No Return

About this board game

No Return is a tile game for 2–4 players that plays in about 30 minutes. It unfolds in two phases: first collect and organize tiles, then clear them to score before the supply runs out.

The game includes 132 tiles: two sets in six colors, with numbers 1–11 in each color. Each player begins with eight tiles and may discard and redraw once before play starts. On a turn in the first phase, discard up to four tiles and draw replacements, or play one or more tiles of a single color before drawing the same number.

• Tiles in each color row must be played in descending order.
• New tiles must be equal to or lower than tiles of that color already in play.
• You can build at most six rows, one for each color.

Players choose when to enter the second phase, but there is no turning back. From then on, a turn allows either the same discard-and-draw option or a scoring action. To score, select one or more tiles of a single color, beginning with that color’s lowest-valued tile or tiles, and add their values together.

You must pay for the tiles by discarding tiles of one color from your hand whose total is equal to or higher than the amount being scored. The paid tiles leave the game, while the cleared tiles go face down into your score pile. Refill your hand to eight tiles at the end of every turn.

When the final tile is drawn from the bag, finish the round so everyone has taken the same number of turns. In No Return, your final score is the value of tiles cleared minus the value of tiles still in play; tiles remaining in hand are discarded. The highest score wins.