> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://organized-chaos.gitbook.io/organized-chaos-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://organized-chaos.gitbook.io/organized-chaos-docs/rummiduck/playing.md). # Playing How a round runs, from sitting down to the last tile. ## Sitting down Walk up to a free chair and press **E**. The first player to sit down starts the round once enough players are seated (two by default, computer players count) and chooses the time per turn in the lobby: 30, 45, 60, 90 or 120 seconds. | Key | Action | | ------- | ---------------------------------------- | | **E** | Sit down, or open the board again | | **ESC** | Close the board. You stay seated | | **X** | Stand up. You are asked to confirm first | | **G** | Watch a game from beside the table | ## Moving tiles Drag tiles with the mouse. * Dropped on an empty space, the tile lands there. * Dropped on another tile, it is pushed in before it (left half) or after it (right half), and the neighbours move aside. They already make room while you drag, and the target space lights up. * **Shift** or the **right mouse button** while dragging picks up the whole valid set around the tile. Of 7 7 7 8 lying side by side, that is the three sevens. A tile that is in no set comes alone. With Shift held down, the tiles that would come along are marked. ## The table tidies itself After a tile is put down, the table sorts out what follows from it: * If a row falls into valid sets through the new tile, it is split. 9 10 11 11 12 13 becomes 9 10 11 and 11 12 13. * If taking a tile out leaves a gap whose two sides make a set together, they close up. 1 1 \_ 1 becomes 1 1 1. * If the new tile makes a joker unnecessary, the joker jumps out and lies beside the set. 6 7 Joker 9 with an 8 becomes 6 7 8 9 and a joker that has to be used again. ## Ending the turn * Invalid sets are outlined in red. **End turn** only works when everything on the table is valid. **Enter** does the same. * Below the buttons is what stands in the way of ending the turn, such as why a set is invalid. Hovering over a tile outlined in red shows the reason there too. * **Draw a tile** is locked while tiles of your own from this turn are on the table. **Reset**, or dragging the tiles back to the rack, frees it again. ## Buttons and keys | Button | Key | What it does | | -------------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | End turn | **Enter** | Ends your turn, if everything on the table is valid | | Draw a tile | **Space** | Draws a tile and ends your turn | | Reset | **R** | Puts the table back to how it was when your turn began | | Undo | **Ctrl+Z** | Takes back your last action. Works repeatedly, back to the start of the turn | | Sort 1-2-3 | **A** | Sorts your rack by runs | | Sort 7-7-7 | **D** | Sorts your rack by groups | | Tidy the table | | Lays all sets out again to save space, runs by colour first, then groups by number | | Hint | | Shows a possible move by laying it on the table, outlined in gold. Off by default | Undo covers a moved tile with everything it set off, sorting, tidying, resetting and a hint. A hint starts from the table as it was at the beginning of your turn, so your own rearranging is discarded. You can keep the hint, change it or reset it. It is only offered with `Config.Hints = true`. ## What the others did What the other players have laid since your last turn carries a blue dot, what they have moved a blue ring. The marks stay until you move your first tile. Spectators see the last move. **Reactions** are the small buttons at the bottom right. One click, and the symbol appears for a moment beside your name on the board of everyone playing or watching. Spectators see them but cannot send any. Which reactions there are is set in `Config.Reactions`. **Volume** is set at the bottom left. Every player keeps their own setting, and it also applies to the sounds at the table. ## Against the computer The player who starts the round fills free seats with **+ Computer**, in the lobby and after every round, and sends computer players away again with **×**. A round can be played alone against up to three computers, or a table with too few players filled up. The computer plays on the server by the same rules as everyone else. A click on the strength next to its name switches to the next one: | Strength | How it plays | | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Easy | Lays groups and runs from its rack and adds single tiles to the ends. Misses a move now and then | | Medium | Also splits long runs and takes spare tiles from the table for new sets | | Hard | Also looks for the best way to take the whole table apart and put it back together with as many of its own tiles as possible | Its move appears tile by tile. A ped sits on its chair. If the last human stands up, the computers leave too. Rounds with computer players are never played for money. ## Watching Anyone standing at a table opens the board with **G**, without a rack, and sees the game in progress. ESC closes it again. ## Leaving and losing the connection Whoever stands up in the middle of a game drops out, and their tiles go back into the bag. If only one player is left, that player wins. A player who loses the connection in the middle of a game keeps the seat and the tiles for two minutes (`Config.ReconnectTime`). After reconnecting they get a notice, and **E** at their own chair continues the game. While the player is away, each of their turns ends as if the time had run out, with a tile drawn. If they are not back in time, or the round ends before that, the seat becomes free. ## At the table Anyone standing near a table hears the tiles click when they are laid, drawn or dealt. Whoever lays or draws reaches across the table briefly, the computers' peds included.