Card-set games
How to play Hanafuda (Koi-Koi)
Call "koi-koi" and press on,
or stop and cash in?
A two-player game of capturing flower cards from the twelve months by matching months. When you make a yaku, get greedy with "koi-koi" or play it safe and stop. Our deck is drawn in gold maki-e on black lacquer, made just for Kirakuken.
No sign-up, nothing to install. Enter a name and you're at the table. No opponent? Play the CPU right away.
- Count
- 2
- Play time
- 15-40 min
- Ages
- 8+
- Equipment
- 48 hanafuda cards
What is Hanafuda (Koi-Koi)?
Hanafuda is a deck of 48 cards, four for each of the twelve months, from January's pine to December's paulownia. Koi-Koi is a two-player game played with them: use a card from your hand to capture a field card of the same month, and build "yaku" from your captures. When you make a yaku, either "stop" to end the month and score, or call "koi-koi" to keep going for something bigger - but if your opponent stops first after your koi-koi, their score doubles. Play 3, 6 or 12 months; the higher total wins.
Playing Hanafuda (Koi-Koi) at Kirakuken
- 48 cards drawn from scratch in gold maki-e on black lacquer, found only at Kirakuken
- Each card shows its month number and a type mark in its corners (光 Hikari, 種 Tane, 短 Tanzaku, 素 Kasu), and pointing at a card shows its name - no need to memorise the deck (the marks can be turned off)
- Captures are sorted into Hikari, Tane, Tanzaku and Kasu, and you're told when a yaku is one card away
- Choose the CPU's strength: Easy, Normal or Strong
Rules of Hanafuda (Koi-Koi)
These rules always apply at our tables.
- Deal
- each player gets eight cards, eight more go face up on the field, and the rest form the draw pile. Draw cards to decide who deals the first month; the dealer plays first.
- Your turn
- play a card from your hand. If the field has a card of the same month, take both; if it has two, choose one; if it has three, take all of them. With no match, the card stays on the field. Then turn over the top of the draw pile and do the same with it.
- Yaku
- collecting certain combinations among your captured cards makes a yaku. The yaku and their points (mon) are in the list below.
- Koi-koi or stop
- whenever you make a yaku or raise its score, choose "stop" to end the month and score it, or "koi-koi" to keep going for more. A yaku made with the last card is scored at once.
- Doubling
- if the yaku you stop on total 7 mon or more, they count double. If your opponent called koi-koi that month, they double again.
- Dealt hands
- if your eight cards include all four of one month (teshi) or four pairs of months (kuttsuki), you score 6 mon at once and the month ends.
- No result
- if both hands run out without anyone stopping, the month scores nothing and the dealer stays the same. Otherwise the winner of the month deals the next.
- Winning
- after the agreed number of months, the player with more mon in total wins. Equal totals are a draw.
Koi-koi hands
| Category | Cards to collect | pts |
|---|---|---|
| Bright yaku | ||
| GokoAll five bright cards | Pine Crane, Cherry Curtain, Pampas Moon, Willow Rain Man and Paulownia Phoenix | 10 mon |
| ShikoFour brights, without the Willow Rain Man | Pine Crane, Cherry Curtain, Pampas Moon and Paulownia Phoenix | 8 mon |
| Ame-shikoFour brights, including the Willow Rain Man | The Willow Rain Man and three other brights | 7 mon |
| SankoThree brights, without the Willow Rain Man | Any three of the brights other than the Willow Rain Man | 5 mon |
| Set yaku | ||
| Hanami-zake | Cherry Curtain and Mum Sake Cup | 5 mon |
| Tsukimi-zake | Pampas Moon and Mum Sake Cup | 5 mon |
| Inoshikacho | Clover Boar, Maple Deer and Peony Butterflies | 5 mon |
| Akatan | The red poetry ribbons of pine, plum and cherry | 5 mon |
| Aotan | The blue ribbons of peony, chrysanthemum and maple | 5 mon |
| Count yaku (+1 mon for each extra card) | ||
| Tane | × 5 cardsFive animal cards (tane) | from 1 mon |
| Tan | × 5 cardsFive ribbon cards (tan) | from 1 mon |
| Kasu | × 10 cardsTen plain cards (kasu) | from 1 mon |
The Willow Rain Man never counts towards Sanko. Apart from Hanami-zake and Tsukimi-zake, the Mum Sake Cup counts only as an animal card.
If the yaku you stop on total 7 mon or more they double, and they double again if your opponent called koi-koi that month. A dealt hand with all four cards of a month (teshi) or four pairs (kuttsuki) scores 6 mon.
Optional rules
You choose these when opening a table.
- Length
- choose three, six (recommended) or twelve months when the game starts.
FAQ
- How many players can play Hanafuda (Koi-Koi)?
- 2 players. If you're short of players, the host can add CPU players, so you can start a table on your own.
- What age is Hanafuda (Koi-Koi) suitable for?
- We suggest 8+. There's no age check, so treat it as a guide.
- Does it cost anything?
- Nothing at all. No account and no app to install: enter a name and you're straight in.
- How long does a game take?
- About 15-40 min.
- Can I play on a smartphone?
- Yes. It runs in the browser, so the same URL opens on iPhone and Android alike.
- How do I invite friends?
- Open a table and press "Invite link" to get its URL. Anyone you send it to comes straight to your table.
Done reading? Take a seat.
Last updated: 2026-11-03