Introduction to SET

SET is a game of visual perception. It is simple, elegant and perfect:

It needs only one rule to define its essence.

It can be played solo or with any number of players.

Players never have to wait for their turn.

Players can join or leave a game at any time.

It is equally enjoyable to players of all ages.

Adults have no advantage over children.

To play the game SET, simply find three cards that make a 'set'. The one rule is:
For each property, the cards must be all the same or all different.
If the above phrase is true for your three cards, then you have a set.

The rest of this tutorial is designed to help you become more adept at applying that one rule to the cards. Some examples are given, and there are practice games to play. As you get comfortable with one section, just move on to the next by clicking the buttons at the bottom.

When you are ready:

Fill

This first set of examples focus on the fill of the symbols on the cards. Note that there are only three distinct cards: one with an empty symbol, one with a hatched symbol, and one with a solid symbol.

For three cards to comply with the rule and make a set, they must either
all have the same fill or all have a different fill.
Here some examples:

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Now for your first test. Look at the fill of the three cards below and then click either the Yes or No button next to them. If you are correct, the cards will be replaced. If not, it will first tell you why. Continue choosing until you are comfortable, then move on. Your mantra is:
...all the same or all different...
...all the same or all different...
...all the same or all different...

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Now for your first practice. Choose the smaller card on the right that completes a set with the two cards larger cards on the left. If you are correct, the cards will be replaced. If you are wrong, it will tell you why and you can try again. Continue practicing until you are comfortable, then move on. Again, your mantra is:
...all the same or all different...

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When you are ready:

Number

This next set of examples is similar to the first, but focuses on the number of symbols on the cards. Again, note that there are only three distinct cards: one with one symbol, one with two symbols, and one with three symbols.

For three cards to comply with the rule and make a set, they must either
all have the same number or all have a different number.

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Looking at the number of symbols on the cards below, decide whether they form a set or not. Do not let the changing fill of the symbols distract you, focus on the number. Continue until you are comfortable, then move on. Remember your mantra:
...all the same or all different...

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And now practice picking the third card which would complete a set. Continue practicing until you are comfortable, then move on.

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When you are ready:

Fill and Number

Here is where the mind warping starts. Take both of those properties, fill and number, and make a deck of cards that has every combination of each. So now there will be nine distinct cards. The one rule applies to the cards just the same, but it must be applied independently to both the fill and the number.

For three cards to comply with the rule and make a set, they must either
all have the same fill or all have a different fill
and they must either
all have the same number or all have a different number.

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Putting fill and number together, decide whether the cards below are sets or not. You must apply your mantra twice each time:
Fill: ...all the same or all different...
Number: ...all the same or all different...

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With the two cards, practice choosing the third which would complete a set:

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Now practice playing the game in beginner mode. Keep choosing three cards below that make a set. Press the 'No Set' button if you do not see a set, and the game will highlight two cards of a set for you to find the third.

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When you are ready:

Shape

Now apply the rule to a new property, the shape of the symbols on the cards below (oval, squiggle, or diamond). Again, do not let the fill or number distract you here, focus on the shape.
...all the same or all different...

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Add shape to the list with fill and number, and now you have a deck with 27 distinct cards. When deciding whether the cards below are sets or not, you must apply your mantra three times each:
Fill: ...all the same or all different...
Number: ...all the same or all different...
Shape: ...all the same or all different...

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Now practice playing the game in intermediate mode. Keep choosing three cards below that make a set. Press the 'No Set' button if you do not see a set, and the game will highlight two cards of a set for you to find the third, add more cards to the table, or end the game if the deck is empty.

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When you are ready:

Color

And last but not least, practice applying the rule to a new property, the color of the symbols on the cards (red, green, or purple).

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Finally, add color to the list with fill, number and shape and now you have a full deck with 81 distinct cards. You must apply your mantra a whopping four times now. It will take you a while to get the hang of it (and you will never be the same once you do):
Fill: ...all the same or all different...
Number: ...all the same or all different...
Shape: ...all the same or all different...
Color: ...all the same or all different...

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Now practice playing the game in expert mode. Keep choosing three cards below that make a set. Press the 'No Set' button if you do not see a set, and the game will highlight two cards of a set for you to find the third, add more cards to the table, or end the game if the deck is empty.

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Congratulations! If you have made it this far, keep playing a little you will be seeing set cards going by in your sleep.

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When you are ready:

Play

The only way to improve your skill now is to play against others. The SET game at right is being hosted on GamesByEmail's servers, and it shows the same card layout to everybody. All players are vying for the same sets. Practice choosing cards quickly to beat the other players.

You can also experiment with the card size and orientation preferences. Click the '+' and '-' buttons to increase or decrease the card size. Click the 'H' and 'V' buttons to toggle between vertical and horizontal cards.

Also note that when you right-click anywhere on the cards, it will deselect the last card you selected.

More about the game SET

The game SET has an interesting history, which provides some insight to the inventor's propensity for horizontally oriented cards.

It is also well worth buying an analog copy: SET Game at Amazon
It is very entertaining, travels lightly, and does not take up a lot of room. It is perfect for long car/camping/boat trips.

A SET deck has 81 cards, one for each of the possible combinations of the four properties you have practiced with. There are no duplicate cards.

In a typical SET game, 12 cards are laid out in a rectangle, three down and four across. Players scan the cards, and click on any three cards which form a set. If the three cards do indeed form a set, the player gets a point and the three cards will slide down and be replaced by three more cards from the deck. If three cards slide up, someone else found a set, and they got a point.

If the player made a mistake and the cards do not form a set, the cards will not move and the words 'Not a set!' will appear above the game. If they hover the mouse over these words or click on them, a help balloon will explain why the cards do not form a set.

Sometimes there are not three cards which would make a set in the group. If a player believes there is not a set, they can click the 'No Set' button. If the player is correct, they will get a point and three more cards will be added and the players have a larger group to choose from. If the player was wrong, they lose a point and the 'No Set' button is temporarily disabled.

When a set is found in the larger group (it must involve at least one of the new cards), the cards making up the set are removed but not replaced, reducing the size of the group again. Any remaining new cards are moved to fill in the holes left by the chosen cards. If there is another set in the remaining group, again, it must involve at least one of the new cards (that were moved to fill in the holes).

If there is no set in the larger group and a player presses the 'No Set' button, three more cards will be added again. This can happen at most 3 times in a row, as there can be at most 20 cards which do not contain a set, and the third correct 'No Set' call would put 21 cards in play.

As sets are won and replaced, the deck is depleted three cards at a time. The number of three-card deals remaining is noted along the bottom as 'Deals: #'. When there are no cards remaining in the deck, cards won will not be replaced. The game is over when the deck is empty and all cards have been removed via sets (rare) or the 'No Set' button is clicked. The deck is then shuffled, cards are laid out again and play continues.

When playing an online game as above, the game polls the server every second for moves made by other players. If a player has not clicked any cards for half a minute or so, their game will stop polling. If you have read this far, undoubtedly this has happened in the game above. When the player clicks on a card again, the game resumes polling and all the activity that happened during the idle time will go by all at once (and the card clicked may dissapear). When the game is polling, there is a faint status bar just to the right of the cards that shows how long before the polling ceases. Clicking or right-clicking on any card or the 'No Set' button resets the polling period.