Understanding the game

Triple Triad rules

Fifteen optional rules, and Combo on top of them. Each one changes a single thing about the match; each one is shown here on a board, move by move.

First of all

The basic rule

Every rule below changes something about this move. The card you place compares each of its sides with the side of the neighbouring card facing it. If its number is strictly higher, the opponent’s card turns your colour.

A tie takes nothing. And only the card you place attacks: cards already on the board are never compared with each other.

your cards
your opponent’s
the numbers that decide

An amber card is placed in the centre. Its 7, on the left, beats the 3 of the blue card beside it, which turns amber. Its 2, at the top, does not beat the 6 of the blue card above, which stays blue.

Flipping differently

Five ways of changing the comparison itself: the tie that flips, the sum that flips, the lower number that wins.

Same

Formats:
FFVIII
FFXIV
Free play

If at least two sides of your card equal the sides facing them, the opponent’s cards involved are taken.

Normally a tie does nothing. With Same it becomes a weapon — as long as you line up at least two in the same move. A 4 against a 4 at the top, a 6 against a 6 on the left: both of the opponent’s cards change sides, although neither would have moved under the basic rule.

Your own cards count towards the two ties, but only the opponent’s are flipped. Printed numbers are compared: the bonuses and penalties of Elemental, Ascension or Descension make no difference.

RememberAn empty square between two of the opponent’s cards is an invitation: look in your hand for the card that matches both their numbers.

The card placed in the centre has a 4 at the top, facing the 4 of the blue card above, and a 6 on the left, facing the 6 of the blue card to its left. Two ties: both blue cards turn amber.

Same Wall

Formats:
FFVIII
Free play

For Same, the edges of the board count as A: an A played against the edge is a tie.

Every edge of the board behaves like a card whose number is A. A side worth A, turned towards the edge, therefore counts as a tie — the first of the two that Same needs.

The wall is never enough on its own: there has to be at least one real tie with a neighbouring card, and it is the opponent’s cards in those ties that are taken. The wall itself does not flip.

RememberA card with an A on one side is a free tie along the edge: keep it for a border square.

A card placed top middle has an A turned towards the edge of the board, which counts as an A, and a 7 on the left facing the 7 of the blue corner card. Two ties: the corner card turns amber.

Plus

Formats:
FFVIII
FFXIV
Free play

If at least two sides of your card make the same sum with the sides facing them, the opponent’s cards involved are taken.

Each number on your card is added to the one facing it. A 3 against a 7 makes 10; a 5 against a 5 makes 10 as well. Two equal sums: Plus triggers and both cards are taken — although the 3 loses to the 7 and the 5 only ties with the 5.

As with Same: at least two sides, your own cards can supply one of the sums, only the opponent’s cards are flipped, and printed numbers are added. An A counts as 10.

RememberPlus rescues small numbers: a 2 against an 8 and a 3 against a 7 both make 10.

The card placed in the centre has a 3 at the top, facing a 7, and a 5 on the right, facing a 5. Both sums are 10: both blue cards turn amber.

Combo

Always on

Every card taken by Same, Same Wall or Plus attacks its own neighbours in turn — and so on.

Combo is not an option: it is always there. A card taken by Same, Same Wall or Plus behaves as though it had just been placed: it compares its sides with the opponent’s cards beside it and takes those it beats. Those attack in turn, for as long as there is something left to take.

The cascade follows the basic rule — with Reverse and Fallen Ace if they are on — and not Same or Plus: in a combo, a tie takes nothing. A card taken under the basic rule starts no combo at all.

RememberBefore playing a tie, look at the neighbours of the cards you are about to take: that is where the rest of the board is decided.

Same takes the top and left cards. The left card, now amber, beats the 2 of the card below it with its 7, which in turn beats the 4 of its right-hand neighbour with its 8: four cards taken in one move.

Reverse

Formats:
FFXIV
Free play

The lower number wins.

To take a card, your number must be strictly lower than the one facing it. A 2 beats an 8; a 7 no longer beats a 5. Ties still take nothing.

Reverse only touches the basic rule, and so combos: Same and Plus work exactly as usual.

RememberYour 1s become your best cards, and your As the worst.

The card placed in the centre has a 2 on the left facing an 8: lower, it wins, and the left card turns amber. Its 7 at the top, facing a 5, loses.

Fallen Ace

Formats:
FFXIV
Free play

A 1 beats an A.

The A, the strongest number in the game, has a weak spot: a 1 placed against it takes it. Nothing else changes — the 1 beats only the A, and loses to everything else.

With Reverse it is the mirror image: where the lower number wins, the A becomes able to take a 1, and only a 1. Effective numbers are compared: a 9 raised to A by Ascension is just as vulnerable.

RememberA 1 is no longer a weak side: it is the answer to the opponent’s strongest card.

The card placed in the centre has a 1 on the left, facing the A of the blue card beside it: the 1 wins and the card turns amber. Its 3 at the top loses to a 7.

Changing the cards

Four rules that touch the numbers themselves, the ground they are played on, or the card you walk away with.

Elemental

Formats:
FFVIII
Free play

Some squares carry an element. A card of the same element gains 1 on every side there; any other card loses 1.

At the start of the match, each square has an even chance of receiving an element: Fire, Ice, Thunder, Earth, Poison, Wind, Water or Holy. A card of the same element placed on it gains +1 on all four sides; any other card, including a card with no element, takes −1.

The bonus or penalty applies from the moment the card is placed, and counts for the basic rule and combos — not for Same or Plus, which read the printed numbers. A number never goes above A or below 1. In Sudden Death, the elements are drawn again.

Only Final Fantasy VIII cards have an element. Elemental cannot be combined with Ascension or Descension.

RememberA square of another element also weakens the opponent who plays there: it is a square to leave to them.

The blue card at the top stands on a Thunder square that is not its element: −1, its 6 becomes 5. A Fire card is placed in the centre on a Fire square: +1, its 5 becomes 6 and its 6 becomes 7. It takes both blue cards, which its printed numbers would not have done.

Ascension

Formats:
FFXIV
Free play

Every card of a type on the board gives +1 to all cards of that type.

Final Fantasy XIV cards have a type: Primal, Scion, Beastman or Garlean. The cards of each type on the board are counted, whichever side they are on: two Primals down, and every Primal gains +2 on all four sides.

The card you place gets the count from before it was placed: it is the third Primal, it arrives with +2 and plays with it. Once it is down, the count becomes three for everyone. Cards in hand do not count, and a number never goes above A.

Ascension cannot be combined with Descension or Elemental.

RememberThe bonus helps the opponent too: playing a type they play strengthens their cards as well.

Two Primals, one amber and one blue, are already on the board and gain +2. A third Primal is placed in the centre with +2: its 6 becomes 8 and beats the 7 of the blue card on its right. Then all three Primals go up to +3.

Descension

Formats:
FFXIV
Free play

Every card of a type on the board takes 1 from all cards of that type.

The mirror of Ascension: the count is the same, but every card of a type weakens all the others. Two Garleans on the board, and each loses 2 on all four sides — yours as well as the opponent’s.

The card you place suffers the count from before it was placed, and cards with no type are never affected: under Descension, they are the ones that profit from everyone else’s weakness. A number never goes below 1.

Descension cannot be combined with Ascension or Elemental.

RememberWhen a type piles up on the board, answer with untyped cards: they keep their full strength.

Two Garleans, one amber and one blue, are on the board and lose 2: the blue card’s 7 becomes 5. An untyped card placed in the centre beats it with a 6.

Swap

Formats:
FFXIV
Free play

Before the first move, one card drawn at random from each hand changes sides.

The game draws one card at random from your hand and one from your opponent’s, and exchanges them. You play theirs in your colour, as one of your own; they play yours.

The exchange only lasts the match: no card changes owner. And you know the card you gave away — it stays visible to you even when the opponent’s hand is hidden.

RememberA hand without a weak card holds up better: give away your only weak one and it may be the opponent’s best that comes back to you.

Two hands of five cards. The middle card of each hand is drawn, then they cross: the blue card comes down into your hand and turns amber, yours goes up and turns blue.

Changing the hand

Six rules about what you see of the other hand, what you are allowed to play, and what happens on a draw.

Random

Formats:
FFVIII
FFXIV
Free play

Your hand is drawn at random from your collection.

You do not choose your five cards: the game draws them from your collection, within the limits of a built deck, with two cards of four stars or more when your collection allows it.

The richer your collection, the stronger the hand you are dealt. In Sudden Death the hand is not drawn again: each player carries on with the cards of their colour.

RememberUnder Random, it is your collection that plays — not your deck.

Five face-down cards, your hand, turn over one by one: they were drawn at random from your collection.

All Open

Formats:
FFVIII
FFXIV
Free play

All five of the opponent’s cards are visible for the whole match.

Without this rule you only see the backs of the opponent’s cards. With All Open, they are played face up: you know what can land on every square before you leave it empty.

It is the rule for players who calculate. It cannot be combined with Three Open.

RememberBefore every move, find the opponent’s card that could take yours back: it is right in front of you.

The opponent’s five face-down cards all turn over and stay visible above your hand.

Three Open

Formats:
FFVIII
FFXIV
Free play

Three of the opponent’s five cards, drawn at random, are visible.

At the start of the match three of the opponent’s cards are revealed at random; the other two stay hidden until they are played. Enough to plan something, not enough to be sure.

With Swap, you know the card you gave away, and it counts among the three visible. Three Open cannot be combined with All Open.

RememberThe two hidden cards are the ones that can surprise you: leave them as few squares as possible.

Of the opponent’s five face-down cards, three turn over; the second and the fifth stay hidden.

Order

Formats:
FFXIV
Free play

You play your cards in the order of your hand, from left to right.

You still choose where to play, but no longer what: the card played is the first one you have left. The order of your deck becomes a decision — the card that opens the match, the one that closes it.

Every move is prepared a turn ahead: you know which card comes next. Order cannot be combined with Chaos.

RememberArrange your deck for the match: solid cards first, the ones that profit from a full board last.

In your hand of five cards, the first is brought forward and played, then the second.

Chaos

Formats:
FFXIV
Free play

Every turn, the game draws at random the card you must play.

As with Order, you choose the square but not the card — except that here nobody knows which one will come: the game draws one of those you have left, every turn.

Chaos cannot be combined with Order.

RememberA balanced hand is worth more than a hand with one big card: under Chaos, it may arrive at the worst moment.

In your hand of five cards, the fourth is drawn and played, then the first.

Sudden Death

Formats:
FFVIII
FFXIV
Free play

On a draw, a new round begins, each player with the cards of their colour.

When the match ends in a draw, it does not stop. Each player takes back the cards that are in their colour at that moment — those on the board and the one still in hand — and a new round begins with those hands, the same player going first.

The cards you took in the last round therefore play for you, and those you lost play against you. The elements are drawn again, and the Ascension or Descension count starts from zero with the empty board.

RememberA draw is not a tie game: if your opponent took your best card, they are the one who will play it next round.

The two starting hands, in their colours at the end of the match: two of your cards are blue, two of the opponent’s are amber. A draw, five all: the blue cards go up to the opponent, the amber ones come down to you, and the next round begins.

When they stack

Several rules at once

One per group
Ascension, Descension and Elemental exclude each other; so do Order and Chaos; so do All Open and Three Open. Everything else stacks freely.
Printed numbers, effective numbers
Same, Same Wall and Plus read the numbers printed on the card. The basic rule and combos read the effective numbers, bonuses and penalties included.
By format
In FFVIII: Same, Same Wall, Plus, Elemental, Random, All Open, Three Open and Sudden Death. In FFXIV: Same, Plus, Reverse, Fallen Ace, Ascension, Descension, Swap, Random, All Open, Three Open, Order, Chaos and Sudden Death. In free play: all fifteen.

Your turn

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