The Original Sequence box (Funskool)Photo: Funskool
A family gamePhoto: Funskool
Play a card, place a chipPhoto: Toycra
The newer Sequence Classic boxPhoto: Funskool
What's in the boxPhoto: Hamleys
Box backPhoto: Funskool
Video

Family game

Sequence

Play a card, claim its space, and make five in a row.

2–12players · best with 4-6 in two teams
20–40 minplaying time
7+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
More luck than skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
About 2 min
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Family evenings when you want everyone in one game: up to 12 can play in two or three teams

Think twice if You want deep strategy. The cards you draw limit your choices a lot.

How we rate it

Learning curve. Play a card, place a chip, draw a card. The only extras are the two kinds of Jack and swapping a dead card, which puts it with UNO and Connect 4 at 1 on our scale.

Luck & skill. The cards you draw limit your choices, and a two-eyed Jack at the right moment can swing a close game. Choosing between the two matching spaces, blocking, and saving Jacks add some skill.

Interaction. You block each other's lines, remove opponents' chips with one-eyed Jacks, and usually play in teams around the table.

Set-up. Unfold the board, shuffle the two packs together and deal the hand size for your group: 7 cards each for two players, down to 3 each for 10 or 12. Each side takes chips of one colour: blue and green for two sides, plus red for a third.

Reading. The cards and board show ordinary playing-card faces, so anyone who knows a pack of cards can play. Only the rule leaflet is in English.

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 Sequence right for you?

Great if

  • Family evenings when you want everyone in one game: up to 12 can play in two or three teams
  • Grandparents and older relatives who already know a pack of cards
  • Couples who want a light strategy game that also works for a bigger crowd
  • Gifting, because it's a well-known name, made in India and widely available

Skip it if

  • You want deep strategy. The cards you draw limit your choices a lot.
  • Your group loves discussing plans out loud. Team-mates aren't supposed to hint about the cards they hold.
  • You need a game for travel. The box is small (about 26 × 21 cm), but the board unfolds to roughly 50 × 38 cm and there are 135 loose chips.

How Sequence plays

The board shows every card from two ordinary packs except the Jacks, each card twice, plus a free space in each of the four corners. Each player or team takes chips of one colour: blue and green for two sides, plus red when there are three.

  • Time to teach: about 5-10 minutes.
  • Reading and language: The cards and board show ordinary playing-card faces (A, K, Q, 2–10 in four suits), so anyone who knows a regular pack can play without reading. Funskool's rule sheet is in English.
A family game · Photo: Funskool

How To Play Sequence - Goliath Games · Vivid Toys and Games · 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
    Play

    Lay one card from your hand face up on your discard pile.

  2. 2
    Place

    Put a chip of your colour on one of the two matching spaces on the board. A two-eyed Jack lets you take any open space, and a one-eyed Jack removes an opponent's chip instead.

  3. 3
    Draw

    Take a new card before the next player finishes their turn and draws, or you play the rest of the game one card short.

  4. 4
    Win

    Five of your chips in a line, across, down or diagonally, make a sequence, and the corner spaces count for everyone. Two players or teams need two sequences to win; with three, one is enough.

Read the official rules (PDF)Sequence - Instructions (Funskool / Goliath) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Sequence goes

Everyone is dealt a hand: seven cards each with two players, going down to three each with 10 or 12. On your turn you play a card, put a chip on one of the two matching spaces, then draw a replacement. If you forget to draw before the next player draws, you play the rest of the game one card short.

Jacks are the special cards. A two-eyed Jack is wild, so you can put your chip on any open space. A one-eyed Jack removes one opponent's chip, but not from a finished line.

A sequence is five of your chips in a straight line across, down or diagonally, and the corner spaces count for everyone. With two players or two teams you need two sequences to win. With three players or teams, one is enough. If both spaces for a card in your hand are already taken, you can swap that card for a new one before your turn.

With more than three people you play in teams and sit so that team-mates alternate around the table. Team-mates may not tell each other what cards they hold unless everyone agrees otherwise at the start.

What's in the box

What's in the box · Photo: Hamleys
  • 1Game board
    folding board showing every card except the Jacks twice, plus a free space in each corner
  • 104Sequence cards
    two full packs of playing cards, Jacks included
  • 50Green chips
  • 50Blue chips
  • 35Red chips
    used only when three players or teams play
  • 1Instruction leaflet
    four pages, in English

Box: 26 × 20.8 × 4 cm, 0.88 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.

From Funskool's rule leaflet and box back for The Original Sequence (item 4935400): a board, 104 cards, 135 chips (50 green, 50 blue, 35 red) and instructions. An Indian listing's 'What's inside' graphic lists the same. The board has 96 card spaces (48 cards, each shown twice) plus four free corners. Funskool describes the newer blue Sequence Classic box (item 4936100) as a folding board, playing cards and chips for up to 12 players, but its exact chip counts were not seen.

Where to buy

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

About the editions

Funskool (India) Ltd. makes Sequence in India under licence from Goliath, and Indian listings give India as the country of origin. This is the copy to buy: it's the real game, it's widely available and it costs far less than an import. Our Amazon.in link goes to Funskool's The Original Sequence, the listing that Funskool's own website links to. Funskool also makes a newer Sequence Classic box.

Before you choose

  • Look for Funskool on the box and in the listing's brand field. Genuine Indian copies name Funskool (India) Ltd. as manufacturer and carry the ISI mark. The barcodes on genuine boxes are 8901383493545 (The Original Sequence) and 8901383493613 (Sequence Classic).
  • Be wary of a 'Sequence' that costs a fraction of Funskool's box. Much cheaper sets sold under the name come from other makers.
  • Watch for near-miss names such as 'Sequenc', 'Sequent', 'Sequentra', 'Sequences', 'Sequel' and 'Sequential'. Some cheaper sets also copy Funskool's exact title, 'The Original Sequence', without the Funskool name.
  • Check the contents list: one folding board, 104 Sequence cards (two decks), 135 chips (50 green, 50 blue and 35 red) and a rule sheet.
  • Some rival games, such as Skoodle's Sequenza, have the same contents under their own name. They are legitimate products, just not the original game.

What reviewers and players say

Sequence wins people over because it takes minutes to teach, works for anything from 2 to 12 players, and turns into a lively team game at family gatherings. The Board Game Family praised the team play, close finishes and easy rematches. Co-op Board Games liked the quick games and simple rules. Both say card luck can decide close games and that serious strategy fans may find it thin. Rules questions about dead cards and the lost-card rule come up often, so read that part of the leaflet together before you start.

What people love

  • Simple to teach: play a card, place a chip, draw a card
  • Teams of up to 12 make it a natural fit for family gatherings and festivals
  • Luck evens things out, so children and grandparents can win too
  • Games are short and usually close, so people want a rematch

Common complaints

  • Card luck, especially who draws the two-eyed Jacks, can decide close games
  • Not much depth for players who want serious strategy
  • With three teams or a big group the board gets crowded and the wait between turns grows
Based on 5 reviews and discussions

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

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Sequence and alternatives: reasons to consider them, players, play time, age, rules and Indian editions.
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Why consider itThis game

Play a card, claim its space, and make five in a row.

A different fit

Another classic family game built on runs and sets that grandparents pick up quickly

A different fit

Team play for a big group, with more talking and word clues

A different fit

Pattern-building with a bit more strategy, best for 2 to 4

Players2–122–42–82–4
Best with4-6 in two teams3-46-82-4
Play time20–40 min20–60 min15 min30–45 min
Age7+7+14+8+
RulesEasyEasyEasyEasy
Indian editionAvailableAvailableImportedAvailable
On this pageExplore Rummikub Explore Codenames Explore Azul
THE INDIA CONNECTION

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Also worth a look (not in our catalogue yet): Sequence for Kids – Funskool's simpler version for younger children.

Questions people ask about Sequence

How many people can play Sequence?

Two to 12. Up to three people play on their own. With more, you split evenly into two or three teams (for example 2 vs 2, 3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4 vs 4) and sit so that team-mates alternate around the table. Two players or teams need two sequences to win, while three players or teams need just one.

What do the one-eyed and two-eyed Jacks do in Sequence?

Two-eyed Jacks are wild: you can put a chip on any open space. One-eyed Jacks let you remove one opponent's chip from the board, but not a chip that is part of a completed sequence. Jacks don't appear on the board themselves.

Is Funskool Sequence the original game?

Yes. Doug Reuter invented Sequence, and Jax first published it. Goliath Games bought Jax in 2017 and now owns the game. Funskool makes it in India, and the box says 'Distributed by Funskool' under Goliath's copyright, so the Funskool box is the genuine game, not a copy.

Why are some Sequence sets much cheaper?

Because they aren't Funskool's game. Many cheaper sets, including large 'jumbo' floor-mat versions, use the same idea under the Sequence name or a near-miss of it. They aren't the Funskool/Goliath game, so check that the brand is Funskool before you buy.

Game facts

Designed by
Doug Reuter
Publisher
Goliath Games (originally Jax Ltd.)
In India
Funskool (India) Ltd., which makes and sells the game in India; Funskool's site lists it under Goliath Games
First published
1982
Players
2–12
Barcode
8901383493545
Language
No reading – The cards and board show ordinary playing-card faces (A, K, Q, 2–10 in four suits), so anyone who knows a regular pack can play without reading. Funskool's rule sheet is in English.
Box size and weight
26 × 20.8 × 4 cm, 0.88 kg
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.