Phase Runner is a rummy-style race. Everyone works on the same phase at the same time, and you only advance if you complete it. The first player to finish all ten phases wins the game.
The deck
108 cards: numbers 1–12 in four colours (red, blue, yellow, green), two of each, plus 8 Wild cards and 4 Skip cards.
A turn
- Draw one card — from the deck or from the discard pile.
- Lay down your current phase if you can complete it.
- Discard one card to end your turn.
The ten phases
| Phase | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 1 | Two sets of 3 |
| 2 | One set of 3 + one run of 4 |
| 3 | One set of 4 + one run of 4 |
| 4 | One run of 7 |
| 5 | One run of 8 |
| 6 | One run of 9 |
| 7 | Two sets of 4 |
| 8 | Seven cards of one colour |
| 9 | One set of 5 + one set of 2 |
| 10 | One set of 5 + one set of 3 |
Wilds and Skips
A Wild stands in for any numbered card in a set or a run, and you may use more than one in the same phase. A Skip played to the discard pile makes the next player lose their turn — Skips cannot be used inside a set or a run.
Scoring
When one player goes out, everyone else scores the cards still in their hand. Low is good.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| 1 – 9 | 5 each |
| 10 – 12 | 10 each |
| Skip | 15 each |
| Wild | 25 each |
Players who completed their phase move on; players who did not stay on the same phase and try again next round. The winner is whoever completes the most phases — and if that ties, the lowest total score takes it.
Running it at the table
- Host with the Phase Runner deck type and deal ten cards each.
- Use card groups to lay a completed phase down as a labelled meld — name it “Phase 3” so the table can check it.
- Keep the scoreboard in Tally mode and enter each player’s leftover-card total at the end of every round.
- Turn order matters here, so leave enforced turns on.
The 108-card deck is included free with every table.
Start a Phase Runner game