EQUATE Gameplay

Each player can either draw 2 face down cards in any

combination (number and/or operator) or the top

THIS!
card on either discard pile (1 total card). The player
must discard down to the original number of number
and/or operator cards dealt for the round. Gameplay
proceeds clockwise around the table until a player
places their equation down.

Developed by Cordelia Juhlke and Karl Juhlke

Going Out
Art by Karl Juhlke A player goes out by putting down a valid equation
using the number and operator cards in their hand
1-6 Players with at least the number of required cards (see round
20 Minutes/Player chart) that successfully solves for the Target Number.
Ages 6+ After playing the equation, players have a chance to
challenge (see Challenging). After, the player discards
down to the original amount of cards for the round
and ends their turn. Following that, each player has
Overview one last turn (maximum 2 minutes) to place down a
Players create expressions to form an equation using valid equation. They don’t need to meet the required
BEDMAS over 5 rounds using number cards and amount of cards to get the equation, but points will
operator cards. The player with the most points at the be deducted for every card they’re below the required
end of the 5 rounds wins the game. amount (see Scoring) to a minimum of 0 for the round.

Setup Challenging
Give each player a bracket card. This card does not If another player believes the equation to be
count towards each player’s total operators, and it false, they yell out “This does not equate!”. The
stays with the player for the entire game. Decide who challenging player then has to prove the equation
goes first. At the beginning of each round, shuffle the doesn’t equate with the Target Number by writing the
number deck and the operator deck. Put both down math down on paper, using a calculator/phone, etc.
on the table. Draw one face up number card and place If the equation isn’t valid, the equation’s player has
it on the game mat. This is the Target Number that half of the points they would’ve scored deducted from
each player has to solve for. Each player is then dealt their score. If the challenger is incorrect, they have half
the appropriate number of number and operator the points scored by the challenged player deducted
cards based on the current round: from their score. Bonuses are only included on a valid
equation.
Round Numbers Operators Required
1 3 2 2
Scoring
2 4 3 4
Every player who plays a valid equation receives 2
3 5 4 6 points per card played. Players lose 1 points for every
4 6 5 8 card below the required equation amount (see round
5 7 6 10 chart). The least amount of points a player can score
in a round is 0.
Each player takes their cards and tries to form an
equation using their numbers and operators to equal Bonuses are award each round for least operators
the Target Number. Standard BEDMAS rules apply! used (5 points), and the most unique operators used
(10 points). The most unique number of operators
bonus is only used in games of 3 or more players.
FAQs Q. Are calculators, phones, or writing on
paper permitted?
Q. How do I use BEDMAS?
We highly suggest that players don’t use any math
The letters stand for B (brackets), E (exponents), aids, just as dictionaries shouldn’t be used in word
D (division), M (multiplication), A (addition), and building games. However, depending on the age
S (subtraction). All equations must be solved in of the player, math aids may help younger players
this order. NOTE: divison/multiplication as well check their math as an educational tool.
as addition/subtraction are interchangeable
with each other, meaning you solve for whichever Q. Do I need 2 bracket cards to form a
comes first. For example, 2*6-2+15/5. We solve for set of brackets?
2*6 then 15/5 since the multiplication came before
the division. We then solve for 12-2 first then add 3 No, you don’t need two bracket cards to form a set
since it’s in that order. Here’s sample equation: of brackets. The bracket card is simply a bracket
card to both open and close the bracketed area.
((5x6/2)-10)2 Q. Can I place two numbers side by side?
Brackets: The main brackets need to be solved Yes! You can place two cards side by side to form a
before you can square the result. Each time you larger number. For instance, placing a 14 and a 4
see brackets, start the BEDMAS process over side by side will give you the number 144.
again inside those brackets. Inside the first set of
brackets, we see another set of brackets, so we Q. How do exponents and roots work?
go immediately to the second set of brackets and By themselves, both exponents and roots work
solve for that. as square (squared and square root). If you put
another number after the exponent or before the
Multiplication: Since both multiplication and root, you can get other exponents and roots such
division exist inside the second set of brackets, we as cubed.
need to solve for them in the order they appear; in
this case, we solve for multiplication first. 5x6=30 Q. Can I place a number by a set of
brackets to multiply?
((30/2)-10)2 Yes! Since you can do this using math, you can do
it in the game. This is a clever way to use a bracket
Division: Now that we’ve dealt with the you’re not using as multiplication. However, the
multiplication, we simply divide the two numbers multiplication won’t count towards bonuses as
to find the value. 30/2=15 you’re not using a multiplication operator card.
(15-10)2
Variations
Subtraction: We now take the number solved for
inside the second set of brackets and subtract 10 Personal Mode
from that. 15-10=5 Every player creates the entire equation, including
answer with their cards. The number needed for the
52 equation does NOT include the answer.

Exponent: Exponent should come before division, Dual Expressions

multiplication, and subtraction, but because we Similar to Personal Mode, Dual Expressions requires
had to solve for the brackets first, we end up doing players to build two expressions (numbers and
it last here. We take the solution to the first set of operators) that equal each other rather than building
brackets and square it. 52=25 an expression that equals a number. (ie. 3x3 = 10-1)

25 Solo Mode
Play the regular game without any bonuses, and
The final answer to this equation is 25. Another you’re limited to 5 turns each round. Have a dummy
solution would’ve been 52, but that would gain you player score 13 points per round.
fewer points than the longer equation. © Karl Juhlke Games 2019