Shortcut Longcut Card Game - Rules and FAQs
- hellonightingame
- Nov 18
- 6 min read
Shortcut Longcut – Rules, Setup, and How to Play
Shortcut Longcut is a fast-paced party card game for 3–10 players, ages 14+, where the twist is that winning alone means losing. This guide covers the full rules, setup, gameplay phases, and common questions.
Game Overview
Players: 3–10 Ages: 14+ Time: 10 min for 1 game, 60 min for a full 5-game set Goal: Reach the café together with at least one other player. If you reach alone, you lose.
Components & Card Types
Café Card – Your target total distance to the café.
Travel Cards – Your current distance traveled toward the café.
Shortcut Cards – Special powers to speed up, slow others, or change travel conditions.
Status Cards – Hints to coordinate (or bluff) with others.
Reference Cards – Quick in-game rule reminders.
Setup
Shortcut Longcut is played in 5 separate games.
Shuffle and deal 1 Café Card and 1 Status Card to each player.
Deal Shortcut Cards based on the game number:
Game | Shortcut Cards per Player |
1 | 0 |
2 | 2 |
3 | 2 |
4 | 3 |
5 | 3 |
Place Reference Cards in the center.
Place Travel Cards face-down in the center as a draw deck (split into multiple stacks for easier reach).
How to Play
Each game has multiple rounds, and each round has three phases.
Phase 1 – Travel
Each player draws 1 Travel Card from the deck.
Phase 2 – Longcut & Shortcut
Longcut Rules
You may give away the Travel Card drawn this round to another player.
You cannot give away:
Cards from previous rounds
Cards received from someone else this round
The receiver must accept it without looking first.
Multiple players can give cards to the same person.
Once given, a Travel Card cannot be taken back.
Shortcut Rules
Play a Shortcut Card into the discard pile and follow its instructions.
You may play multiple Shortcut Cards in a round.
Shortcut Cards are not replenished during a game.
If a Shortcut instructs someone to take a Travel Card, that card cannot be given away unless stated on the card.
Phase Order
No turn order — players act in any sequence.
You can:
Take only a Longcut
Take only Shortcuts (one or more)
Take both (in any order)
You can change your mind and act later in the phase.
The phase ends when all players agree they have no more actions.
Phase 3 – Status Update
Collect any Longcut Travel Cards you received this round.
Add up all Travel Cards to get your total traveled distance.
Announce one of four statuses:
No Comments
Somewhat Close
Very Close
Reached the Café
Status Rules
If your total is ≥ your Café Card number, you must say “Reached the Café.”
If your total is less, you may choose any of the first three statuses — bluffing is allowed.
Status Cards:
Somewhat Close on one side
Very Close on the other
Keep hidden if you say “No Comments”
Status announcements can happen in any order.
Your displayed status stays until the next Status Update phase.
Winning a Game
If no one reaches the café → all players move on to the next round.
If only one player reaches the café → they are eliminated. Other players continue playing.
If two or more players reach together → they win Points and the game ends immediately.
If players are eliminated one by one until only one remains, the game ends and no points are awarded to anyone.
Scoring
Game | Points for Each Winning Player |
1 | 1 |
2 | 2 |
3 | 3 |
4 | 4 |
5 | 5 |
Example: In Game 5, if three players win together, each scores 5 points.
After all 5 games, the player with the most total points wins.
Shortcut Longcut – FAQ
General Game Basics
1. How many people can play Shortcut Longcut? Between 3 and 10 players. Or upto 20 if you combine the cards from 2 game boxes.
2. What’s the goal of the game? To reach the café together with at least one other player. Reaching alone means you lose.
3. How many games are played in a full recommended session? Five separate games.
4. How long does one game take? About 10 minutes.
5. How is the winner decided after all games?
After all 5 games, the player with the most total points wins.
Setup & Components
6. What is a Café Card? It shows the total distance you must travel to reach the café from your home.
7. What are Travel Cards? They show the distance you’ve already traveled toward the café.
8. What are Shortcut Cards? Special power cards with abilities that can change travel progress or affect other players.
9. What are Status Cards? Cards that show “Somewhat Close” on one side and “Very Close” on the other; used to display your declared status.
10. What are Reference Cards for? They’re quick guides to the rules during play.
11. How many Shortcut Cards do players get in Game 1? Zero.
12. How many Shortcut Cards do players get in Games 2 and 3? Two each.
13. How many Shortcut Cards do players get in Games 4 and 5? Three each.
14. Where do the Travel Cards go during setup?
Face down in the center as the draw deck (can be split into stacks for easier reach).
Phase 1 – Travel
15. What happens in Phase 1?
Each player draws one Travel Card from the deck, sees it and keeps it in their hand.
Phase 2 – Longcut & Shortcut
16. When can I give away a Travel Card? In Phase 2 of a round. Only give away the one you drew in this round.
17. Can I give away a Travel Card I got from another player this round? No.
18. Can I give away a Travel Card I drew in a previous round? No.
19. Can the receiver look at the Travel Card before taking it? No — they must accept it unseen and keep it face-down on the table in front of them.
20. Can multiple players give their Travel Card to the same person? Yes.
21. Once I give away a Travel Card, can I take it back? No.
22. Can I play more than one Shortcut Card in a round? Yes.
23. Are Shortcut Cards replenished during the game? No. They are only distributed at the beginning of the game. Once used, they must be discarded.
24. If a Shortcut makes me take a Travel Card, can I give it away? Not unless the Shortcut card specifically says you can.
25. Is Phase 2 played in turn order? No — any player can act at any time.
26. Can I act more than once in Phase 2? Yes — you can take actions, pause, and act again before the phase ends.
27. How does Phase 2 end? When all players confirm they have no more actions.
28. Can I give away a Travel Card I received from someone else this round? No — Longcut only applies to the Travel Card you personally drew in Phase 1 of that round.
29. Do players act in turn order in Phase 2?
No — players act in any order, and can jump in at any time until the phase ends.
Phase 3 – Status Update
30. When must I declare “Reached the Café”? If your total traveled distance is equal to or greater than your Café Card number.
31. Can I bluff my status? Yes you can bluff — unless you’ve reached the café, in which case you must say “Reached the Café.”
32. When can I change my displayed Status Card? Only during the Status Update phase of a new round.
33. What does “Somewhat Close” mean?
It’s a status you can declare if you haven’t reached your café target yet. It has no fixed numeric threshold — you may use it honestly or as a bluff.
Winning a Game
34. What happens if no one reaches the café? All players move on to the next round.
35. What happens if only one player reaches the café? They are eliminated, and the other players continue playing.
36. What happens if two or more players reach the café in the same round? They win points, and the game ends immediately.
37. What if players are eliminated one by one until only one remains?
The game ends, and no points are awarded to anyone.
Scoring
38. How are points awarded? Points are based on the game number being played.
39. How many points does each winning player get in Game 1? In Game 1, each winning player gets 1 point.
40. How many points does each winning player get in Game 2? In Game 2, each winning player gets 2 points.
41. How many points does each winning player get in Game 3? In Game 3, each winning player gets 3 points.
42. How many points does each winning player get in Game 4? In Game 4, each winning player gets 4 points.
43. How many points does each winning player get in Game 5? In Game 5, each winning player gets 5 points.
44. Can you give an example of scoring? In Game 5, if three players win together, each scores 5 points.
45. What if there is a tie in the total points? According to the rulebook, in case of a tie, everyone just plays another game. But the game designer Neha Mittal suggests an alternate solution – the tied players pick a travel card each. Whoever picks the highest number wins. In case of a tie again, keep picking till a winner emerges.
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