Tsuki Narabe [月ならべ, ‘month line-up’] is a simple draw-and-discard Hanafuda game for 3-4 players, designed to make players more familiar with the hanafuda month sequence.
¶ Month Sequence
This game requires familiarity with the sequence of the months.
| # | Month | Icon | Flower |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January |  |
Pine |
| 2 | February |  |
Plum Blossom |
| 3 | March |  |
Cherry Blossom |
| 4 | April |  |
Wisteria |
| 5 | May |  |
Iris |
| 6 | June |  |
Peony |
| 7 | July |  |
Bush Clover |
| 8 | August |  |
Susuki Grass |
| 9 | September |  |
Chrysanthemum |
| 10 | October |  |
Maple |
| 11 | November |  |
Willow |
| 12 | December |  |
Paulownia |
¶ The Game
All 48 cards of hanafuda are used.
The goal is for a player to have 5 cards in hand whose month numbers are in sequential order.
The month sequence loops: A december card may be followed by a January card. (Example: November, December, January, February, March)
Decide first who will be the dealer using any method you prefer.
Dealer shuffles and deals 4 cards to each player. The rest of the deck is placed face-down on the table as the draw pile.
Starting with the dealer counter-clockwise, each player draws a card from the draw pile and adds it to their hand. Then the player discards a card from their hand which they do not need. Turn passes to the next player.
Once a player has 4 cards in month sequence (example: May, June, July, August), then the player continues their turns as normal until they could draw a card that completes the month sequence (regarding the previous example, this would either be an April or a September card). When they do, they reveal their hand to other players and declare victory.