face-down pile. Then simply carry on playing.
6. If nobody rings, it is the turn of the player on your left.

When to ring

What is showing	Ring?	What happens
Three strawberries on your card, two on your neighbour's	Yes	The fastest player takes all face-up piles
One card with five bananas	Yes	Five is five, even on one card
Five plums and five limes at the same time	Yes	One ring, the fastest player wins everything
Four of one kind	No	Whoever rings gives every player a card
Six of one kind, for example four plus two	No	Same penalty, six is not exactly five
Three strawberries and two bananas	No	You never add different fruits together
Your cards have run out and five of one kind are showing	No, not you	You are out; the others ring

When does the game end?

Anyone with no face-down cards left is out. Their face-up pile stays on the table and counts until someone wins it. Once only two players remain, they play out the round for the face-up piles, and then everyone counts their cards: the most cards wins. If one of those two rings wrongly in that final round, all face-up piles go to the other player and the game ends straight away. Would you rather play on until one player has all the cards? That is fine too, as long as you agree on it beforehand.

Frequently asked questions

Do five fruits of two kinds count together?

No. Three strawberries and two bananas make five pieces of fruit, but not five of one kind. You only ring for exactly five of the same fruit, and it does not matter how many cards they are spread across.

What happens if I ring wrongly?

You give every other player one card from your face-down pile, and they put it under their own pile. The face-up cards stay where they are and the game simply carries on.

Can I still ring when my cards have run out?

No, then you are out of the game. Your face-up pile does stay on the table, so your fruit still counts. Whoever rings correctly next also takes that pile.

What if two players ring at the same time?

The rules do not say. At most tables, the hand at the bottom wins. If you really cannot tell, agree that the piles stay put and the next player simply flips a card.

Can you play Halli Galli with two players?

Yes, the box says 2 to 6. With two players you play until one of you runs out of cards. The rule that a wrong ring decides the game straight away is meant for the final round with two players left; agree beforehand whether you use it too. With four or five players there is more fruit to keep track of, and that is when the game really comes alive.

Tips for experienced players

• Do not recount everything each round. Keep a running total for each fruit in your head and only adjust what changes: the covered card drops out, the new one comes in.
• Keep your eyes on the middle of the table, not on your own pile. If you look at your own card, you will spot your neighbour's too late.
• Not sure? A wrong ring costs one card per player, a missed round costs all the face-up piles. With big piles on the table it is worth a gamble, just not every round.

Do you play a house rule that is not listed here, or have you spotted a mistake? Let us know and we will update it.