Custom Rules
Match Mania offers customizable rules to tailor the game experience to your preferences. This guide explains each rule option and how to configure them.
Accessing Custom Rules
- Launch Match Mania
- Tap Settings from the main menu
- Select Custom Rules
- Toggle rules on or off as desired
- Changes are automatically saved
Available Rules
Stacking (+2 on +2)
Default: OFF
Description: Allows players to play a Draw Two card on top of another Draw Two card, passing the cumulative penalty to the next player.
When Enabled: - Player A plays +2 on Player B - Player B plays +2 on Player C - Player C draws 4 cards (2+2) - Player C's turn is skipped
When Disabled: - Player must draw the cards immediately - No defense against Draw Two cards
Strategy Impact: - High impact on gameplay dynamics - Adds an element of defense - Can lead to dramatic penalty accumulation - Favors players with multiple +2 cards
Recommendation: Enable for more interactive gameplay, disable for traditional rules.
Draw to Match
Default: OFF
Description: When you cannot play a card, you must keep drawing until you get a playable card, then play it immediately.
When Enabled: - Cannot pass your turn by drawing one card - Must draw until you can play - The playable card must be played immediately - Can lead to drawing many cards if unlucky
When Disabled: - Draw one card when you can't play - If it's playable, you may choose to play it or keep it (depending on Force Play rule) - Turn ends after drawing one card
Strategy Impact: - Dramatically changes game pace - Reduces control over hand size - Can lead to rapid hand growth - Eliminates the "draw and pass" strategy
Recommendation: Enable for faster games with less strategic depth, disable for more strategic control.
Force Play
Default: OFF
Description: When you draw a card from the pile, if it's playable, you must play it immediately.
When Enabled: - No choice when drawing a playable card - Reduces hand hoarding - Makes the game more luck-dependent
When Disabled: - You can choose to keep the drawn card - Allows building up your hand strategically - More control over your plays
Strategy Impact: - Moderate impact on strategy - Affects hand management - Can force suboptimal plays - Speeds up the game slightly
Recommendation: Enable for casual play, disable for strategic depth.
Rules in Development
The following rules are planned for future releases:
Jump-In
- Play an identical card out of turn
- Requires exact match (color and number/action)
- Adds a reaction-time element
Seven-O
- Playing a 7 lets you swap hands with another player
- Playing a 0 rotates all hands in play direction
- High strategic impact
Progressive Hands
- Start with more or fewer than 7 cards
- Adjustable starting hand size
- Changes game length and difficulty
Challenge Rule
- Challenge a Wild Draw Four play
- If successful, opponent draws 4; if failed, you draw 6
- Adds a bluffing element
Score-Based Games
- Play to a target score instead of single games
- Points awarded based on remaining cards
- Multi-round tournaments
Rule Combinations
Casual Play
- Stacking: OFF
- Draw to Match: OFF
- Force Play: OFF
- Effect: Traditional, strategic gameplay
Fast & Furious
- Stacking: ON
- Draw to Match: ON
- Force Play: ON
- Effect: Rapid, unpredictable games
Strategic Mode
- Stacking: OFF
- Draw to Match: OFF
- Force Play: OFF
- Effect: Maximum control and planning
Chaos Mode
- Stacking: ON
- Draw to Match: ON
- Force Play: ON
- Effect: Highest variance and excitement
Creating Your Own Variants
Experiment with different combinations to find your preferred style:
- Start with defaults and change one rule at a time
- Play several games with each configuration
- Note the differences in game length and strategy
- Find your favorite combination
Rule Presets (Coming Soon)
Future versions may include saved rule presets: - Classic - Tournament - Speed - Expert - Custom 1-3
Technical Notes
Rule Persistence
- Settings are saved automatically
- Persist across app restarts
- Stored locally on device
- No cloud sync (yet)
AI Adaptation
- AI players automatically adapt to active rules
- Strategic decisions account for current ruleset
- No disadvantage in any configuration
Rule Validation
- Invalid rule combinations are prevented
- Conflicting rules show warnings
- Help text explains each rule's effect
Feedback
Have suggestions for new rules or rule modifications?
Related: Game Rules | How to Play | AI Players