SET
Set® Lite

Rules/Object

The Play

Game Variations

Other Options

Control Panel

Hall of Fame

More About Set


Rules

Object

The object of the game is to identify a 'set' of three cards from the layout of 12 cards.  Each card has three features (attributes), which can vary as follows:

Symbols: 	Each card has ovals, squiggles or diamonds on it;

Number:	Each card has one, two, or three symbols on it;

Shading:	The symbols are either filled in, outlined or striped.

A 'set ' consists of three cards in which each feature is EITHER the same on each card OR is different on each card.  That is to say, any feature in the  'set' of three cards is either common to all three cards or is different on each card.

THE MAGIC RULE

If two are . . . . and one is not, then it is not a 'set '.


The Play

The computer shuffles the cards and lays twelve cards face up on the screen so that they can be seen by all players. If there is a single player, he/she simply uses the mouse to move the cursor anywhere over a card and left click to take that card. If several people are playing, a player who identifies a set must first press his/her hot key, and then move the mouse to take the cards. The players remove a set  of three cards as soon as they are seen. If a set is correctly identified, the three cards will flash 3 times and make a happy sound for everyone to see and hear. There are no turns, players identify sets as soon as they see them. There is a predetermined amount of time in which to complete a set. Each set  found is rewarded with a point. If the player selects a set  incorrectly he/she will have a point deducted.  In this case the computer makes a sad sound and the cards do not flash.

After a set is correctly chosen, the computer will replace the three cards, and play resumes.

Play continues until the deck is depleted.  It is then reshuffled 2 more times. The cards flash each time the deck is reshuffled.  At the end of play there will be nine cards remaining on the screen. The player with the highest score wins.

Selecting Sets

To select a set place the mouse cursor on a card in the set and press the left mouse button. A marker will appear above the card indicating that it is selected.  Simply do the same for the remaining two cards of the set.  Upon selecting the third card of  the set the program will verify the selected cards.

Canceling Selected Cards

To cancel a selected card place the mouse cursor on the selected card and press the left mouse button to remove the marker above the card, and cancel the selection.

You can use the right mouse button regardless of the cursor location within the Set Game Window to clear the one or two selected cards.


Game Variations

Classical SET®

When playing in the Classic mode one or more players simply try to find the most sets that are displayed on the screen until all the cards have been dealt. If only one person is playing, he/she plays against the computer, which plays at the user selected speed (go to Options/Computer Playing Speed). If several people are playing (up to ten players can play on one computer)  they play against each other (in multiplayer mode the computer player is turned off). As each player finds a set they will be rewarded with a point. If one person is playing, and the selected time for the computer to wait runs out,  the computer will give itself a point.

To enable two or more players to play, go to the 'Control Panel'.  After pressing 'New Game' a score card will come up.  Enter the first player's name, then press the 'TAB' to enter the next player.  Key "A" is assigned to player #1, "B" to player #2, etc.


Other Options

New Game

Click on 'New Game' after resetting any of the options.

Lock Out

With lockout on, the player has a predetermined amount of time to complete a set once the first card is selected. During this period neither the computer nor any other player  will be allowed to select a set.

If the Lock Out time runs out before a set is completed that player will lose a point. If the lock out time is longer than the Computer Playing Time and no set is found by the player, he/she will lose a point and the computer will also immediately find a set.

Computer Playing Speed

To determine the amount of time a player has before the computer chooses a set the  player can select one of the computer playing speeds offered. Slow gives the player the longest period of time to find a set (30 seconds), and Expert the least (3 seconds).  When a Computer Playing Speed is chosen, it automatically determines the speed at which each card is found by the computer in the Continuation variation, and time between dancing in the Dancing variation.

Computer Speed 	Total Time 	 	Continuation / Dancing Cards

Slow	30	10

Medium	15	5

Fast	9	3

Expert	3	1

Deck Options

You can choose the 3 attribute Set® Lite Game or a playable Demo of the 4 attribute SET® Game.  The Demo can be played as the real game, but only 5 deals are made.  It can also be played with multiple players.

Game Variation

Set® Lite is the 3 attribute Classical variation of the SET® Game.


Control Panel

To call up the Control Panel you must double click the left mouse button in an area of the SET® Lite window that does not touch the game board. The Control Panel must be used to initiate a multi player game.  It can also be used instead of the 'Options' menu to choose all other variations.  NOTE: The grayed out options are available only in the registered version. The Control Panel looks like:


Hall of Fame

SET® Lite has a  Hall of Fame listing of the top eight scores of players, with a different Hall of Fame for each  Computer Playing Speed.  To view the Hall of Fame listings you must first switch to Set® Lite in the 'Deck Options' and to the Computer Playing Speed you wish then select the Hall of Fame in the OPTIONS menu.


More About Set
More About SET® Lite and SET®

SET® Lite is a single color computer version of the popular game SET® which has been sold in many countries around the world as a game played with cards.

History of the SET® Game

The SET®  game was invented by Marsha J. Falco, a population geneticist. In 1974, she was working at the school of veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge in England, trying to determine whether epilepsy in German Shepherd dogs was inherited. To organize her data, she wrote information about each dog on file cards. Because blocks of information were the same on each file card, rather than writing the data, she drew a symbol to represent a piece of data. She used symbols with different properties to indicate different gene combinations. The veterinarians she was working with would look over her shoulder at the cards spread out on the table. After being given an elementary lesson in set theory, they tried to find patterns in the shapes and colors of the symbols on the different cards. This gave her the idea for the game SET®. Years later, her daughter and son who enjoyed SET® so much urged Marsha to market the game. Since 1991, SET® has been a popular game enjoyed by young and old.

Awards for SET®

SET® has won many best game awards. MENSA, the high IQ society, in a national competition choose SET® as one of the top five games for 1991. Their selection was based on the following criteria: Originality, Intellectual Challenge, Aesthetics & Quality Design, and Longevity. OMNI Magazine choose SET® as a top game for 1991. The Detroit News gave SET®  **** (its highest rating -- a definite hit) in its 1993 game survey. The Canadian Toy Testing Council awarded SET® its highest rating of *** in 1992. Games Magazine awarded SET® its GAMES 100 Award in both  1992 and 1993. The Consumers Association of Quebec awarded SET® ***** (their highest rating) in 1992. In addition SET® received their special AWARD of EXCELLENCE.

The SET® Game for the computer

By registering this copy of SET® Lite you will automatically be sent the SET® game for the computer.  This is a four feature version that is a computer implementation of the SET® game invented by Marsha Falco described above.  In addition to having the challenge of finding sets that contain four characteristics, the SET® game for the computer includes several variations that are uniquely possible only on the computer including Dancing Cards, Continuation, Beat the Clock and Extended Beat the Clock.  All of these variations can be played with either three properties or four.

The SET® game played with cards

If you have enjoyed  Set® Lite for the computer, you may also enjoy the very popular card game version -- especially handy when your computer is not along. In addition to SET®, it includes a couple of ways to play which are outside the scope of the design of these computer variations, specifically SETUP™ a game where you must discard cards into a common pool so as not to make a set, and CHIPSET™ a game of luck and skill using chips. It is available at many specialty game, toy and book stores.

Triology™  --  A step beyond SET®

If you are having fun making  sets, you will want to try your hand at breaking up someones sets and recombining those cards and your own cards into new  sets that you own. Successful  set manipulation allows you to steal the opponents  sets to gain points.  Triology™, a game for two or more will challenge you to the fullest. It is available at many specialty game and toy stores.  It has just won the 'Games 100' award from Games Magazine.

An interesting aspect of the SET® game

Because the SET® game, and this includes the SET® Lite version, involves learning a rule of logic, players must invoke their left brain thinking skills. Left brain thinking skills such as logical thinking are the ones predominantly taught in modern society.  However, to find the sets players must examine the spatial array of cards and locate, in the overall pattern, the cards that satisfy the rule. To do this right brain thinking skills must be used. Right brain thinking skills are usually associated with spatial, intuitive, creative thinking. These skills are highly underdeveloped and receive little attention in school, or development as we go through life.  Playing  the  SET® game requires you to use your whole brain.