How to Play — FrostDeck — WML Card Games

Overview

FrostDeck is a rummy-style card game for 2–5 players. The goal is to earn the most points across 9 matches by playing your cards to the field before your opponents do.

Players

2 to 5 players per game

Decks

2 decks (2–3 players) · 3 decks (4–5 players)

Win Condition

Highest total score after all 9 matches

Turn Structure

Coin Flip — Multi-round elimination determines the first dealer.
Deck Cut — The player after the dealer cuts the shuffled deck. Hit the target count for a bonus.
Deal — Each player receives 7 cards. One card is revealed as the trash pile starter.
Play — Players take turns drawing and discarding until someone goes down and empties their hand.
Score — Field points minus remaining hand points. Next match begins.

The 9 Matches

Each match requires you to form specific groups of matching cards. A group is a set of cards all sharing the same denomination (e.g., three 7s, four Kings).

1

1×3

1 group of 3

2

2×3

2 groups of 3

3

1×4

1 group of 4

4

2×4

2 groups of 4

5

1×5

1 group of 5

6

2×5

2 groups of 5

7

1×6

1 group of 6

8

2×6

2 groups of 6

9

1×7

1 group of 7

Notation: NxM means N groups of M cards. All groups in a single go-down must use different denominations.

Card Points

Cards played to the field earn you points. Cards left in your hand at match end cost you points.

Card	Suits	Points	Wild?	Notes
Red 3	♥ ♦	100	Wild	Highest value card in the game
Joker	—	50	Wild	2 per deck
Ace	♥ ♦ ♣ ♠	25	—	High value, not wild
Jack	♥ ♦ ♣ ♠	25	Wild	Wild and worth 25 pts
8, 9, 10, Q, K	♥ ♦ ♣ ♠	10	—	Standard high cards
2, 4, 5, 6, 7	♥ ♦ ♣ ♠	5	—	Low value cards
Black 3	♣ ♠	0	—	−5 pts if stuck in your hand

Wild Cards

Wild cards can stand in for any card denomination when building groups. There are three types of wilds.

🃏

Red 3

♥ Hearts & ♦ Diamonds

100 pts

The most powerful wild. When the first trash card is a Red 3, the next player automatically uses 1 O token.

🃏

Joker

2 per deck

50 pts

Classic wild card. Can substitute for any denomination in any group. Great for filling gaps.

🃏

Jack

♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ — All 4 suits

25 pts

The most abundant wild — 4 per deck. Wild for all denominations. Also worth 25 pts on the field.

Wild Card Rules

Each group must contain at least 2 non-wild cards of the same denomination.
Wilds fill in the remaining required slots within a group.
You cannot form a group with only wild cards.
A group of 3 could be 7 · 7 · Joker (2 non-wilds + 1 wild ✓) but not 7 · Joker · Jack (only 1 non-wild ✗).

O Tokens

O tokens are your lifeline. Use them wisely throughout the game — they don't refill between matches.

Starting Tokens

Every player starts the game with 12 O tokens. These carry across all 9 matches.

Token Use

At the start of your turn, spend tokens before drawing normally. Each token picks up the next top card from the trash pile and the next 3 cards from the deck.

1 token → top 1 trash + top 3 deck
2 tokens → top 2 trash + top 6 deck
3 tokens → top 3 trash + top 9 deck

Dealer Bonus

The dealer earns +1 token (and +300 pts) for cutting the deck to the exact target count.

Final Match Purchase

Before the last match (1×7), players may spend 200 pts per token to buy up to 2 extra tokens.

Going Down

"Going down" means playing your required card groups to the field. You must satisfy the current match definition in one move.

Requirements

Each group needs at least 2 matching non-wild cards
Groups must use different denominations from each other
Group size must meet or exceed the match minimum
You must go down in a single action (no partial plays)

After Going Down

Continue discarding cards from your hand each turn
First to empty their hand wins the match
Other players lose points for cards still in hand

Valid Go-Down Examples

1×3: 8♥ · 8♦ · Joker
2×3: K♣ · K♥ · K♠ & 5♦ · 5♣ · Jack♥
1×4: Q♥ · Q♦ · Q♣ · Jack♠

Invalid Go-Down Examples

1×3: Joker · Jack · Red3 (only wilds, no real denomination)
2×3: 9♥ · 9♦ · Joker & 9♣ · 9♠ · Jack (same denom)
1×3: A♥ · Joker (only 2 cards, need ≥3)

Scoring

Your match score is calculated once someone wins the match (empties their hand).

Match Score Formula

Field Points − Hand Points

Field = cards you played · Hand = cards still in your hand at match end

Match Winner

Full field points, zero hand penalty. Usually the highest score that round.

Others

Field points minus whatever remains in their hand when the winner finishes.

Dealer Cut Bonus

+300 pts awarded immediately for an exact cut, regardless of match outcome.

Example Game: Match 1 (1×3)

A walkthrough of Match 1 between Alice and Bob. Goal: form 1 group of 3 cards sharing the same denomination. Every turn starts by drawing 1 card — no exceptions.

Setup

Alice's Hand

J♥ (wild)J♠ (wild)J♦ (wild)7♦7♣4♠2♣

Bob's Hand

A♠A♦A♥6♣Q♣2♠10♥

Trash card: 5♥ · Dealer: Alice · First turn: Bob

Turn order every round: 1. Draw 1 card (always) → 2. Go down if ready → 3. Discard 1 card

Turns

Bob T1

[Draw] A♣ from deck — 8 cards in hand. Already holds A♠ A♦ A♥, so now has four Aces! Goes down with [A♠ · A♦ · A♥ · A♣]. [Discard] 10♥. Hand: 6♣ Q♣ 2♠ (3 cards).

Alice T1

[Draw] J♣ from deck — 8 cards. Now holds J♥ J♠ J♦ J♣ (four Jacks, all wild). Goes down with [J♥ · J♠ · J♦ · J♣]. [Discard] 4♠. Hand: 7♦ 7♣ 2♣ (3 cards).

Bob T2

[Draw] 9♠ from deck — 4 cards. Nothing useful. [Discard] 9♠. Hand: 6♣ Q♣ 2♠ (3 cards).

Alice T2 🏆

[Draw] 7♥ from deck — 4 cards (7♦ 7♣ 7♥ 2♣). Plays [7♦ · 7♣ · 7♥] as a second group to the field. [Discard] 2♣. Hand is empty — Alice wins this match!

Match 1 Scores

Alice (Winner)

Field: J♥(25)+J♠(25)+J♦(25)+J♣(25)+7♦(5)+7♣(5)+7♥(5) = 115 pts
Hand: empty = 0 pts
Score: 115 pts

Bob

Field: A♠(25)+A♦(25)+A♥(25)+A♣(25) = 100 pts
Hand: 6♣(5)+Q♣(10)+2♠(5) = 20 pts
Score: 80 pts

Bob scored 80 pts despite losing the match — he had valuable Aces on the field. Winning means no hand penalty, but high field points matter too. Every draw counts!

How to Play FrostDeck

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