3UP 3DOWN Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Goal
• Setup
• Cards
• 3UP 3DOWN Pile
• Taking Turns
• Other Info & Optional Rules

The Goal

To be the first player to discard all of their cards.

Setup

1. Shuffle the deck and deal three cards, face down, to each player. Players cannot look at these 3DOWN cards.
2. Deal six more cards to each player. Players select three of these cards and place them face up on their 3DOWN cards.
3. Players now have a 3UP 3DOWN pile in front of them and three cards in their hand.
4. Use the remaining deck to create the draw pile.

Cards

1. Numbered cards range from 1-10, with 10 being the most valuable numbered card.
2. "Clear" cards are more valuable than all numbered cards. When a clear card is played, the discard pile is "cleared", and all cards in the discard pile (including the clear card) are removed from play for the rest of the game. a. The "Clear + 1" cards give the player one additional turn after clearing the discard pile. b. The "Clear + 2" card gives the player two additional turns after clearing the discard pile. Note: Players may choose to draw from the draw pile prior to their "+1" or "+2" play.
3. Three or more of the same-numbered cards played consecutively (by the same or different players), act as a clear card.
4. Card colors do not matter for game play, but you can choose to remove a color or two if you want to play a quicker game.

3UP 3DOWN Pile

The printed diagram is labelled: FACE DOWN, FACE UP, DISCARD PILE, DRAW PILE.

Taking Turns

1. The player to the left of the dealer goes first, and players take turns playing cards on the discard pile.
2. The value of the card played must be greater than or equal to the card in the discard pile. a. Note: Players can play any card on an empty/cleared discard pile.
3. Players can only play one type of card on their turn, but they may choose to play "multiples" (i.e., two or more of the same card). a. Example: If a "two" card is in the discard pile, a player can play one or more "five" card(s) on their turn, but not a "five" and a "six".
4. If a player has a card(s) that can be played, they must play at least one card on their turn.
5. If a player does not have a card that can be played, they must pick up all of the cards in the discard pile, and their turn ends.
6. Players end their turn by drawing from the draw pile until they have three cards in their hand. a. Note: Players that picked up the discard pile already have more than three cards in their hand and they cannot draw additional cards from the draw pile (until they once again have fewer than three cards in their hand).
7. Once the draw pile is gone and a player has played the cards in their hand, they play from their 3UP pile on their next turn. a. Players may choose to play multiples from their 3UP pile (see "TAKING TURNS", 3). b. If a player has to pick up the discard pile, they can't play any more cards from their 3UP pile until they've played all of the cards in their hand.
8. Once a player has played their 3UP cards, they turn over and attempt to play one 3DOWN card on their next turn. a. If the 3DOWN card selected cannot be played, the player doesn't have to reveal the card to the other players. b. If a player has to pick up the discard pile, they can't play any more cards from their 3DOWN pile until they've played all of the cards in their hand.
9. The first player to play their final 3DOWN card is the winner.

Other Info & Optional Rules

1. Though the first player to play their final 3DOWN card is the winner, the game can be continued as the other players discard their remaining cards.
2. You may choose to ignore the rule that "If a player has a card(s) that can be played, they must play at least one card on their turn." Thus, even if you have a card that can be played, you may choose to draw a card from the draw pile.
3. A "1" card can be used as a "reverse" card in order to switch the direction of the game play (i.e., from clockwise to counterclockwise).
4. A point system can be implemented across multiple games (to determine the ultimate champion) by adding together the face value of the cards that players have in their hand at the end of each game. Note: "Clear", "Clear + 1", and "Clear + 2" cards add 15, 20, and 25 points, respectively, to a player's total. The player with the lowest overall score is the winner.
5. Once the 3UP 3DOWN cards are set up, you have the option to randomly swap players' 3UP 3DOWN piles. Additionally, you may allow players to select cards from their own hand as the 3UP cards for the other players.
6. If four of the same-colored cards are played consecutively (without the discard pile being cleared), the player of the fourth card may choose to substitute one card from their playing hand with one card from their 3UP pile.