Odin rules: how to play and how to score
Reviewed on 10 October 2026 against the publisher’s rulebook. How we check
Odin plays 2 to 6 players over several rounds: get rid of your cards as fast as you can, because each card left in your hand costs one point. Here are the essential rules, setup and scoring, based on the official rulebook.
- Players
- 2 to 6
- Play time
- About 15 minutes
- Winner
- Lowest total when a player reaches 15; ties share the victory
Odin quick rules
- The goal
- Get rid of all your cards as fast as possible. The game is played over several rounds, and at the end of each one, you score one point per card left in your hand. When a player reaches 15 points or more, the game ends, and the lowest total wins.
- The cards
- The deck has 54 cards, numbered 1 to 9, in six colors. At the start of each round, everyone gets 9 cards, kept secret, and the extra cards are set aside. There’s no draw pile: everything is played in the middle of the table.
- A turn
- At the start of a turn, the first player plays a single card, face up, in the middle. Then, clockwise, each player plays cards or passes. Passing only counts for that time: you can play again on your next turn. The turn ends when everyone has passed except the last player who played.
- How to play cards
- Play as many cards as there are in the middle, or one more. Several cards must all share the same number or the same color. Your play must be worth strictly more than the middle: one card is worth its number, and several cards form the highest possible number, with digits from largest to smallest. A 2 and an 8 make 82, not 28.
- Picking up a card
- After playing, pick up one of the cards that were in the middle before you: the only one, or the one you choose if there were several, and discard the others. You never pick up a card you just played. If you just emptied your hand, you pick up nothing and the round ends at once.
- A new turn and the end of the round
- When everyone has passed except one player, the middle is discarded, and that player starts the next turn with a single card. The round ends as soon as someone plays their last card, or if a player starts a turn with a hand all of one number or one color: they can then play it all at once. Everyone scores one point per card left.
- The end of the game and traps
- For the next round, reshuffle all the cards and deal 9 to each player again; the player to the left of the previous first player starts. As soon as a player reaches 15 points or more, the lowest total wins, and ties share the victory. Trap: never start a turn with several cards, unless you’re emptying your whole hand.
How to score Odin
- Cards left in hand (each round)
- The number of cards left in your hand at the end of the round: 1 point per card. If you emptied your hand, 0.
- Game end
- As soon as a player reaches 15 points or more (or the limit set before the game). The lowest total wins; ties share the victory.
Worked example
After four rounds, Jake has 4 + 6 + 3 + 3 = 16 points: he’s past 15, so the game ends. Emma has 3 + 0 + 5 + 2 = 10 points and Alex 2 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 12: Emma wins with 10 points.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the highest total wins: it’s the lowest.
- Counting the value of cards left: each card is 1 point, whatever its number.
- Forgetting the 0 for the player who emptied their hand: it counts in their total.
- Changing the score limit mid-game: it’s set before the first round.
How to set up Odin
Setup takes a minute, and you redo it at the start of every round.
The cards
- With 2 players, remove 2 whole colors from the deck before starting.A variant recommended by the designers for a faster, more intense game: 36 cards are left. With 3 or more players, you use all 54 cards.
- Shuffle all the cards.Every round, you reshuffle all the cards, including the ones set aside.
- Deal 9 cards face down to each player.
- With 2 to 5 players, set the remaining cards aside: they aren’t used this round.With 6 players, the whole deck is dealt.
Each player
- Pick up your 9 cards and look at them without showing them.Your hand stays secret all round.
- Leave the middle of the table free: that’s where cards are played, face up.There’s no draw pile and no board.
Let’s go
- Pick the first player at random: they start by playing a single card in the middle.Then play goes clockwise. In later rounds, it’s the player to the left of the previous first player.
- Set the score limit: 15 points for a first game.You can go up to 20 points for a longer game, down to 10 for a short one, or play a single round.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you start with in Odin?
9 cards each, every round. With 2 players, the designers recommend removing 2 whole colors from the deck.
How much is a play of several cards worth in Odin?
Write the digits side by side, from largest to smallest: a 2 and an 8 make 82. The play must be worth strictly more than the middle.
When does a game of Odin end?
As soon as a player reaches 15 points or more at the end of a round. The player with the lowest total wins.
Ludingo’s Odin sheet was last reviewed on 10 October 2026, based on: helvetiq.com 1, helvetiq.com 2, BoardGameGeek.