Doomslug Go Fish

Slug Hunt | Cytoverse

Players: 2-6 | Age: 5+

The DDF has finally found the secret to the Superiority’s technology—slug-like creatures called Taynix. Pilots (players) will gather their own slug friends and form a new DDF Flight to help in the fight against the Krell!

Game Objective

Pilots must gather as many two-slug matches as possible. The pilot who gathers the most slug matches becomes the Flight Leader.

Preparation

Pilots pick their own “callsign” and work together to name their DDF Flight. All pilots are members of the same Flight.

Pilots each draw a random card from the deck. The pilot who has most recently read a Cytoverse novel “hunts” first, while the pilot to their right becomes the dealer.

The Deal

After the cards are shuffled, the dealer deals 5 cards facedown to each pilot. This is the pilot’s “sling,” and each pilot may look at the slugs in their own sling.

The remaining deck is set facedown. The top 10 cards are drawn and become “wandering slugs.” These slugs are shuffled faceup back into the deck, but the top card of the deck should still be facedown. The deck is placed in the center as the “Taynix Caverns.”

All pilots may lay down matches from their sling before beginning the game.

Game Play

If a pilot has no slugs remaining in their sling at the beginning of their turn, they take the top three cards from the Taynix Caverns and add them to their sling. If no cards remain in the Taynix Caverns, play is passed to the next pilot.

The starting pilot picks an opponent and, using their callsign, asks for slugs matching a slug in their own sling. For example: “Spin, do you have a slug with pizza?” (slug descriptions or card values may be used). The opponent must hand over any slugs matching the request from their sling. The pilot lays down the slug(s) they received along with the matching slug from their sling. Their turn ends and play passes to their left.

If, instead, the opponent does not have the requested slug, they say “Slug Hunt!” and the hunting pilot must go to the Taynix Caverns to hunt for a slug.

Slug Hunt

When told to “Slug Hunt,” the pilot will take the top facedown card from the Taynix Caverns and add it to their sling. If this slug forms any match, they lay the match down. Otherwise, their turn ends.

If a wandering slug is revealed during a Slug Hunt, any pilot (including the hunting pilot) with a matching slug in their sling may call out “Gotcha!” and slap their hand down on the faceup slug. The first pilot to do so gathers the slug and lays it down with the matching slug from their sling. If a pilot slaps the slug in error, they must give one of their matches to the pilot with the fewest matches.

If no pilot has a match for the wandering slug in their sling, the hunting pilot puts the slug in their own sling and their turn ends.

Game End

Slug Hunt ends when all slugs have been matched and laid down. The pilot with the most matches is Flight Leader and gets to pick the next game or go first in another game of Slug Hunt.

Extended Go Fish Rules

Players: 2-6 | Age: 3+

Game Objective

To collect the most matching pairs.

The Deal

The dealer shuffles the cards and deals five cards facedown to each player. The remainder of the deck is placed facedown in the middle of the table.

The Play

The player to the left of the dealer looks directly at any opponent and says, for example, “Do you have a two?” Optionally, you may designate the type of card you want by the single word description at the bottom of each card, such as “Do you have a pizza?” The player who is “fishing“ must have at least one card of the type that was asked for in their hand. The player who is addressed must hand over the card requested if possible.

If the player has none, they say “Go fish!” and the player who made the request draws the top card of the deck and places it in their hand. Play then passes to the left. If a player does receive the card they asked for, they may ask the same or another player for another card. When a player “makes a catch,” they place the match on the table faceup and play again until they are told “Go fish!”

If a player has no cards in hand at any point during their turn, they draw three cards from the deck and continue their turn.

Game End

When all 26 matching pairs have been collected and the player with the most matches wins the game.

Scotch Bridge

Players: 3-8 | Age: 12+

Game Objective

Win the most points through careful bidding and crafty trick-taking strategy.

Rank of Cards

The cards are ranked as follows (high to low): A, K, Q, J, 10-2 of trump, then A, K, Q, J, 10-2 of the suit lead.

The Deal

The dealer shuffles the cards and deals 7 cards to each player. The remaining cards are placed facedown in the middle of the table. The top card is then turned faceup on top of the deck; the suit of this card determines the “trump” suit.

The Play

Players assess their cards, then count to three in unison and show by number of fingers extended how many “tricks” they think they will take this round. This is their “bid.” The bids are noted on a scorecard and play then begins with the player to the dealer’s left.

The player selects a card to lead and plays it faceup in the middle of the table. Play continues clockwise with each player playing a card that matches the suit of the lead card. This is known as “following suit.” If a player cannot follow suit, they are free to play any other card from their hand, including trump. The player who played the card with the highest power scoops up the cards and places them facedown in front of them. This is called “taking a trick.” The player who took the trick then gets to lead the next trick.

Play continues until players have played all of their cards. Scores are tallied and added to a running total for each player. The next hand is identical to the first except that only 6 cards are dealt to each player. Each round is played the same way and scores tallied with the dealer dealing one less card each round.

In the round where each player receives only one card, each player refrains from looking at their card and instead places it on their forehead so that all other players can see its face. Bids are made based on being able to see the other players’ cards.

Game End

For a short game, scores can be tallied at the end of round seven and a winner announced. For a full game, the game continues with the number of cards counting back up each round until 7 cards are once again dealt to each player. Scores are then tallied and the player with the highest score is declared the winner.

Scoring

If a player takes fewer tricks than they bid, they receive negative points equal to their bid. If they hit their bid exactly, they receive points equal to their bid and an additional 10 bonus points. If they take more tricks than their bid, they receive one point for each trick they took.

Examples:

Player 1: bids 3 tricks and takes on 2, receiving -3 points.
Player 2: bids 1 trick and takes 1, receiving 1 point for the trick and 10 bonus points for a total of 11.
Player 3: bids 0 and takes 0, receiving 0 points for tricks but 10 bonus points.
Player 4: bids 0 and takes 2, receiving 2 points for their tricks but missing out on the bonus points.

Four Crowns

Players: 2-4 | Age: 10+

Game Objective

Create sets and runs of cards before your opponents, avoiding high-value cards to have the lowest score at the end of the game.

Rank of Cards

Cards are ranked in numerical order (low to high) A-10, J, Q, K and do not wrap around from K to A. The jokers are also used in this game but don’t have an assigned rank.

The Deal

The dealer shuffles the cards and deals 3 cards facedown to each player. The deck is then placed facedown on the table and the top card is turned faceup next to the deck, forming the discard pile.

The Play

The player to the left of the dealer takes the first turn and play continues clockwise. A turn consists of a player taking one card from either the top of the facedown pile or from the discard pile. They add this card to their hand and then discard a card. Each player is attempting to collect a “set” (meaning 3 cards of the same numerical value) or a “run” (3 consecutive cards of the same suit). The jokers and 3s are wild and can count as any value and any suit.

Anytime after the first turn, a player with a set or run may lay down their cards after discarding. This triggers the final turn. Each other player then takes one more turn and reveals their hand. Each hand is scored and then the player to the dealer’s left becomes the dealer. The next hand is played exactly the same, except that the dealer deals 4 cards to each player and now jokers and 4s are wild. The number of cards increases by one each round and the wild cards continue to correspond with the number of cards dealt.

In each hand, players are aiming to have each card of their hand be part of a set or a run. For example, during the hands of 3, 4, and 5 players must collect a single set or run that spans their entire hand. However, in the hand of 6 a player may have a set or run of 6 or may opt to have a set or run of 3 and another set or run of 3. For the hand of 10, a player could have a set of 5 and a run of 5. Or they could go with 2 sets of 3 and a run of 4. Any combination of sets and runs are acceptable as long as each set and run consists of at least 3 cards.

The game continues until the end of the hand of 13 cards, with kings being wild. Scores are noted and tallied at the end of each hand. At the end of the final hand the player with the lowest score is declared the winner.

Scoring

Each player adds up the numerical values of any cards not included in a complete set or run. J-K are worth 10 points and wilds are worth 25.

Sevens

Players: 4 | Age: 8+

Game Objective

Be the first to get rid of all your cards.

Rank of Cards

Cards are ranked in numerical order (low to high) A-10, J, Q, K and do not wrap around from K to A. The jokers are also used in this game but don’t have an assigned rank.

The Deal

The dealer shuffles the cards and deals 3 cards facedown to each player. The deck is then placed facedown on the table and the top card is turned faceup next to the deck, forming the discard pile.

The Play

Scoring

Each player adds up the numerical values of any cards not included in a complete set or run. J-K are worth 10 points and wilds are worth 25.

Garbage

Players: 2-4 | Age: 5+

Game Objective

Be the first to fill your garbage can.

Rank of Cards

Cards are ranked in numerical order (low to high) A-10, J, Q, K.

The Deal

The dealer passes out 10 cards facedown to each player. The remaining cards are placed facedown on the table and the top card is flipped faceup next to it to form the discard pile. Players cannot look at their cards. Instead, they are arranged facedown on the table in 2 rows of 5 cards each. Each card is assigned a number 1-10 that corresponds with its position on the table.

The Play

Starting with the player to the dealer’s left, a player may draw from either the top of the deck or the discard pile. If the card’s rank matches the value of the position of one of the player’s facedown cards, they place the card faceup in that position and reveal the displaced facedown card. If that card’s rank also matches the value of the position of one of the player’s facedown cards, they may repeat the process until a card is revealed that cannot be played. That card is then discarded to the discard pile. Play moves clockwise to the next player.

Once a single player has matched ranks of cards to all of their positions, other players have one more turn to finish their own board before the round ends. Once the round is over, any players who have finished their board will be dealt another facedown hand of 9 cards. Any players who did not finish their board will be dealt another hand of 10. This continues until one player has decreased their board all the way down to a single card and is able to complete their board. They are declared the winner.

Scum

Players: 4 | Age: 12+

Game Objective

Climb positions and stay President for as long as possible.

Rank of Cards

Cards are ranked (low to high) 2-10, J, Q, K, A, Joker.

Setup

Randomly determine which player will initially take on the following roles: President, Vice President, Worker, Scum. The President and Vice President sit on one side of the table, with the President sitting clockwise to the Vice President and the Worker and Scum on the other side of the table, Worker sitting clockwise to the Scum.

The Deal

The Scum deals the cards facedown one at a time, starting with themself and moving around the table in a clockwise direction until the entire deck has been dealt. Players may look at their cards. The Scum then gives the President their two highest ranked cards and the Worker gives the Vice President their highest ranked card. The President and Vice President add these cards to their hands. The President then gives any two of their cards to the Scum and the Vice President gives any one of their cards to the Worker.

The Play

The President begins play by leading as many of a single rank of card as they choose. A single, a double, a triple, or all four. Play continues clockwise. Each player must match the number of cards played with a rank that is higher than the previous one (matching rank is not allowed). If a player cannot or chooses not to play on the pile, they may pass and can no longer play during this trick. As soon as all players have passed, the player who last played on the trick takes the pile and is awarded the next lead.Note: a player may continue to play on their own rank if everyone else has passed.

A single Joker can be played on any number of cards to immediately take the trick. The player who gets rid of their cards first is awarded the position of President for the next round, the second player to play all their cards becomes the next Vice President, the third becomes the Worker, and the remaining player becomes the Scum. Play is fast-paced and continues for as long as the players are enjoying themselves.

Palace (Village Idiot)

Players: 2-6 | Age: 5+

Game Objective

Be the first to get rid of all your cards.

Rank of Cards

Cards are ranked (low to high) 3-9, J, Q, K, A, with 2s and 10s having special rules.

The Deal

The dealer shuffles and passes 3 cards facedown to each player. These cards are arranged facedown in a single row in front of each player. The dealer then deals 3 cards faceup on top of each of the facedown cards. Finally, 3 additional facedown cards are dealt to each player as they’re starting hand.

The Play

Each player may look at the cards in their hand and choose to replace any of the faceup cards in front of them with any of the cards from their hand. Play then starts with the player to the left of the dealer. That player may play any number of cards of the same rank to the middle of the table and then draw back up to 3 cards from the deck. The next player then plays any number of cards of the same rank to the pile, again drawing back up to 3. The cards must be either the same or higher in rank than the previously played cards. Play continues clockwise until someone cannot play on the pile. That player then picks up the pile of cards in the middle and brings them into their hand. The next player then begins a new pile.

While As are the highest rank cards, 2s and 10s can be played on any rank of card and have different effects. When a 2 is played, the next player can then choose to lead whatever they want as if they had taken the lead. When a 10 is played, the pile is picked up and placed out of the game. The player who played the 10 then gets to start the new pile as if they were leading.

Once all the cards from the deck have been drawn, players continue to play from their hands until their hand is gone. Once their hand is gone, they may play from the faceup cards in front of them. Once a player’s faceup cards have been played and they have no hand, then they select a facedown card and play it blindly. If, at any point, a player cannot legally play a card, or the facedown card ends up being lower than the card on top of the pile, that player picks up the middle pile and those cards are now their hand. The first player to successfully play their last facedown card is the winner. Play continues until a single player is left and declared the loser.