Official Latice Hawaii Rules

Last Updated on March 14, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Latice Hawaii is a strategic tile-laying game where players match tiles by color or shape to earn extra moves. With elements of luck and tactics, players use wind, sun, and other special abilities to gain an advantage. The goal is to be the first to place all your tiles while maximizing strategic opportunities. Simple to learn but deeply strategic, Latice Hawaii offers an engaging experience for all ages.

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How to Play Latice Hawaii

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Components

• 1 game board
• 16 Sunstones
• 16 Halfstones
• 84 tiles
• 4 tile racks
• Rulebook

Objective

Be the first player to place all your tiles by strategically matching colors and shapes while using special tiles and board spaces to your advantage.

Setup

1. Shuffle all tiles face down and divide them evenly among players.
2. Each player draws five tiles from their pool and places them on their rack.

Advanced Play

For a more skill-based experience, shuffle colored tiles separately from wind tiles before dividing them into even player pools. Then, distribute wind tiles equally among players, who will then mix them into their personal pools.

More than four players? Play in teams! Partner up and strategize your way to victory—two heads are better than one!

Stones & Extra Moves

On your turn, spend stones to take extra moves or exchange tiles. Stones earned can be used immediately or saved for later.

• Sunstones = 1 Extra Move
• Halfstones = 1 Extra Move

Earning Stones

Earn stones by placing tiles that match more than one adjacent tile in color or shape. The more matches, the more stones you gain.

Sunstones Limit: You can hold up to three Sunstones. Any extras at the end of your turn must be discarded—unless you buy a Wind Tile (see below).

Halfstones: There is no limit to how many you can hold.

Taking Your Turn

First Move

The youngest player starts by placing a tile from their rack on the center (moon) square, then drawing a new tile from their pool.

Regular Move

Place one tile on the board next to an existing tile, ensuring it matches all adjacent tiles by color or shape.

Exchange Tiles

You may either:

• Use a move to swap some or all of your tiles for new ones.
• Spend stones ( or ) to exchange tiles.

Passing

If you cannot place a tile or exchange, you must pass.

Ending Your Turn

At the end of your turn, draw tiles from your pool to maintain five tiles in your rack. Play continues clockwise.

Move with the Wind

Use a move or spend stones ( or ) to play a Wind Tile from your rack. A Wind Tile lets you shift a previously placed tile up, down, left, or right into an adjacent open square. After playing a Wind Tile, discard it and take one additional move.

Buying a Wind Tile

Exchange three Sunstones for a discarded Wind Tile (if you have space on your rack).

Four-Player Games: Reduce the cost to two Sunstones.

Scoring with Sun Squares

Placing a tile on a sun square earns you one Sunstone. However, shifting a tile onto a sun square using a Wind Tile does not grant a Sunstone.

Winning the Game

The first player to place all their tiles from both their rack and pool wins. If all players are forced to pass, the player with the fewest remaining tiles wins.

Latice Hawaii is a fun and strategic tile-laying game that challenges players to match colors and shapes while utilizing special tiles and board spaces to gain an advantage. Whether playing casually or in a more competitive tournament-style format, the game rewards smart planning, adaptability, and teamwork.

With simple rules yet deep strategic possibilities, Latice Hawaii is easy to learn but offers endless replayability. Manage your stones wisely, take advantage of Wind Tiles, and race to be the first to play all your tiles. Whether playing solo, with friends, or in teams, every game is a new puzzle to solve.

Now, gather your players, set up the board, and see who will emerge victorious!