The Rummikub Classic box (Funskool)Photo: Funskool
A family gamePhoto: Rummikub
Number tiles and a jokerPhoto: Funskool
How runs and groups workPhoto: Funskool
Box backPhoto: Funskool
The Wooden Tiles editionPhoto: Toycra
Tiles and racks (international box shown)Photo: Rummikub
Video

Family game

Rummikub

Rummy with tiles: build runs and groups, then rearrange the table

2–4players · best with 3-4
20–60 minplaying time
7+recommended age
Learning curve
Easy2 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Luck and skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
Medium
Set-up
About 3 min
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Families who play rummy with cards on festival nights and want a fresh twist on it

Think twice if You need a game for more than four people (the standard Funskool box is for 2-4)

How we rate it

Learning curve. Runs, groups and the 30-point first move take a few minutes to explain, but rearranging the table and the joker rules take a game or two to click. That puts it with Ticket to Ride and Codenames at 2 on our scale.

Luck & skill. The tiles you draw matter a lot, especially early on. But spotting clever rearrangements, and knowing when to hold tiles back, is real skill.

Interaction. There are no attacks, but everyone shares and reshapes the same table, so one player's sets become the next player's building blocks, and holding tiles back can leave others with fewer openings.

Set-up. Turn all 106 tiles face down and mix them, then everyone takes 14 onto their rack. Funskool's sheet suggests stacking the rest in piles of seven so the pool is easy to draw from.

Reading. The tiles show only the numbers 1 to 13 in four colours and a joker face. Only Funskool's two-page rule sheet is in English, and one person can explain it in any language.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

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Is Rummikub right for you?

Great if

  • Families who play rummy with cards on festival nights and want a fresh twist on it
  • Mixed-language households, since the tiles carry only numbers and colours
  • Grandparents and children from about 7 at the same table, with quiet number practice built in
  • Couples, because it works well with just two players

Skip it if

  • You need a game for more than four people (the standard Funskool box is for 2-4)
  • Your group gets restless during long turns, since rearranging the table can take a while
  • You want a game with a theme or a story, because Rummikub is pure numbers and colours

A place on the honours list

Good company to be in.

Recognition from beyond our table.

Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year), 1980 (Winner)

How Rummikub plays

The box holds 106 tiles: the numbers 1 to 13 in four colours, two of each, plus two jokers. Everyone turns the tiles face down and mixes them, then each player takes 14 tiles onto a rack. The rest stay face down as the pool. Each player draws one tile, and the highest number starts.

  • Time to teach: about 10 minutes.
  • Reading and language: The tiles show only numbers and colours, so nobody needs to read during play. Only the rule sheet is in English, and one person can explain the rules in any language at the table.
A family game · Photo: Rummikub

Rummikub The Original game Tutorial · Rummikub · Official

Choose a video · Watch right here

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Open

    Your first play must be one or more sets from your own rack worth at least 30 points. Until you manage that, you draw one tile and your turn ends.

  2. 2
    Play

    After that, add tiles from your rack to the table. Start new runs or groups, or rearrange the sets already there, as long as every set is valid when your minute is up.

  3. 3
    Draw

    If you can't play, or choose not to, draw one tile from the pool instead. A tile you have just drawn has to wait until your next turn.

  4. 4
    Win

    Empty your rack first and call 'Rummikub!' to win the game. Everyone else loses the value of the tiles left on their rack (30 for a joker), and the winner collects the total.

Read the official rules (PDF)The Original Rummikub - instruction sheet (Funskool, Rummikub Classic) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Rummikub goes

You play tiles in sets of at least three. A run is three or more numbers in a row in one colour, like a red 4-5-6 (a 1 cannot follow a 13). A group is three or four tiles of the same number in different colours.

Your first move must be sets from your own rack worth at least 30 points in total. Until you manage that, and on any turn when you cannot or do not want to play, you draw one tile from the pool and your turn ends.

Once you have made your first move, the whole table is open to you. You can add to any set, split a run, or move tiles from one set to another, as long as every set is valid when your turn ends. Funskool's rule sheet gives one minute per turn: if you run out of time you draw a tile, and if you can't finish a rearrangement you put the table back as it was, take back your tiles and draw three as a penalty.

A joker can stand in for any tile, and you can win it back by replacing it with the real tile. The first player to empty their rack calls 'Rummikub' and wins the round. Everyone else loses the value of the tiles left on their rack (a joker costs 30 points), and the winner gains the total.

What's in the box

Tiles and racks (international box shown) · Photo: Rummikub
  • 104Number tiles
    1 to 13 in four colours (red, blue, orange and black), two of each
  • 2Joker tiles
    smiling-face tiles that stand in for any tile
  • 4Tile racks
    one per player, to keep your tiles hidden
  • 4Rack holders
  • 1Rule sheet
    two pages, in English

Box: 1.11 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.

From Funskool's Classic page and box back (item 4939100): 106 tiles (8 sets of tiles 1-13 in 4 colours and 2 jokers), 4 racks, 4 rack holders and detailed rules. Funskool's pictures don't show the rack holders, so their design is not described. The Wooden Tiles box (item 4939200) has 106 wooden tiles, 4 wooden racks and 4 metal rack holders. The budget Joy box (item 4939300) has 106 cardboard tiles and 4 racks, with no rack holders. Imported 5-6 player editions add extra tiles and racks.

Where to buy

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How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Rummikub is made in India by Funskool, at its Goa factory according to the box. Funskool's product pages give India as the country of origin, and the barcodes start with 890, India's GS1 prefix. Imported editions are only worth it if you need six players or large-print tiles. Our Amazon.in link goes to Funskool's Rummikub Classic.

Before you choose

  • The box and listing should name Funskool and say 'The Original Rummikub'. Funskool's packs give Funskool India Ltd. as marketer, a Goa factory and India as country of origin, and the box carries the ISI mark.
  • Be wary of a 'Rummikub Classic' from an unknown brand that costs a fraction of the usual price. Much cheaper sets sold under the name are not Funskool's.
  • Watch for misspellings such as 'Rummiikub', 'Rumykub' or 'Rumiikub', and for generic tile sets that borrow Rummikub's 'Brings People Together' slogan. The slogan on its own proves nothing.
  • Count the contents: 106 tiles (the numbers 1-13 in four colours, two of each, plus two jokers) and four racks. Funskool's Classic also includes four rack holders.
  • Generic 'rummy tile', 'rummy cube' and Okey sets are different products. They can be fine for casual play, but they are not the official game.

What reviewers and players say

Reviewers treat Rummikub as a family classic that has aged well. The rules are short, the tiles carry only numbers and colours, and once players start rearranging the table it becomes a satisfying puzzle that children of about 7 can share with adults. The common complaints are slow opening turns while players wait to reach 30 points, a big dose of luck in the tiles you draw, and joker rules that are worded differently between editions. Agree on how the joker works before you start, and the game runs smoothly.

What people love

  • Rearranging the tiles already on the table to fit in your own is the satisfying heart of the game
  • Children from about 7 can play properly alongside grandparents, with quiet practice in adding and number patterns
  • Simple, sturdy pieces and no reading, so it suits mixed-language and mixed-age tables
  • It works with just two players as well as with four

Common complaints

  • The first few turns can drag while players wait to make their 30-point opening move
  • The tiles you draw matter a lot, so a careful player can still lose to a lucky one
  • Joker rules differ between editions and rulebooks, which can start arguments at the table
Based on 7 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Questions people ask about Rummikub

Is Rummikub the same as rummy?

It is based on the same idea of making runs and sets, but it uses numbered tiles instead of playing cards. There is no discard pile, and once you have made your first 30-point move you can rearrange any tiles already on the table. If you know rummy, the basic idea will feel familiar.

Which Funskool Rummikub should I buy: Classic, Wooden Tiles or Joy?

The Classic is the standard set with 106 tiles, four racks and rack holders. The Wooden Tiles edition plays the same way with wooden tiles and racks, and costs more. Joy is a budget version with cardboard tiles, which suits younger children or occasional play.

Is Funskool Rummikub the original game?

Yes. Funskool makes and sells it in India as 'The Original Rummikub', with the same 106-tile set and rules as the international game. Funskool's packs are made in India, which is why they cost far less than imported editions.

Can more than four people play Rummikub?

Not with the standard Funskool box, which is for 2-4 players. The official rules allow 5-6 players with a larger 160-tile set, and 6-player editions reach India only as imports, which cost more.

Game facts

Designed by
Ephraim Hertzano
Publisher
Lemada Light Industries (Israel). Since April 2026, tabletop rights outside Israel, the US and Canada belong to Longshore Limited.
In India
Funskool (India) Ltd., Chennai, which makes and sells the game in India
First published
1950
Players
2–4
Barcode
8901383493910
Language
No reading – The tiles show only numbers and colours, so nobody needs to read during play. Only the rule sheet is in English, and one person can explain the rules in any language at the table.
Box size and weight
1.11 kg
Awards
Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year), 1980 (Winner)
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.