Rule Book

To order, go here.

Note: The format for the rulebook doesn’t display well here on the site so I uploaded the actual files that you can access and download yourself.

Here is a link to the properly formatted rule book

Game Rules Formatted

Here is the excel version of the Unity scorecard.

2014 Unity Scorecard

Deck:

The Unity deck consists of 54 cards in a revolutionary alphabetical design. The deck has four suits (colors) , 13 cards each, and two special universal cards (Joker types). Each suit is ordered from high to low as follows: AA, BB, CC, DD, EE, A, B, C, D, E, F,   (the “bug” card, so named for its six legs), and   (the double bug card). Each suit is represented by a color and also a symbol: Blue   , Gold   , Red   , Black   . In games where suits have different powers or  orders, (Bridge for example), the Unity suits are ordered Blue, Gold, Red, and Black. The Blue symbol (Circle) has one geometric side and suggests 1^st in order. The Gold symbol (Crescent) is a two sided figure and 2^nd in order. The Red symbol (Triangle) with three sides, and is 3^rd. The Black symbol (Square) is four-sided, and is 4^th. To see how the Unity deck compares to the common 52 card deck, Rook, and Pinochle decks, see the table on the back of the Rulebook.

Dealer:  The Player that is selected to distribute the cards to each player. The first dealer is determined by each player cutting the deck, high card deals. The deal rotates one to the left each hand.

Hand: The full compliment of cards dealt to each player to start each round of play.

Trick: One round of play with each player playing 1 card. The trick is taken by (belongs to) the player that plays the highest card in the suit (color) that was led. If  trump is played then the highest trump card played takes the trick.

Trump:  One suit (color) is selected each hand to be more powerful than any other suit. The highest Trump card takes the trick whenever trump is played.  The Universal cards are always considered Trump cards. If a Universal card is turned up in the trump selection process, the dealer looks at his hand and then chooses the trump color from the two colors on the universal card. When Blue or Gold is trump, the Blue and Gold Universal card is considered the highest trump (higher than the AA) while the Red and Black Universal card is considered the lowest trump (lower than the double bug). When Red or Black is trump, the Red and Black Universal card is the highest; and the Blue and Gold Universal card is the lowest. The Universal cards are played like you would play any other trump card.

Bidding: Each player declares  (bids) how many tricks they want to take for the hand. The player left of the dealer bids first. The bidding proceeds to the left, the dealer being the last to bid.

Play: After the first card is led (played), play then rotates left (clockwise). Each player must follow suit (the color that was led) if possible. If a player doesn’t have the color that was led, they can play any other color. The player that wins the trick leads the next card.

ELEMENTS

Elements is a game for two to Six players. Each player competes against the rest. It is an easy game to learn and is the best way to become familiar with the Unity deck. The game varies with the different styles and game philosophies of the players involved.

Deal: Each player is dealt 8 cards the first hand, then 7 cards for the second hand, 6 the third and so on down to a hand with only one card for each player. The sequence is then reversed so that after the hand with one card, the next hand has 2 cards, then 3 and so on back up to 8 cards in the last hand. At that point the player with the most points is the winner. If there is a tie for first place another hand of 7 cards is played. The sequence is continued until the tie is broken or a winner is determined. After the players have been dealt their hands, the dealer turns up the top card of the remaining deck and this color becomes trump.

Bidding: The dealer must bid a number that when added to the other bids totals more or less than the number of tricks possible. For example: There are 7 cards in each player’s hand, and there are three players. The first bidding 3; the second 2. This means that the dealer can’t bid 2, for then the total would be 7. The dealer can bid either 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7. This procedure insures that at least 1 player will not make their bid.

Scoring: A player has to make their bid exactly to score. If they take more or less tricks than they bid, they don’t gain or lose any points for that hand. If a player makes their bid, they receive 10 points plus a point for each trick that they bid. If their bid was 3, they would make 13 points. If 2 were bid: 12 points. A zero bid receives 10 points. In the course of play if a player feels that they aren’t going to make their bid, they should try and cause other players not to make theirs by taking of giving away tricks the players want.

Play: The player left of the dealer leads the first card.

UNITY

Unity is similar to Elements in concept but is a game for partners. Players who have played a game of Elements have no problems playing a game of Unity. (Four Player Partnership)

Deal: All cards are dealt except the last 2, one being turned face up. This color becomes trump. The last 2 cards are not used in play, and the card laying face down is not revealed until after the completion of the hand.

Bidding: The bids for each set of partners are added together and the two players work together to obtain their total bids. There are thirteen tricks possible.

Scoring: Each team scores 10 points for each trick that they collectively bid and 1 point for each extra trick taken. If a team fails to make their bid, they subtract from their score the amount of their bid (10 points for each trick bid). For example: if a team bids a total of 7 tricks and they take 9, they score 72 points. If they had made only 6 tricks they would have lost 70 points. If any player bids zero and doesn’t take any tricks that team receives an additional 100 points. If the player that bid zero takes a trick then he loses 100 points for the team. His partner can use the tricks taken to make his bid which is added or subtracted to the results of the zero bid. A player can bid a blind zero if his team is at least 200 points behind. This means the player has to bid zero before looking at their hand. A blind zero is worth 200 points. Game is 500 points. If a player doesn’t play according to the rules, that team subtracts the amount of their bid from their score and the opposing team automatically makes their bid.

Play: The double bug card (    ) of the complimentary color of trump leads for the first trick. (Blue and Gold are complimentary as are Red and Black). If the     is unavailable then the bug card (   ) is led.

Alternative: This game can be played with no partners each player playing alone. A player must be at least 200 points behind the second lowest score to bid a blind zero.

UNITY (For two Players)

Deal: The dealer deals 2 cards, one face down and the other face up.  The color on the card face up becomes trump.  The remaining deck is placed on the table. The other players draws the top card.  If he wants to keep it for his hand, he does so. He then draws the next card and discards it without looking at it. If the player didn’t want the first card drawn, he discards it and draws the second card for his hand. He must then keep the second card. The dealer then goes through the same procedure, and this alternates between the two players until all the cards have been distributed. The game is played with the cards selected by the players (13 each). The dealers opponent bids first and leads the first card.

UNITY (For Three Players)

All rules apply as with four players except the following:

Deck: A partial deck of 46 cards is used (remove the  bug , and  double bug cards).

Deal: The dealer turns the top card face up and places it aside not to be used in play. This color is trump. The remaining cards are dealt giving each player 15 cards.

Scoring: The scores for each player are kept separately since there are no partnerships with three players. A player must be at least 200 points behind the second lowest score to bid a blind zero.

Play: The F card of the complimentary color of trump leads for the first trick. (Blue and Gold are complimentary as are Red and Black).

 UNITY (For Five Players)

All rules apply as with four players except the following:

Deck: A partial deck of 50 cards is used (remove the double bug   cards).

Deal: Trump is determined by a cut of the cards. The entire deck is dealt giving each player 10 cards.

Scoring: Each player’s score is kept separately since there are no partnerships with five players. A zero bid is worth 50 points and blind zero is worth 100 points. A player must be at least 100 points behind the second lowest score to bid a blind zero. Game is 250 points.

Play: The  card of the complimentary color of trump leads for the first trick.

UNITY (Six Player Partnership)

All rules apply as with four players except the following: With six players there are three partnerships with two players. Partners sit opposite to each other at the table.

Deal: Trump is determined by a cut of the cards. The entire deck is dealt giving each player 9 cards.

Scoring: Each team’s score is kept separately. A zero bid is worth 50 points and blind zero is worth 100 points. A team must be at least 100 points behind the second lowest score to bid a blind zero. Game is 250 points.

Play: The  card of the complimentary color of trump leads for the first trick.

Alternative: This game can be played with no partners each player playing alone. A player must be at least 100 points behind the second lowest score to bid a blind zero.

SOLITAIRE (One Player )

Use the Unity deck to play the many existing games of Solitaire as follows: Use the    (Double Bug) cards like Aces, and the AA (Double A) cards like Kings. A part of the game is to build sequences of alternating color groups. In these sequences consider Blue and Gold as one group and Red and Black as another group. This means that a Blue or Gold BB card would be placed on either a Red or Black AA card. Universal cards are wild cards. The Blue and Gold Universal card can be substituted for any Blue and Gold card while the Red and Black Universal card can be substituted for any Red or Black card. After being substituted for a certain card, their identity can be changed as long as Sequences are maintained.

Exhibit 1

You will notice that each card was designed for instant readability in your hand. It is difficult to mistake single letter cards for double letter cards, or to confuse suits.

Exhibit 2

The  Infinity symbol  was selected as the symbol of the Unity deck because it represents the accepted sign for  infinity, corresponding to the deck’s universal application.

The metric system is being used more and more worldwide. The Unity deck is the first to adopt a truly metric size, 6 X 9 centimeters. For comparison , the Unity deck is 1/8” narrower than a Poker deck, 1/8” wider than a Bridge deck, and 1/16” longer than both.

Unity deck cross reference table

 Order of Suits:Order is Determined by the number of geometric sides in each symbol.

1st	Blue	Circle	-1 side
2nd	Gold	Crescent	-2 sides
3rd	Red	Triangle	-3 sides
4th	Black	Square	-4 sides