Progression

Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Players: 2–4
Age: 10+
Time: 20–40 minutes
Scoring: Yes
Style: Sequence / patterned laydown

Please refer to the TIC Card Principles to understand sequences in TIC cards.

The three TIC card properties progress in this order:

Numbers: 1–2–3–4–5
Shapes: circle–crescent–triangle–square–star  (each next shape increases by one side)
Colours: violet–cyan–yellow–orange–red  (colours move across the rainbow)

Each property can sequence upward or downward.

A Mono has one property progressing by one step from card to card.

A Duo has two properties progressing by one step from card to card.

A Tripo has all three properties progressing by one step from card to card.

The properties do not have to move in the same direction. For example, numbers could increase while shapes decrease.

Objective

Build horizontal and vertical sequences in a shared layout and score points by creating and extending Monos, Duos and Tripos.

Longer sequences are worth more points, and sequences involving more properties are worth more.

The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Setup

Deal 6 cards to each player.

Place the remaining deck face-down beside the playing area.

Flip one card face-up and place it in the centre of the table as the starting card.

Choose a starting player by any agreed method. Play moves clockwise.

Playing Cards

On your turn, you may play one card or several cards together.

Cards must be placed in horizontal or vertical rows and columns. Diagonal connections do not count.

If you play more than one card, all cards played on that turn must:

• be placed in the same horizontal row or vertical column,
• form one continuous connected line with no gaps, and
• create a legal sequence with the cards they connect to.

You may add cards to one end of an existing line, or use your cards to create a new sequence connected to the existing layout, as long as the resulting play is legal.

Every edge-to-edge connection created by the newly played cards must have at least one property that changes by exactly one step.

After completing your play, draw from the deck until your hand returns to 6 cards.

Starting a Sequence

Two adjacent cards can begin a possible sequence when at least one property changes by exactly one step.

For example:

2-triangle-yellow → 3-square-red

The number increases by one and the shape increases by one, so these two cards begin a possible Duo sequence.

However, a sequence must contain at least 3 cards before it can score.

Because several cards may be played together on one turn, a player may create a complete 3-, 4-, or 5-card sequence in a single play.

Scoring a Multi-Card Play

After all cards for the turn have been placed, evaluate the sequences created or extended by the entire play.

A scoring sequence must contain at least one card played on that turn.

If several possible sequences exist along the same row or column, score only the highest-scoring valid sequence from that direction.

If one or more newly played cards also create a valid sequence in the perpendicular direction, score the highest valid sequence from that direction separately.

Making a Sequence

A scoring sequence consists of 3 or more consecutive cards in a straight line.

At least one property must progress consistently by one step from card to card across the sequence.

For example:

1-star-yellow → 2-square-yellow → 3-triangle-red → 4-crescent-cyan

The numbers increase:

1–2–3–4

and the shapes decrease:

star–square–triangle–crescent

This is therefore a 4-card Duo.

The colours do not need to sequence.

A sequence may be created in a single multi-card play or built gradually over several turns.

Sequence Direction

Each property involved in a sequence must continue in the same direction for as long as that property is being counted.

For example:

1–2–3–4 is a valid ascending sequence.

4–3–2–1 is a valid descending sequence.

But:

1–2–5 is not a continuous number sequence.

Different properties can progress in different directions.

When One Property Reaches Its End

In a Duo or Tripo, the sequencing properties may reach the ends of their ranges at different times.

If one property can no longer continue, the sequence may still be extended if another property continues correctly.

For example:

2-violet → 3-cyan → 4-yellow → 5-orange

is a 4-card Duo because both number and colour increase by one step.

The number sequence has reached 5, but colour can still progress from orange to red.

A red card could therefore be added to create a 5-card Mono in colour.

The number sequence remains present in the first four cards, but it does not extend into the fifth card.

Separate Sequences Along the Same Line

A row or column can contain several separate sequences.

For example:

1–2–3–1–2–3

contains two separate 3-card ascending number sequences.

The jump from 3 to 1 breaks the first number sequence, but another property—such as shape or colour—may still make that card-to-card connection legal.

A new number sequence can then begin.

It does not matter that the same property has already formed a sequence earlier in the row or column.

Intersecting Sequences

A played card can be part of both:

• a horizontal sequence, and
• a vertical sequence.

If the card creates or extends a scoring sequence in both directions, both directions may score.

Evaluate the horizontal and vertical sequences separately.

If You Cannot Play

If you cannot make a legal play, draw 1 card from the deck.

If the drawn card can be played, you may play it immediately, along with other cards from your hand.  However, if you play, your laydown must contain the drawn card.

If it cannot be played, keep it and your turn ends.

Scoring

A sequence begins scoring when it contains at least 3 cards.

Use this formula:

Sequence length × sequence type

where:

• Mono = ×1
• Duo = ×2
• Tripo = ×3

3-card sequences

• 3-card Mono = 3 points
• 3-card Duo = 6 points
• 3-card Tripo = 9 points

4-card sequences

• 4-card Mono = 4 points
• 4-card Duo = 8 points
• 4-card Tripo = 12 points

5-card sequences

• 5-card Mono = 5 points
• 5-card Duo = 10 points
• 5-card Tripo = 15 points

A 5-card Tripo is called a Grand Progression.

Extreme Card Bonus

When scoring a sequence, check whether it contains either of the two Extreme TIC cards.

Add:

• 1-circle-violet: +1 point
• 5-star-red: +2 points

The Extreme Card must be part of the sequence being scored to earn the bonus.

Add the Extreme Card bonus after calculating the normal Mono, Duo or Tripo score.

An Extreme Card may be involved in multiple scoring sequences, and the bonus can be earned more than once per turn.

Multiple Possible Scores on One Line

A newly played card may belong to more than one valid sequence in the same row or column.

For example, the card might complete both:

• a 5-card Mono worth 5 points, and
• a 3-card Tripo worth 9 points.

Only one sequence may be scored in each direction.

The player identifies the highest-scoring valid sequence that:

1. contains at least one card played during that turn, and
2. consists of consecutive cards along that row or column.

In the example above, the player scores the 3-card Tripo for 9 points.

Do not add together overlapping sequence scores from the same direction.

However, if the played card also creates a valid sequence in the perpendicular direction, score the best sequence from that direction separately.

Important Scoring Principle

You score only sequences that contain the card you just played.

A sequence that was completed on an earlier turn cannot simply be scored again because another card was placed elsewhere along the same line.

Your new card must create, extend, or become part of the sequence being scored.

Sequence Length and Longer Lines

A continuous sequence in any one property can contain a maximum of 5 cards in the standard game because each property has only five values.

However, a physical row or column can be longer than 5 cards.

A long line may contain several separate or overlapping Monos, Duos and Tripos.

For example, a long row might contain one number sequence followed later by another number sequence, while shape or colour continues differently through other parts of the line.

No Wrapping in the Standard Game

A property does not jump from one end of its range to the other.

For example:

3–4–5–1

and

3–2–1–5

are not continuous number sequences.

When a property reaches 1 or 5, it can no longer continue in that direction in the standard game.

Ending the Game

Continue until the draw deck is exhausted.

For a shorter game, begin with a reduced deck.

After the deck is gone, continue taking turns without drawing replacement cards.

The game ends when no player can make another legal play.

The player with the highest total score wins.

Variation 1: Sequence Shedding

For a non-scoring version, deal 8 cards to each player.

Use the normal placement and sequence rules.

Instead of keeping score, the objective is to be the first player to get rid of all the cards in your hand.

Players take turns playing one card at a time.

Do not draw replacement cards after a successful play.

If you cannot make a legal play, draw 1 card from the deck. If it plays, you may play it immediately.

The first player to legally play their last card wins.

Variation 2: Reversing Sequences

For a more flexible game, allow a property’s direction to reverse when it reaches the top or bottom of its range.

For example: 3–4–5–4–3

or: 3–2–1–2–3

Each property can reverse independently.

This allows individual property sequences to continue beyond five cards and creates much larger possible sequences and layouts.