How to Play
Sort your Happiness Deck. SHARE | LISTEN | CONNECT
Three ways to play
★ Quick Play is the place to start. Standard and Advanced add scoring when your table wants more.
Quick Play
How to Start Playing Happiness
Sort your Happiness Deck
We suggest sorting to 60 for two to six players of Happiness.
- 10 Bummers
- 15 Joycards worth 1 Joypoint
- 15 Joycards worth 2 Joypoints
- 15 Joycards worth 3 Joypoints
- 5 Joycards worth 4 Joypoints
Either randomly select to sort or spend some time customizing your Happiness deck by reviewing each Joycard for each Joypoint category. Once you have your sorted 60 Happiness deck, mix and shuffle. Now, you are ready to play Happiness. Share, listen and connect with Happiness.
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Step 1: Start here
The whole game in one line
- SORT
- BUILD
- SHUFFLE OR SELECT
- DEAL
Then…
- PLAY
- SHARE
- LISTEN
- CONNECT
- DRAW
That is enough to start.
Tell stories. Connect the cards, connect with each other. Collect Joypoints.
SHARE | LISTEN | CONNECT
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Step 2: Set up : Four moves
Sort first. Then play.
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1. SORT
4 Joycard stacks (1, 2, 3 and 4 Joypoints) + 1 Bummer stack
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2. BUILD
The youngest player builds the deck
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3. SHUFFLE OR SELECT
Shuffle the deck you built, or select the cards to deal
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4. DEAL
5 cards to each player
Know your friends
Some cards touch sensitive topics: loss, accidents, fire, drinking, gambling, water. The builder chooses with the table in mind.
Suggested first deck: 60 cards
- 15 of 1Joypoint
- 15 of 2Joypoints
- 15 of 3Joypoints
- 5 of 4Joypoints
- 10 of Bummercards
Plays best with 2 to 8. The youngest player goes first.
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Step 3: Play : One turn
Five actions. Repeat.
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PLAY
Put down one card.
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SHARE
Tell the story it sparks.
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LISTEN
Hear the whole story. Nobody cuts in.
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CONNECT
Match the triangles your card touches.
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DRAW
Return your hand to five.
SILVER LIGHTNING-BOLT TRIANGLE = WILD
It connects to any color.
Each color also has a symbol: fire, water, leaf or sun. Match by symbol if colors are hard to tell apart.
Play. Share. Listen. Connect. Draw. Next player.
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Step 4: Special moves : Learn them as they happen
You do not need these to start.
Bummer
In the 5 seconds of silence
A Bummer can only be played when connecting and within the 5 seconds of silence between turns. Place a Bummer card beside the card or cards just shared and share a bummer story. Then sweep every card the Bummer touches into your pile. One Bummer can clear a whole section.
If the table empties, play a Joycard anywhere.
Euphoria
Surround one card
When 4 cards surround one card, one on each side, sweep and collect all 5 connected Joycards. Add the total of their Joypoints at the end of the game.
First game counsel: Start playing. Explain Bummer cards and Euphoria when they come up.
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Step 5: Win : Most Joypoints
Count at the end
Game over: Sort to 60. The game is over when the deck runs out and no one can play, or whenever your time to play Happiness runs out. Your choice.
Add up the Joypoints on the cards you collected. The player with the most Joypoints wins.
Bummer cards score nothing.
Connect the cards, connect with each other.
The purpose of Happiness® is to Share, Listen & Connect.
Win the game as you Share the best moments of your life to gain Joypoints while occasionally Bummering.
Concentrate while you Listen to the Happiness® story to learn about one another better and Connect.
Happiness® · SHARE | LISTEN | CONNECT
Game Overview
- Goal: score the most Joypoints. Every point in this game is a Joypoint.
- Score tracking: use pen & paper, or the Happiness scorekeeper app.
Setup
1. Build the deck. The youngest player builds it. Choose cards based on player count:
Know your friends: some cards touch sensitive topics (loss, accidents, fire, drinking, gambling, water). The builder chooses with the table in mind.
| Cards | 2P | 3P | 4P | 5P | 6P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joycards (1 Joypoint) | 5 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 15 |
| Joycards (2 Joypoints) | 5 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 15 |
| Joycards (3 Joypoints) | 5 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 15 |
| Joycards (4 Joypoints) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Bummer | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| Total | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 |
2. Shuffle or select, then deal 5 cards to each player. The remaining cards form the community deck.
3. The youngest player goes first.
What's On a Card
- 4 Triangles on each edge of the card (Top, Right, Bottom, Left).
- 5 Triangle Colors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Silver. Silver is wild: the silver lightning-bolt triangle matches any color.
- Symbols: each color also has a symbol (fire, water, leaf or sun), so players can match by symbol as well as by color.
- Word: the concept shown on the card.
- Joypoints: 1 to 4 on Joycards. Bummer cards score nothing.
Your Turn
- PLAY one card from your hand onto the playing area.
- SHARE a brief story about the word on your card.
- LISTEN: the table hears the whole story. Nobody cuts in.
- CONNECT: your card matches every triangle it touches.
- DRAW one card from the community deck (if available).
Joycards
The word on your card must be the subject of your story.
Bummer cards
The word is a suggestion. You don't have to use it.
Card Placement
- The first card is placed in the center of the playing area.
- Every card after must be placed adjacent to an existing card (sharing an edge, not diagonal).
- Where two cards touch, their triangles must match colors. Silver matches any color.
- If no legal placement exists adjacent to existing cards, you may place anywhere. Separated cards can be connected later as play continues.
- If the table empties, play a Joycard anywhere.
Scoring: Playing Joycards
When you play a Joycard, score its Joypoints. A 3-Joypoint card adds 3 Joypoints to your score.
Euphoria (Plus Pattern)
When you play a card that completes a plus shape (a center card surrounded on all 4 sides) and all touching triangles match:
You claim Euphoria.
- Sweep and collect all 5 connected Joycards from the playing area into your Euphoria Pile.
- Score: add the total Joypoints of all 5 cards at the end of the game. No double scoring.
Bummering
A Bummer can only be played when connecting and within the 5 seconds of silence between turns. Play a Bummer card instead of a Joycard and place it the usual way (adjacent, every touching triangle matching). Then share a bummer story.
Every Joycard the Bummer touches is now bummed out: swept from the playing area into your Bummer Pile, along with the Bummer card. (Touching means sharing an edge, not diagonal.) The Bummer card itself scores nothing.
Bummed-out Joypoints = the total Joypoints of all cards bummed out.
| Cards Bummed Out | Your Score |
|---|---|
| 0 (forced play) | −2 Joypoints |
| 1 | −2 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 2 | +1 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 3 | +2 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 4 | +3 × bummed-out Joypoints, AND choose one opponent who loses 1× bummed-out Joypoints |
You cannot make a 0-bummer play if any other legal play exists.
Game End
The game ends at the end of the round in which the last community card is drawn (so all players have equal turns).
Most Joypoints wins.
Tiebreaker
- Most Joypoints wins.
- If tied: most cards in Euphoria Pile.
- If still tied: most cards in Bummer Pile.
- If still tied: shared victory.
Quick Reference
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Play a Joycard | The card's Joypoints |
| Euphoria (plus pattern) | Total Joypoints of the 5 cards, added at the end of the game |
| 0-bummer (forced) | −2 Joypoints |
| 1-bummer | −2 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 2-bummer | +1 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 3-bummer | +2 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 4-bummer | +3 × bummed-out Joypoints (opponent −1×) |
Want every lever? Echo tokens, Islands and difficulty modes.
Read the Advanced instructionsHappiness® · SHARE | LISTEN | CONNECT
Game Overview
- Goal: score the most Joypoints.
- Score tracking: pen & paper, or the Happiness scorekeeper app.
- Two difficulty modes, Easy and Hard, change how Silver works and whether scores can go negative.
Difficulty Modes
Easy Mode
- Silver lightning-bolt triangles are wild. They match any color.
- Scores cannot go below zero.
- Great for new players and families.
Hard Mode
- Silver is its own color. It matches Silver only.
- Scores can go negative.
- For experienced players seeking real challenge.
Setup
- Deck: fixed 60 cards: 15 each of the 1, 2 and 3-Joypoint Joycards, 5 four-Joypoint Joycards and 10 Bummer cards.
- Know your friends: the youngest player builds the deck. Some cards touch sensitive topics (loss, accidents, fire, drinking, gambling, water), so the builder chooses with the table in mind.
- Starting hand: deal 5 cards to each player.
- Board: 7×7 grid. First card goes in the center.
- Each player begins with 1 Echo token (charged).
What's On a Card
- 4 Triangles on each edge (Top, Right, Bottom, Left).
- 5 Triangle Colors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Silver. How Silver works depends on the difficulty mode (see above).
- Symbols: each color also has a symbol (fire, water, leaf or sun), so players can match by symbol as well as by color.
- Word: the concept shown on the card. It is the subject of your story.
- Joypoints: 1 to 4 on Joycards. Bummer cards score nothing.
Placement
- Cards must be placed adjacent (orthogonal) to existing cards.
- All adjacent triangles must match colors (Silver follows your difficulty mode).
- Bummer cards cannot start new islands.
- New islands are only allowed when no legal adjacent play exists for any card in your hand.
Turn Flow
- PLAY: select a card and place it (60-second play window in the online portal).
- SHARE: tell a brief story about the card's word (30-second window online). The table listens to the whole story; nobody cuts in.
- ECHO WINDOW: for 5 seconds after the story, any other player may spend an Echo token. Bummer plays skip this window.
- DRAW: automatically draw one card from the deck.
Echo Tokens
When a Joycard is played and its story ends, the 5-second Echo Window opens. Any other player may spend their Echo token to echo the storyteller's word, adding their own brief story or insight.
- +2 Joypoints to the player who echoes.
- +1 Joypoint to the storyteller whose card was echoed.
- The token discharges. Recharge through Euphoria (see below).
Bummer plays do not open an Echo Window.
Euphoria (Plus Pattern)
When you play a card that completes a plus shape (a center card surrounded on all 4 sides, all triangles matching):
- Score: (Total Joypoints of all 5 cards) × 2.
- All 5 cards move to your Euphoria Pile.
- Echo tokens: if any of your tokens are discharged, recharge them. If all your tokens are already charged, gain 1 token (maximum of 3).
Islands (Reconnection Bonus)
If a Bummer play splits the playing area into separate islands (groups of connected cards), play continues normally. When a later card placement reconnects two islands:
- +5 Joypoints per reconnection.
- One placement that joins multiple separated islands scores per island bridged.
Bummering
A Bummer card is played on your turn, after the story before yours has ended, and needs all adjacent triangles to match. Share a bummer story, then every card it touches is bummed out: the Bummer card and the bummed-out cards all go to your Bummer Pile. The Bummer card itself scores nothing.
Bummed-out Joypoints = total Joypoints of the cards bummed out.
| Cards Bummed Out | Result |
|---|---|
| 0 (forced) | −2 Joypoints flat |
| 1 | −2 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 2 | +1 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 3 | +2 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 4 | +3 × bummed-out Joypoints, AND choose an opponent who loses 1× bummed-out Joypoints |
A 0-bummer play is only legal if no other play exists for any card in your hand, including cross-card checks against existing islands.
Game End & Final Hand Scoring
The game ends when the deck is empty and every player has drawn down to 3 cards. The final hand is then scored:
| Final Hand (J = Joycard, B = Bummer card) | Easy Mode | Hard Mode |
|---|---|---|
| 3J + 0B | −2 × hand Joypoints | −3 × hand Joypoints |
| 2J + 1B | 0 | −1 × hand Joypoints |
| 1J + 2B | +5 Joypoints flat | +3 Joypoints flat |
| 0J + 3B (Grand Mercy) | +15 Joypoints flat | +10 Joypoints flat |
Echo token reckoning: −1 Joypoint per still-charged token at game end; +3 Joypoints bonus if you have zero charged tokens.
Scoring Summary
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Play a Joycard | The card's Joypoints |
| Echo (you echo) | +2 Joypoints |
| Echo (your card echoed) | +1 Joypoint |
| Island reconnection | +5 Joypoints per reconnection |
| Euphoria | (Total Joypoints of 5 cards) × 2 |
| 0-bummer (forced) | −2 Joypoints flat |
| 1-bummer | −2 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 2-bummer | +1 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 3-bummer | +2 × bummed-out Joypoints |
| 4-bummer | +3 × bummed-out Joypoints (opponent −1×) |
| Charged token at end | −1 Joypoint each |
| 0 charged tokens at end | +3 Joypoints bonus |
Tiebreakers (in order)
- Most Joypoints wins.
- If tied: most cards in Euphoria Pile.
- If still tied: most cards in Bummer Pile.
- If still tied: most Bummer cards in final hand.
- If still tied: shared victory.
Happiness® · SHARE | LISTEN | CONNECT
The Words of Happiness
- SHARE
- Happiness shines through shared experiences that bring joy.
- LISTEN
- Happiness thrives when you listen to what makes others happy.
- CONNECT
- Happiness blossoms when sharing and listening align.
- JOYCARDS
- Happiness found in life's experiences, captured on cards.
- BUMMERS
- Happiness compromised when sharing, listening and connecting break down.
- JOYPOINTS
- Happiness measured in points of joy to determine who wins.
- EUPHORIA
- Happiness at its peak: connecting five Joycards and collecting their Joypoints.
At a Glance
| Quick Play | Standard | Advanced | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended players | 2–8 | 2–6 | 3–6 |
| Deck | Suggested 60 | Scaled (20–60) | Fixed 60 |
| Score tracking | None (count at the end) | Pen & paper | Pen & paper |
| Bummer cards | When connecting, in the 5 seconds of silence between turns; sweeps every card it touches | When connecting, in the 5 seconds of silence between turns | Played on your turn |
| Euphoria | Collect all 5 connected Joycards; Joypoints added at the end | Collect all 5; Joypoints added at the end (no double) | Score multiplier + token reward |
| Echo tokens | — | — | Yes |
| Islands | — | — | Reconnection bonus |
| Difficulty modes | — | — | Easy / Hard |
The box plays 2 to 8. Each way to play lists the range it was written for.
HAPPINESS® is a registered trademark. Trademark information