Basari: Das Kartenspiel keeps the fundamentals of Basari and its sister game Edel, Stein & Reich.

Every round in Basari: Das Kartenspiel, each player receives a card that shows gemstones, victory points (VPs) and 1-4 workers. Players simultaneously choose to do one of the following:

Get another card, adding to their worker total
Score VPs shown on their card
Take the gems specified on their from the back

If only one player chooses a specific action, she takes that action. If exactly two players choose the same action, those players will barter for that action: offering increasingly valuable gems to one another for that action. One of the players will take the gems offered, the other player will take the action. If three or more players choose the same action, the action is forfeited.

The round ends if one or more players have 15 workers after all negotiations and actions have been completed. Each player with 15 or more workers scores 12 VPs. The player(s) with the most gems of each color score additional VPs, but then must return some of their gems back to the bank.

Each player keeps their leftover gems, the cards are shuffled together, and a new round starts.

After three rounds, the game ends. Whoever has the most victory points wins!