Play Alwan online with friends, free

How to play Alwan

1. The deck has 108 cards in four colours: Sun, Sea, Palm and Rose. Each colour has one 0, two of each number from 1 to 9, two Stop, two U-turn and two +2 cards. There are also four Rainbows and four Rainbow +4s.
2. Everyone gets 7 cards. The top card of the stock is turned to start the pile; a Rainbow turned this way goes back into the stock.
3. On your turn, play one card that matches the top of the pile by colour, by number or by kind (Stop on Stop, +2 on +2). A Rainbow can go on anything.
4. Or draw one card from the stock, even if you could play. If the card you draw fits, you may play it at once or keep it; either way your turn ends.
5. Stop: the next player misses a turn. U-turn: play changes direction; with two players it works like Stop. +2: the next player takes 2 cards and misses a turn.
6. Rainbow: you choose the next colour. Rainbow +4: you choose the colour, and the next player takes 4 cards and misses a turn.
7. When a play leaves you with one card, tap Wahda!. Forget, and any player may tap Catch! before the next move: you take 2 cards.
8. The first player to play their last card wins the round. Everyone else counts the cards left in their hand as penalty points.

Alwan scoring at a glance

• Number cards count their number, from 0 to 9.
• Stop, U-turn and +2 count 20 points each.
• Rainbow and Rainbow +4 count 50 points each.
• The player who goes out scores 0. The fewer points, the better.
• Quick (1 round): the player who went out wins; the others are ranked by the fewest points left in hand, then fewer cards.
• Full (4 rounds): points add up over four rounds and the lowest total wins. Ties go to more rounds won, then the lower last round.
• If nobody can play and there is nothing left to draw, the round is blocked: the player with the fewest points in hand wins it.

Alwan and Alwan Plus in Rayoosh

• Alwan (Classic): no stacking, and a Rainbow +4 may only be played when you hold no card of the current colour. The game checks this for you, so there is nothing to argue about.
• Alwan Plus: answer a +2 with a +2, or a Rainbow +4 with a Rainbow +4, and the total passes on (2, 4, 6… or 4, 8, 12…) until someone takes it all. A +2 never stacks on a +4, or the other way round. Rainbow +4 may be played any time.
• Players: 2, 3, 4 or 5, every player for themselves.
• Quick: 1 round, about 5 minutes. Full: 4 rounds, about 18 minutes.
• Pearls by finishing place: up to 30 for a Quick win and 55 for a Full win. Never bought, never cashed out.
• Our own card art: sand-toned cards with a sun, waves, a date palm or a rose. Works on phones, tablets, computers and TVs with a remote, in Arabic, English and Hindi.

Tips to win at Alwan

• Shed high cards early: a 9 left in your hand costs 9 points, a Stop or +2 costs 20.
• Keep a Rainbow as an escape for when nothing else fits, but don’t be holding it when the round ends: it costs 50.
• Watch the player after you. When they are down to one or two cards, hit them with a Stop, a +2 or a Rainbow +4.
• When you change the colour, pick the one you hold most.
• Remember which colour a rival had to draw on: they are probably short of it.
• Tap Wahda! before you play your second-to-last card, and keep an eye out for the Catch! chip: computer players forget now and then.
• In Alwan Plus, hold on to a +2 or a Rainbow +4 so you can pass a stack on instead of taking it.

Play Alwan with friends

Create a private table, share the link on WhatsApp, show the QR code or read out the room code, and your friends join in seconds with no download.

• Computer players fill any empty seat, from a two-player duel to a table of five.
• Computer players call Wahda! and catch you too, so stay sharp.
• Text chat with quick phrases, voice chat, emotes and gifts at the table.
• A short lesson and practice games against the computer, any time.
• Once Rayoosh is installed, you can play the computer even without internet.