Reconstructing the Lost Game of Ganjafeh
We have reconstructed the lost game of Safavid Ganjafeh. Played five centuries ago, this version of the game was lost to time. Our team used the verses of the Safavid poet Ahli Shirazi to recreate the cards and attempt to reveal the mystical wisdom behind them. Our hope is that when you hold this deck, you feel a connection to its history.
Ganjafeh Rules
Standard: 4 players (2v2)
1. Placement of players: Players traditionally sit in a circle around a cloth. When playing with four people, the partners sit opposite one another so that in the round it would go Team A, Team B, Team A, Team B.
2. Choose the “Hākem” (Ruler): Before the game begins, you must determine who will be the first Ruler. One player deals cards face-up to everyone, one by one. The first player to receive a Shah card becomes the Ruler and gets to determine the most powerful suit. The person to the right of the dealer becomes the Dealer.
3. Determining the "Hokm" (Trump Suit): This is the most critical step. The Dealer deals the Hākem 8 cards first (face down). The Ruler looks at these cards and announces the most powerful suit (Hokm) based on their hand.
Note: The Ruler must decide the Hokm before the rest of the cards are dealt.
4. Dealing the Rest of the Cards: Once the Hokm (most powerful) suit is announced, the Dealer distributes the remaining cards to all players evenly so that each person (including the Hākem) has the same number of cards. The players can see all the cards in their hands.
5. Leading the First Trick:
A ‘Trick’ is a round in which each player plays one card.
The Ruler always leads the very first card of the game.
• Play continues counter-clockwise.
• Players must follow suit if possible.
• If you cannot follow suit, you may play a Trump card to win the trick or discard a card from another suit.
• Whoever won the first trick (by playing the most powerful card), starts the next round.
Example 1: Winning with a Higher Card or the Hokm (Leading Suit)
• The Setup: The Hākem (Ruler) has chosen Shamsheer (Swords) as the Hokm.
• The Lead: A player from Team A won the last trick, so they play first. They play the Vizier of Qimash (Textiles).
• Following Suit: All other players must play a Qimash card if they have one.
• The Result: Team A will win this trick, unless Team B can do one of the following:
• Play the Shah of Qimash, which is the only card in that suit higher than the Vizier.
• Play any card from the Shamsheer suit (the Hokm). Note: A player can only do this if they have no Qimash cards left in their hand.
Example 2: Playing a Kambar Suit (where 1 beats 10)
• The Setup: The Hokm is Taj (Crowns).
• The Lead: The starting player plays the 1 of Surkh (Gold Coins). Because Surkh is a kambar suit, the 1 is the highest numbered card.
• Following Suit: All other players must play a Surkh card if they have one.
• The Result: The 1 of Surkh will win the trick, unless the opposing team can do one of the following:
• Play the Vizier or Shah of Surkh (the only court cards that outrank the 1).
• Play any card from the Taj suit (the Hokm), assuming they have no Surkh cards left to play.
No table talk is allowed between partners!
Winning: When all cards have been played, the player or team with the most tricks wins.
Ganjafeh Rules for unusual player combinations
3 player (1v1v1)
Winner is the person with the most tricks won
1.Choose the “Hākem” (Ruler)
This step remains exactly the same as the standard game.
One player deals cards face-up to everyone, one by one.
The first player to receive a Shah card becomes the Ruler.
The person to the right of the dealer becomes the new Dealer for the round.
2. Determining the "Hokm" (Trump Suit)
This step also remains unchanged.
The Dealer deals the Hākem 8 cards first (face down).
The Ruler looks at these 8 cards and announces the most powerful suit (Hokm) based on their hand.
Note: The Ruler must decide the Hokm before any remaining cards are dealt to anyone else.
Dealing the remained of the cards: Each player will get exactly 32 cards. The Dealer will give the Ruler 24 more cards (since they already have 8), and will deal 32 cards to the other two players.
5. Leading the First Trick
The core gameplay loop remains untouched, but you are only trying to outplay two opponents instead of relying on a partner.
The Ruler always leads the very first card of the game.
Play continues counter-clockwise.
Players must follow the leading suit if they have it in their hand.
If you cannot follow suit, you may play a Trump card (Hokm) to win the trick, or discard a card from another suit.
Whoever wins the trick starts the next round.
The 6 player Rules & Setup (3v3)
Winner is the team with the most tricks won
Everything remains the same like the standards game. Only each player gets 16 cards.