HILO

About this board game

HILO is a card game for 2–6 players that takes about 30 minutes to play. Inspired by the public domain game Golf and similar concepts, it challenges you to make your total card value as low as possible.

Each player begins with a 3 x 3 grid of cards. During a round, replace high-valued cards with lower-valued cards whenever you can. Every choice affects your total, but card color adds another layer of strategy to the simple goal of lowering your score.

If you create a complete row, column, or diagonal of three cards in the same color, you may discard that entire line. This means a high-valued card can still be useful if you expect it to help complete a line that will soon disappear.

• Manage a 3 x 3 grid of cards.
• Replace high values with low values.
• Complete same-color rows, columns, or diagonals to discard them.
• Pay attention to the discard pile and the opportunities it may create for other players.

Color matching also creates direct interaction around the discard pile. Before leaving a card there, consider whether it will give the next player an easy way to discard a whole row, column, or diagonal.

The game continues across several rounds until one player has at least 100 points. The player with the fewest points wins. With its compact grid, accessible card-swapping premise, and changing color possibilities, HILO combines familiar Golf-inspired play with an additional tactical twist.