Chai Dhaba Rulebook
The Ultimate Dhaba Challenge — Complete Official Rulebook
1. Game Objective
The primary goal of Chai Dhaba is to run the most successful roadside tea stall (Dhaba) and acquire the highest number of customers by the end of the game.
2. Game Components
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Mixed Deck: A composite deck containing Action Cards, Attraction Cards, and Counter Event Cards.
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Event Deck: Global Event cards that trigger and impact all players each round.
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Currency (Coins): Token currency used for upkeeps, purchasing cards, and hiring staff.
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Waiter Cards: Waiter cards that dictate your maximum customer serving capacity.
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Customer Pool: A shared central supply of customer tokens representing available patrons.
3. Game Setup
Follow these steps in exact order before starting the first turn:
1. Choose a Character: Each player selects a Dhaba Character card.
2. Prepare Decks: Separate the Mixed Deck and Event Deck. Shuffle both thoroughly and place them face-down in the center of the play area along with the Waiter Cards Deck.
3. Starting Hand: Each player draws 5 cards from the Mixed Deck.
4. Starting Resources:
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- Each player begins with 1 Waiter active in play.
- Each player receives a starting capital of 20 Coins.
5. Set Up Customer Pool: Count out customer tokens into the central supply based on player count:
| Number of Players | Customer Pool Size |
|---|---|
| 3 Players | 30 Customers |
| 4 Players | 40 Customers |
| 5 Players | 50 Customers |
Turn Order: Randomly determine the first player. Turn order proceeds clockwise.
4. Turn Structure
Each player takes their turn in clockwise order. A turn consists of four mandatory phases:
Phase 1: Pay Coins.
Pay the designated coin upkeep for any active Attraction (Keep/Active) Cards in front of you.
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Failure to Pay: If you cannot afford an Attraction card's upkeep, you lose the card and must move it immediately to the discard pile.
Note: Customers gained in previous turns from that card are retained.
- Forfeiture Rule: If you forget to pay upkeep during Phase 1, you cannot pay it later in the turn or during an opponent's turn. The unpaid card is lost automatically.
Phase 2: Draw a Card
Draw cards from the Mixed Deck until your hand size is restored to 6 cards Max.
Phase 3: Play a Card
You may play one (1) card from your hand per turn (Action Card, Attraction Card, or Counter Event Card).
Phase 4: Hire Waiters (Optional)
Spend coins to hire additional Waiters to manage larger customer volumes. Each Waiter can serve (Hold) up to 5 Customers.
| Waiter Staff | Hiring Cost | Total Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Waiter | Free (Starting) | Up to 5 Customers |
| 2nd Waiter | 5 Coins | Up to 10 Customers |
| 3rd Waiter | 10 Coins | Up to 15 Customers |
| 4th Waiter | 15 Coins | Up to 20 Customers |
5. Core Rules & System Mechanics
Customer Pool Rule (Permanent Loss)
The central Customer Pool is strictly limited. Any customer token gained by a player and later lost (via penalties or card attacks) is permanently discarded from play and does not return to the central supply.
Collect Income Rule
When the round ends, each player is paid in coins from the general coin pool by the total number of customers they have:
Rounding Rule
Whenever any game calculation, upkeep cost, or card effect yields a fraction, always round up to the next whole integer (e.g., 1.5 becomes 2, 2.5 becomes 3).
Hand Reset Option (Once Per Game)
Once per game, a player may choose to discard their entire hand of 5 cards and draw 5 fresh cards from the Mixed Deck. Penalty: You cannot play any card during the turn you execute a hand reset.
6. Card Types & Icon Reference
(Attraction/Action Card)
(Attraction/Action Card)
(Event/Counter Event Card)
(Attraction/Action Card)
(Attraction/Action Card)
Attraction Cards (+ Icon)
Placed face-up in front of you as active Keep Cards. You pay upkeep costs each round to maintain them and continuously draw customer benefits.
Action Cards (X Icon)
One-time tactical plays. Action cards cannot be countered.
Certain Attraction Cards feature specific icons, such as Recipe, Electricity, Staff, or Run by a Kid. These Attraction Cards can only be attacked using Action Cards with the matching icon.
To make matching easier, each category of cards have a corresponding color. Simply match the colors to determine which Action Card can be played on which Attraction Card.
For example: An orange Action Card can only be played on an orange Attraction Card.
Event Cards & Counter Events
Event cards apply to all players at the end of a round. Counter Event cards can be played in response to neutralize negative effects for yourself.
7. Endgame & Winning Conditions
The final round is triggered instantly when the central Customer Pool is completely depleted. Play continues until the current round finishes so all players receive equal turns.
At the end of the round, the player with the highest number of customers wins!
8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A: You win Chai Dhaba by having the highest number of customer tokens when the central Customer Pool runs out. Customers determine victory, not coins.
A: If you forget to pay upkeep during Phase 1 of your turn, you cannot pay it later. The unpaid Attraction card is automatically discarded, though past customers gained remain yours.
A: No. Discarded or lost customers are removed from play permanently and never return to the active pool.
A: No. Action cards take effect immediately and cannot be countered. Only global Event cards can be countered using Counter Event cards.
A: No. Playing counter-event cards are not counted as your turn, you play it only when the event is happening and you get to play your turn as it is when the round resumes. You get to draw two cards instead of one since you have played one countering the event to fill your hand back to 6 cards.
Q. Do I pay upkeep and gain customers from active cards every round?
Yes. At the start of each turn, pay upkeep and gain the card’s customers, unless the card says otherwise.
Q. What if my customer slots are full when I gain customers?
You don’t gain them. They are lost and moved to the discarded customer pool. A newly hired waiter cannot be used until the following round.
Q. Can I discard an active card instead of paying its upkeep?
Yes. You can discard it at the start of your turn instead of paying its upkeep.
Q. What if I can’t afford a penalty?
You go bankrupt and are eliminated. Manage your money carefully—you can’t go into negative.
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