Game Rules

CHIMAX™

THE ULTIMATE STRATEGIC CARD GAME

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to CHIMAX – the revolutionary card game that transforms traditional tabletop gaming with its unique strategic elements and calculated risk-taking. CHIMAX is not just a game; it is a complete gaming system offering multiple ways to play with the same 40-card deck. Whether you are competing to collect valuable books, matching cards, or racing to create sequences, CHIMAX rewards tactical thinking and adapts to various player counts and preferences.

Careful consideration in CHIMAX, where victory is always earned through skill, strategy, memory, and just the right amount of luck. With its innovative mechanics and multiple game variations, no two sessions of CHIMAX will ever feel quite the same.

COMPONENTS

  • 40 CHIMAX playing cards consisting of:
    • 3 Infinity Cards (∞) - Highest ranking cards
    • 3 Zero Cards (0) - Second highest ranking cards
    • 3 One-Half Cards (½) - Lowest ranking cards
    • 4 Question Mark Cards (?) - Special bonus cards
    • 3 Hundred Cards (100)
    • 3 Fifty Cards (50)
    • 3 Twenty-five Cards (25)
    • 3 Fifteen Cards (15)
    • 3 Ten Cards (10)
    • 3 Five Cards (5)
    • 3 Three Cards (3)
    • 3 Two Cards (2)
    • 3 One Cards (1)
  • This rulebook
  • Score pad (not included - use any paper)

CARD HIERARCHY

Understanding the card hierarchy is essential to mastering CHIMAX:

  1. Infinity Cards (∞) - Highest value cards in the deck. Wins against all other cards.
  2. Zero Cards (0) - Second highest value cards. Beats all cards except Infinity Cards.
  3. Numbered Cards (100, 50, 25, 15, 10, 5, 3, 2, 1) - Ranked in numerical order from highest to lowest.
  4. Question Mark Cards (?) - Special cards that can stand for a 15, 25, 50, or 100 card when played, but if the actual Numbered card is played then that card will win the book.
  5. One-Half Cards (½) - Lowest ranked cards in the deck.

CHIMAX BOOKS

The Classic Game

PLAYERS: 2-4 players

SETUP:

  • For three players, remove one Question Mark card before playing (39 cards total)
  • Choose a target score:
    • 4 players: 25 points recommended.
    • 3 players: 50 points recommended.
    • 2 players: 75 or 100 points recommended.

OBJECTIVE: Collect the most Books (winning hands) and achieve the target score before your opponents.

PREPARATION:

  1. Choose a dealer (highest card draw, oldest player, or youngest player)
  2. The dealer shuffles the deck thoroughly (at least five times)
  3. Before dealing, the player to the dealer's left cuts the deck
  4. The dealer distributes all cards face down, one at a time, beginning with the player to their left.

GAMEPLAY:

  1. Players always keep their cards face down - no peeking!
  2. The player who won the earlier book (or the player to the dealer's left in the first round) starts by playing any card face up in the center.
  3. Moving clockwise, each player plays one card face up.
  4. The highest-ranking card wins the "Book" (the set of played cards)
  5. If multiple players play cards of the same highest value, the first player who played that value wins the book.
  6. The winner of the book collects all cards, places them face down in their won pile, and begins the next round.
  7. Play continues until all cards have been played.

SCORING:

  • Each Book won counts as one point toward your tally.
  • Special card combinations provide bonus or penalty points:
    • Collecting all three Infinity Cards: +3 points
    • Collecting all three Zero Cards: -3 points
    • Collecting two Question Mark Cards: +1 point
    • Collecting two One-Half Cards: -1 point

QUESTION MARK CARDS:

  • When playing a Question Mark card, the player must declare which value it is (15, 25, 50, or 100)
  • Each value can only be declared once per round.
  • If the actual value card is played after a Question Mark card standing for that value, the actual value card wins.
  • When two consecutive Question Mark cards are played, a 'Tap' occurs if the second player declares a higher value than what the first player declared.

END OF ROUND:

  1. Players count their Books and apply any bonus/penalty points.
  2. Record the scores on the score sheet.
  3. The player to the left of the earlier dealer becomes the new dealer.
  4. The new dealer shuffles and deals for the next round

WINNING:

  • The first player to reach the agreed target score wins.
  • If multiple players exceed the target in the same round, the highest score wins.

 

VARIATIONS

CHIMAX ORDER

OBJECTIVE: Be the first to flip all cards in numerical sequence. (½, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 25, 50, 100, 0, ?, ∞)

SETUP: Deal thirteen cards face down on a board or tabletop.

GAMEPLAY:

  1. Turn thirteen cards face down on a board in a mixed-up order.
  2. On your turn, flip one card from the tabletop.
  3. When you find the first card in the sequence, then keep playing until you flip incorrectly.
  4. Interchange turns until all cards are flipped in correct Order.
  5. The goal is to arrange your cards in ascending or descending orders.

WINNING: The first player to arrange their hand in proper sequence and call "CHIMAX ORDER!" wins.

CHIMAX MATCH-2

OBJECTIVE: Be the first to collect the most matching cards.

SETUP: Similar point keeping system as CHIMAX Books but played with 28 cards. Remove 12 cards, one of each Face Card, an Infinity Card, and leave all Question Mark Cards.

GAMEPLAY:

  1. Deal twenty-eight cards face down on a board or tabletop.
  2. Players collect pairs of cards.
  3. If you make a pair, place it face up in front of you and take another turn.
  4. If you don't make a pair, play passes to the next player.
  5. Play continues until all pairs are matched.

SCORING:

  • Each pair: 1 point
  • Special pairs:
    • Infinity pair: +2 points
    • Zero pair: -2 points
    • Question Mark pair: +1 points
    • One-Half pair: -1 point

WINNING: The player with the most points after all pairs are collected wins.

CHIMAX MATCH-3

OBJECTIVE: Collect the most sets of three matching cards.

SETUP: Remove one Question Mark card for a count of thirty-nine cards.

GAMEPLAY: Like MATCH-2, but players aim to collect triplets instead of pairs.

SCORING:

  • Each triplet: 1 point
  • Special triplets:
    • Infinity triplet: +4 points
    • Question Mark triplet: +3 points
    • Zero triplet: +2 points
    • One-Half triplet: +1 point

WINNING: The player with the most points after all triplets are collected wins.

CHIMAX CUT

OBJECTIVE: Avoid ending up with the lowest card during cuts.

SETUP: Shuffle the deck thoroughly.

GAMEPLAY:

  1. Players take turns cutting the deck and revealing the bottom card.
  2. The player with the Infinity (∞) card receives the victory.
  3. Reset the deck and continue for an agreed number of rounds.

WINNING: The player with the Infinity card wins each round.

CHIMAX FATE

OBJECTIVE:

SETUP: The game setup requires thirteen face cards placed face-down.

GAMEPLAY: Players use a spin wheel to decide which specific face-down card they need to match during play.

CHIMAX JACKPOT

OBJECTIVE: Getting Three Face Card Across or Getting Three Face Card in a Pile or Three Sequential Face Cards in a Row or Three Sequential Face Cards in a Pile.

SETUP:

  1. Play solo.
  2. Deal three piles of cards face down.

GAMEPLAY:

  1. A Player examines the three piles of cards to create books.
  2. The solo player plays one card face up and flips from left to right.
  3. The goal is to get three matching cards in the piles of cards.
  4. Special rule: Question Mark cards can be declared as any value.
  5. You can have three in a row in across or in the piles of cards.
  6. You can have three sequences in a row and gain a book.

WINNING: A solo player with the most books after all rounds wins.

 

ADVANCE STRATEGIES

Reading Your Opponents

Pay close attention to which cards have been played and try to remember what each player has won in earlier Books. This information becomes increasingly valuable as the game progresses.

Question Mark Strategy

Save your Question Mark cards for critical moments. Remember that you can only declare each value once per round, so choose wisely based on what cards you believe opponents might hold.

Infinity and Zero Management

Since Infinity and Zero cards carry significant bonus or penalty points when collected as sets, track where these cards go and adjust your strategy accordingly.

First Player Advantage

The player who leads each round has a strategic advantage. If you have won a Book, consider carefully what card to lead with.

THE ART OF SECRECY

The thrill of CHIMAX comes from the unknown - not knowing what cards other players hold or what might appear next. Playing cards "close to the vest" and keeping a perfect "CHIMAX smile" that reveals nothing about your hand are essential skills to master.

True CHIMAX players value fair play and the challenge of winning through strategy rather than peeking at cards or using signals. After all, skilled players will win anyway, and in games where luck dominates, it is simply "the luck of the draw."

TOURNAMENT RULES

For official CHIMAX tournament play:

  1. All shuffling must be done in view of all players.
  2. Cut the deck before every deal.
  3. Dealer rotation continues clockwise.
  4. Time limits may be imposed (10 minutes per round recommended)
  5. In case of ties, a single-Book playoff decides the winner.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Can I look at my own cards during CHIMAX Books?
A: No. In CHIMAX Books, all cards always stay face down until they are played.

Q: What happens if I accidentally see someone else's card?
A: Alert all players at once. The exposed card should be reshuffled into the deck if the game has not started or left as if play has begun.

Q: How many times should we shuffle?
A: A minimum of five thorough shuffles is recommended before each game.

Q: Can Question Mark cards stand for any value?
A: Question Mark cards can only be 15, 25, 50, or 100 - and each value can only be declared once per round.

SUMMARY OF RULES

Core Game: Chimax Books

  • Objective: To accumulate the most "Books" (collections of won cards) and reach a predetermined score (Chimax).
  • Players: 2-4 (3 players remove one Question Mark card).
  • Deck: forty cards:
    • 3 Infinity (Highest)
    • 3 Zero (Beats all except Infinity)
    • 3 One-Half (Lowest)
    • 4 Question Mark (Bonus/Wild)
    • 3 each of 100, 50, 25, 15, 10, 5, 3, 2, 1
  • Gameplay:

1.               Deal: Cards are dealt face down, one at a time, clockwise.

2.               Play: Players simultaneously reveal the top card from their hand.

3.               Win:

      • The Highest card wins the "Book" (collection of those cards played).
      • Zero beats all number cards (1-100).
      • Infinity beats all.
      • If there is a tie for highest card, the first player to play the card wins the book.

4.               Score: Only Infinity, Zero, One-Half, and Question Mark cards count towards the score.

5.               Bonus/Penalty:

      • 3 Infinity: +3 points
      • 3 Zero: -3 points
      • 2 One-Half: -1 point
      • 2 Question Mark: +1 point
      • Question Mark: Can be 15, 25, 50, or 100, but only one value per round per player. If the actual value is played, the actual value wins.

6.               Next Round: The player who won the last "Book" leads the next round.

7.               Chimax: The first player to reach the agreed-upon score (25 for 4 players, 50 for 3, 75-100 for 2) wins.

 

Game Mechanics and Clarifications

  • Card Ranking: Infinity > Zero > Number Cards (100, 50, 25, 15, 10, 5, 3, 2, 1) > One-Half. Question Mark is a wild card.
  • Secrecy: No peeking at other players' cards.
  • Shuffling, Dealing, and Cutting: Standard card game procedures.

 

Variations of Chimax Games

  • Chimax Order: It involves arranging thirteen face cards in a specific numerical sequence.
  • Chimax Match-2/Match-3: These variations involve collecting matching pairs or triplets of cards.
  • Chimax Cut: This could involve a game where the "cut" of the deck decides the outcome.
  • Chimax Jackpot: Involves high-reward element with thirty-nine Cards Played in three piles flipping over one card at a time.
  • Chimax Fate: Place thirteen face cards face-down on the table. A spin wheel is then used to randomly select which of these face-down cards must be matched by the player.

Key Takeaways

  • Chimax Books is the core game, and the other variations are built upon the same deck.
  • The game balances luck (card draws) with strategy (choosing when to play high-value cards, using Question Marks, and predicting opponents' moves).
  • The bonus/penalty system adds an extra layer of complexity.