How to play Eternal Sevens
Eternal Sevens is a modern reconstruction by designer Hiroken of the traditional shedding card game Sevens, also known as Fan-Tan, published by Tricktakers Games. These are the rules as implemented in the free browser version.
The basics
Four suits build outwards on the table. Sequences extend from a starting card in each colour, so at any moment each row has an open slot at one or both ends.
On your turn you do exactly one of two things:
- Play a card that is adjacent in value to a card already on its row.
- Pass — which costs you one of your three pass actions (see below).
Rows wrap around: once the top of a row is filled, play continues from the other end. This creates "tunnel" positions where both ends of a colour are blocked and nobody can extend it.
The two ways to win
| Path | How it works | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Go out | Be the first player to empty your hand. | Every card you gain — a Rare, a card passed to you — sets you back. |
| Star blocks | Complete rows to claim the star slots in your player area. | Completing rows usually means holding cards longer instead of shedding them. |
These two goals fight each other, and choosing which one you are actually playing for — and when to switch — is most of the skill in the game.
Passing costs you something
You cannot simply pass. Each pass spends one of your three single-use pass actions, and you mark it by placing your coloured disc on that icon on the board. Once all three are spent, a turn on which you cannot play means you are eliminated.
1. Gain a Rare card
Adds a Rare card to your hand. A Rare is a wild — it can be placed in any currently available slot, which makes it the cleanest way to complete a row and take a star block. The cost is that your hand grows by one, so you move further from going out. This action also grants an Additional Play Token.
2. Discard a card face down
Remove any card from your hand, face down, so nobody sees what left. Your hand shrinks, which helps you race to go out — and you may discard your last card to finish. The sharper use is denial: discard the one card a row needs and that row can never be completed, killing its star block for everyone. This action does not grant a token.
3. Eternal action
Triggers a persistent effect that changes what is legal for you or for the table — see Eternals and Dragon powers for the full list.
Additional Play Tokens
Some actions grant an Additional Play Token, which lets you play one extra card after your first card in the same turn. You can hold at most two, so a big turn can put down three cards.
- A token cannot be used on a turn you passed — you must play a card first.
- A token granted by a special ability (the Fairy, the King, Kyubi, Jinn and others) can be used immediately, in the turn that granted it.
- A token granted by a pass action cannot, because passing means you played no card that turn. It is held for later.
Modes
The browser version layers the game in gradually, so you can learn the shedding game first:
- Beginner — the core game: rows, star blocks, pass actions.
- Standard — adds Eternal powers and a wider set of pass effects.
- Expert — adds Dragon cards with two-sided abilities and the full Eternal pool.
Each mode has its own AI opponents, trained separately by self-play against earlier versions of themselves.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you win at Eternal Sevens?
- Either empty your hand first, or complete rows to claim star blocks in your player area.
- What is the difference between Sevens and Eternal Sevens?
- Sevens (Fan-Tan) is the traditional shedding game. Eternal Sevens keeps that base and adds star blocks, three single-use pass actions, Eternal powers and Dragon cards.
- What happens when you pass?
- You spend one of your three pass actions. When all three are gone, a turn you cannot play eliminates you.
- What is a Rare card?
- A wild that fits any open slot. It can win you a star block, but it grows your hand.
- What is an Additional Play Token?
- It lets you play one extra card after your first in the same turn. Maximum two held.
- Is Eternal Sevens free to play online?
- Yes — free in the browser, no download and no signup.