How to play Karagöz? Rules, puppet controls and 12 nights

What is real Karagöz?

Karagöz is a shadow play in which puppets cut from painted leather are pressed against a white screen lit from behind. A single master moves all the puppets and gives every voice; this master is called the hayalî. Each puppet is held by one rod, and because the arms and legs are hinged they swing on their own. The heroes are the simple but quick-witted Karagöz and the know-it-all Hacivat; their misunderstandings are the source of the comedy. Karagöz was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

A traditional Karagöz play has four parts: Mukaddime (prologue), Muhavere (the banter between Karagöz and Hacivat), Fasıl (the main play) and Bitiş (the ending). Every night in the game goes through these four parts too.

Goal and stars

Every night is a short Karagöz play. Hacivat is always on stage with you. Cards come one after another, and each card has a time window. If you make the right move as the card approaches the line it counts as a hit; when the window closes the card is Missed.

• Hit at least 50 percent of the cards for 1 star,
• at least 75 percent for 2 stars,
• at least 90 percent for 3 stars.

1 star is enough to unlock the next night. Across all 12 nights you can collect up to 36 stars.

Controls: how to move the puppet

• Computer: just move the mouse, no need to hold the button; the puppet follows the cursor. You can also hold and drag if you like.
• Phone and tablet: slide your finger on the screen; the puppet follows your finger's movement. In portrait there is a separate sliding area below the screen, so your finger doesn't cover the puppet.
• Keyboard: the arrow keys or W A S D move the puppet, Space makes it jump, S or Shift makes it bow.
• Flip shortcut: double click or double tap.
• Pause: the button at the top right, or the Esc or P key. The gear button opens the settings (effects, music, language).

Move cards

There are 11 move cards. The Lesson teaches the first seven; the last four appear in the later nights.

• Enter: bring the puppet to the glowing spot on the screen.
• Jump: lift the puppet up.
• Duck: lower the puppet down to the bottom of the screen.
• Headbutt: ram the puppet into Hacivat's head fast; a gentle touch doesn't count.
• Dance: shake the puppet left and right; changing direction three times within a second and a half is enough.
• Flip: double click or double tap. Or swing the puppet far and fast to one side and pull it straight back.
• Run: Deli Bekir comes on stage; take the puppet out past the left or right edge of the screen.
• Bow: hold the puppet still on stage for half a second; Karagöz bows to the audience.
• Catch: an apple, a coffee pot or a turban falls from the top of the screen; move the puppet under it and catch it.
• Hide: a folding screen appears on the left; move the puppet behind it.
• Copy: Hacivat makes a move (jumps, bows or dances); the card shows that move's icon, and you do the same.

Nights and acts

The story has 12 nights split into 3 acts. A short story scene opens each act.

• Act 1, Apprentice: The Swing, The Bathhouse, The Coffee Roastery, Bloody Nigar.
• Act 2, The Rival: The Cook, The Boat, The Duel, The Acrobats.
• Act 3, The Festival: The Garden, The Madhouse, The Last Duel, The Grand Festival.

As the nights go on, the cards come faster and the time window narrows a little. The more stars you collect, the bigger the audience in the coffeehouse.

Puppets

At first only Karagöz is available. The other puppets unlock as they appear in the story and are chosen on the Puppets screen:

• Karagöz: balanced, good for everything.
• Beberuhi: unlocks after The Bathhouse. Light and nimble, flips easily.
• Tuzsuz Deli Bekir: unlocks after Bloody Nigar. Heavy and hard to topple; his headbutt makes the audience laugh one and a half times as much.
• Zenne: unlocks after The Acrobats. Graceful; her dance makes the audience laugh one and a half times as much.

Duel nights

The showy rival Çelebi Hayalî, who sets up at the coffeehouse across the street, challenges you twice. On duel nights a turquoise strip under the laughter meter shows Çelebi's audience, with his score and yours next to it. Hit at least 70 percent of the cards on The Duel night and at least 80 percent on The Last Duel to win. Even if you lose, any star unlocks the next night.

Score, streak and laughter

Each hit is worth 100 points; a move made right on the line counts as Perfect timing and earns 50 more. Hits in a row build a streak: the bigger the streak, the more each hit is worth (up to double). A missed card resets the streak. The laughter meter at the top left shows how hard the hall is laughing; headbutts and flips get the biggest laughs. A flip or headbutt without a card sometimes makes the audience laugh too.

Lesson, story and second chance

• Lesson: opens by itself on your first Play when you have no stars; it teaches the 7 basic moves one by one without time pressure. Open it again with the Lesson button on the Plays screen.
• Story: Master Hayalî, after forty years, hands his screen to you. A short scene opens each night the first time; finishing night 12 opens a 4-scene finale. The Story button on the Plays screen replays the scenes you've seen.
• Call the audience back: appears on the result screen when a night ends below 3 stars. If you want, you watch a short ad and replay the night with a 50 percent wider time window. It is entirely optional.

Tips

• Start a move slightly before the card reaches the line: by the time the move is done, the card is on the line.
• For a headbutt, come at Hacivat fast from a distance; edging up next to him doesn't count.
• Duck and Jump count once; to do the same move again, bring the puppet back to the middle first.
• For the Bow card, don't move at all; keep the mouse or your finger still for half a second.
• When the Run card comes, head for the edge at once; if Deli Bekir catches you, the puppet topples.
• On Flip cards, a double click is the safest way.
• If a night is hard, open the Lesson again and practice the moves.

Common mistakes

• Starting the move after the card reaches the line: the window may close and the card is missed.
• Moving the puppet slowly toward Hacivat for a headbutt: if the hit isn't fast, it doesn't count.
• Leaving the puppet low after ducking and trying to duck again: the move only counts again once the puppet is back in the middle.
• Moving the mouse during the Bow card: if the puppet doesn't stand still, the bow doesn't count.
• Taking the puppet to the glowing Enter spot on a Hide card: the folding screen is at the far left of the stage.
• Moving without watching Hacivat on a Copy card: you must make the move shown by the card's icon.