Traumland (Dreamland)
A Piatnik game for 2-4 players
Designed by Hartmut Witt
Rules Translation by Chris Mellor
Typed by Mike Siggins
Distributed from The Rules Bank by Mike Siggins
Version 1.0, 6th May 1996

Contents

53 fantasy playing cards.
1 rulebook

The Cards

Value Cards: These have the value 1-11 with four different corner 
illustrations and in four colours - red, blue, yellow and green. There 
is also one card with a value of 12 which is only used to designate 
the highest rank in the last round, and it not used at other times.

The Divine Card: There are four of these in the game.

The Dreamer: There are four of these in the game also. It can be used 
as any value, even as a divine card. 

The Aim of the Game

All players start the game on ranking one. During the game rounds 
they attempt to gain tricks with which they will then rise up the 
rankings. Each trick won corresponds to an extra ranking. If a player 
arrives at level 12, he has almost won. But only almost, since if 
another player reaches 12 later that round, he is deemed the victor. 
So it pays to arrive at the right time.

Preparation

The 12 card is separated out and placed to one side. For each player, 
take one 1 card from the deck and place it in front of them (the 
colour is not important here). This designates that they are at rank, 
or level, 1. The remaining cards are shuffled and dealt out.

With 4 players, deal all the cards - 12 each.
With 3 players, there is one card left over - 16 each.
With 2 players, 10 cards are not dealt - 20 each.

The Game

The player to the left of the dealer plays any card. The next player, if 
he wishes to win the trick,must play a higher card of the same 
colour. He can also kill off the colour with a divine card, or set a 
higher value with a dreamer card. The highest value in a colour is 11. 
However, a divine card beats an 11. This is the only card that can do 
this.

A divine card can be played on any colour and any value, but NOT on 
another divine card. The only cards that can be played on a divine 
card are a) a 1 of any suit or b) a dreamer card. Both of these cards 
revive the trick from divine intervention. If a dreamer card is played 
in this way, the player laying it chooses freely which suit colour it 
will represent.

The Trick

If you cannot, or do not wish to, beat a previously laid value card or 
divine card then you may pass. Your turn is passed by and it is the 
next player's turn. If all the players pass and it is again the turn of 
the player who laid the top card, he wins the trick. He takes the pile 
of cards (which can be any number, even one) and places it in front 
of him. He then leads any value card to start the next trick. 

NB Each trick counts only one point, or level, regardless of how many 
cards it contains.

End of the Round

A round ends as soon as one player has played his last card or has 
completed and won a trick with a divine card. All the remaining 
cards are placed in the middle of the table. Each player counts the 
number of tricks he has won and adds this number to his current 
level. He then takes a new card from the deck showing his new level 
and places it in front of him, returning the previous 'marker' card to 
the deck.

The cards are again shuffled and dealt. The new round begins with 
the player with the lowest dream level card. In the case of a tie, the 
player to the left of the highest ranked player begins.

End of Game

As soon as a player reaches level 12 (present level plus tricks won), 
he retires from the game. He takes the 12 card and places it above 
his previous rank. If the player were to receive another trick, he 
would have to go back to level 1 and begin again [Which begs the 
question what does retire mean? Presumably he takes the 12 card 
but keeps playing in that round? Or is it optional to retire?]

If a player retires, which is only possible by reaching rank 12, the 
player to his left starts the next trick. The round continues until one 
player has played his last card or a divine card wins a trick. Should 
another player reach level 12 in that round, he takes the 12 card 
from the first 'winner', who now loses. Should more than two players 
reach 12 in the same round, the last one to do it wins.

Official Variant

The player with the most tricks beyond 12 wins.