ROUNDUP!
RULES v. 3 ( last edit 2.20.2009)
STATS
- Number of Players: best with 4 (but worth a try with 2-6)
- Duration: 10-30 min
- Atmosphere: sequencing card game
- Theme: order out of chaos
COMPONENTS
- deck of 52 cards (remove jokers)
- score sheet + pencil
INTRODUCTION
Players are trying to make order of chaos, by rounding
up the scattered fragments and sequencing them in perfect harmony.... but as
it best suits their interests. This is a mix of UNO, patience, bridge
and every other card game.
HOW TO WIN
Multiple rounds are played in a game. The first player
to reach a score of 10 or more wins the game.
During a single round of play each may score up to
4 points.
-
3 points for guessing correctly which of the 4 suits (hearts,
clubs, diamonds, spades) is the last to be closed.
-
If there is a tie between 2 players then each player
guessing correctly gets 2 points.
-
If there is a tie among 3 players then each player guessing
correctly gets 1 point.
-
If there is a tie among 4 or more players then each player
guessing correctly gets 0 points.
-
1 point for the player whose hand is emptied first.
(both
face-up and face down).
PLAY SETUP
DEAL -- Shuffle and deal all 52 cards among the players (13 apiece if 4). Players
may look at their own hands and should always keep their face-down hands
hidden from others.
MAKE BIDS -- Each player now makes a bid or, in other words,
a guess as to which suit will be the last stack to be closed. A "Closed
Suit" or "Closed Stack" means that all numbered cards
of a particular suit have been played from 1 to 10 in a stack. (Similar
to how patience cards are stacked except the face cards are not included.)
A player makes a bid by selecting a numbered card (not a face card)
from her hand and placing it face-down before her. A player can't bid
on a suit if they have no cards of that suit. Once all players have
done so, the face-down cards are turned face-up. The scorekeeper then
makes a note of which suit each player is rooting for to be the "closing
suit".
FACE-UP AND FACE-DOWN HANDS -- The face-up cards become the
beginning "face-up hand" for each respective player. The "face-up
hand" is a term to describe cards that are face up on the table
but are still considered part of a player's hand. Each player has her
own face-up hand. A player may never play from another's hand. The "face-down
hand" is a term for the remaining cards in a player's hand that
are kept secret.
DETERMINE 1ST PLAYER -- The player with the lowest numbered
card in her face-up hand goes first. If it is a tie, then those involved
must each select a card from her own face-down hand to transfer to her
face-up hand. Again, the player with the lowest card in her face-up
hand goes first. This continues until the tie is broken.
Play then proceeds clockwise.
PLAY
ADDING TO STACKS -- During play players take turns placing cards
from their hands onto stacks of a particular suit. There are only four
stacks (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades). Each stack must be sequenced,
starting with 1 and ending with 10. Once a stack reaches 10 cards it
is closed. A player may never play cards onto the stacks during another
player's turn. "Playing a number card" means transferring
a card from your hand to the appropriate stack thereby continuing the
consecutive sequence of that suit.
TAKING A TURN -- A play is made by making one (and only one)
of the following actions:
PLAY ONE OR MORE NUMBER CARD(S) FROM YOUR FACE-UP HAND- If possible and legal, a player
must play at least 1 card from her face-up hand. A player may choose to play more than one if possible.
PLAY A NUMBER CARD FROM YOUR FACE-DOWN HAND-Assuming no face-up
card is playable from her hand, then the player may opt to add a
card from her face-down hand to the one of the 4 stacks of sequenced
suits. This must be done according to the same rules (stacking in sequence on
the appropriate suit). A player may choose to not play from their
face-down hand for strategic reasons, but this is considered a PASS
and the player must pay the penalty.
PASS- If a player has no possible play in her face-up hand,
and chooses not to play from her face-down hand (or is unable), then
that player may pass. BUT there is a penalty for passing: the player
must transfer a numbered card of her own choosing from her face-down
hand to her face-up hand. If she has only face cards (J,Q,K), and
chooses not to play one then she must discard one of her face cards
to the discard pile. If all of a players cards are already in their
face-up hand then there is no penalty.
PLAY A FACE CARD-Face cards are special and are never added
to the stacks nor transferred to the face-up hand. They are placed
in a discard pile immediately after use (whether or not effective). The suit of a face-card is
irrelevant. Face-cards can only be played when the player has no possible
plays in her face-up hand. A player may only play one face card during
her turn. Used face cards are collected in a common discard pile. When playing a face card
it forces another targeted player to transfer a card from their face-down
hand to their face-up hand.
- JACK= random draw from a target player's face-down hand... the
targeted player must transfer a random card to his face-up hand.
If it is a face card, then it is discarded along with the Jack.
- QUEEN= player declares any 1 of the four suits... and the targeted
player must transfer a card of that named suit to his face-up hand
or discard a face-card of that suit. If target has none of that
suit then no transfer or discard is needed.
- KING= player declares a number... and the targeted player must
transfer a card of that named number to his face-up hand. If target
has none of that number then no transfer is needed.
The game ends when all four suit stacks are closed (all number cards
sequenced 1-10 in 4 suit specific piles).
Reminders:
- You may never play from face up hand and face down hand in the same turn. Only one action per turn.
- You must take the "play face up card" action if possible.
STRATEGY
- Sometimes two or more players can bid for the same suit, in which
case they are typically allied as it would be mutually beneficial
for them to cooperate.
- Sometimes it is advantageous to pass and suffer the penalty, so
that you can hold cards in your suit. This is in defense to the queen
and jack. In the case of the Jack, the more cards in your hand the
less likely the wrong one will be chosen randomly. And in the case
of the queen, the more of a particular suit you hold then the less
likely the ace or a blocking card will be drawn out.
- Sometimes it is also advantageous to hold number cards of a different
suit, in defense of the king.
- You can also use face cards of the preferred suit defensively against
queen attacks.
- If you feel there's no way you can win your bid for suit, then try
to get the 1 point for emptying your hand first.
NOTES AND DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
VERSION 1 - Originally, the goal was to guess the 1st suit to
close (instead of last) but the tension didn't work out as well and the game didn't end
neatly with all stacks filled. Originally the face cards were included
in the sequenced stacks and had no special abilities, but too many cards
were transferred to the face-up hand and the game stagnated as people
were able to hold the ace. Also the pass rule changed. Formerly a player
could opt to pass and play the "current jack rule", that
is to force a target player to draw randomly. This was kinda cool in
a backstabby way, but it was too much and it happened that every player was passing
rather than adding to the stacks. Now with fewer cards and less backstabbing
opportunities the sequences are filled faster and the face-up hand isn't
as crowded. Even though the face card rules are slightly trickier to
remember, they help give a bit more character to the game.
VERSION 2. Even though this is the second version I have yet
to play it with anyone other than 4 imaginary clones of myself. So it
probably needs more testing. If someone is dealt more face cards are they sure to win most of the time? Which face card is most useful?
VERSION 3. Just switching over to new format with minor clarifications.
Please, please let me know if you actually played this game. Email:
tomgale@)yahoo.com
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