Animal Circus
Animal Circus Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 110 cards
- Rules
Goal of the Game
Each player starts with a pile of animal cards, from which you draw hand cards during the game. Each animal has a value and a unique ability. On your turn, you can add one card from your hand to the circus ring. Your goal is to win the cards in that ring. The player who has collected the most points at the end of the game wins.
What Can You Find on the Cards?
- Name: The name of the card.
- Value: The values range from 1 through 22.
- Illustration: We've put this on the card to make it look nice.
- Ability: Abilities will help you to bend some game rules!
Setting Up the Circus
Sort all animal cards by color (front side of the card). There are 22 different animal cards in 5 different colors. Each player chooses a color and takes all animal cards of that color. Everyone must thoroughly shuffle their cards. Then each player puts a number of random animal cards back into the box without looking at them. These cards aren't used in this game. The number of animal cards you must put away depends on the number of players:
- 2 players: Don't put away any cards.
- 3 players: Everybody puts away 1 card.
- 4 players: Everybody puts away 3 cards.
- 5 players: Everybody puts away 5 cards.
Put the remaining cards face down in front of you. This pile is called your Draw pile. Finally, all players take 3 cards from their own Draw pile. These cards form your Hand and must be kept hidden from the other players. In the middle of the table you provide space for the Ring.
The player who last visited a circus chooses a starting player.
The Show Itself
When it's your turn, you must perform the following 2 actions in order:
- Take 1 card from your Draw pile OR take 4 cards from your Draw pile if you have less than 2 cards in your Hand (you'll end up with 4 or 5 cards).
- Play 1 card from your Hand on the Ring pile and execute the ability (if possible).
After you completed both actions, the player to your left becomes the active player and does the same.
Playing Animal Circus is that easy! Pick a card and play a card. But, of course there are also some details you have to take into account...
When your turn starts and you have 2 or more cards in your Hand, you just draw one card from your Draw pile. Should you only have 1 card or even no cards in your Hand, then you must draw 4 new cards from your Draw pile. If you don't have (enough) cards in your Draw pile, you only take the number of cards that is still available.
When you play a card, place it face up on top of the Ring so that the card hides the underlying cards. At the beginning of the game there is no Ring present. You just place the card in the middle of the table. This first card will form the new Ring.
When you place a card on the Ring, it must have a higher value than the card that is already on top of the Ring. For example, a card with a value of 5 may only be placed on a card with a value of 1 to 4. Please note! Abilities of the animal cards always take precedence on the standard rules. Some cards have an ability that allows you to play them on a card with a higher value. If that is the case, you can also place such a card on top of the Ring.
When you cannot add a card to the Ring, the previous player wins all the cards from the Ring and places them face up on their Score pile. If you don't have a Score pile yet, you start it the first time you win cards. The active player still plays a card and this newly played card is placed in the center of the table and forms a new Ring to which the following players can add cards.
Note: If you have to play a card and you have no cards in your Hand, the previous player automatically wins the Ring. This will probably also imply the game is over, but if it isn't, the next player plays a card on an empty Ring.
Finally, the active player must execute the ability of the card that has just been played (if possible). Even if you just started a new Ring, the ability must be executed. As soon as this is done, it's the next player's turn.
If you are able to play a card with a value higher than the top card on the Ring, then you must add a card to the current Ring. However, you are not required to play a card with a lower value if the ability of that card allows you to play it. But if you play a card with a lower value without such an ability, the previous player wins the Ring and you start a new Ring.
The ability of each card is written on the card itself, but you can find a more detailed explanation of each card on the back of these rules (see Card Abilities below).
End of the Show
The game continues until a player wins the Ring while there is a player with no more cards in their Draw pile. Now, each player counts how many points they have earned.
Each card in your Score pile counts as 1 point. There are 2 exceptions to this. The Dog counts as 3 penalty points and the Giraffe is worth 3 points.
Glossary
Various terms are used in this game to indicate the different piles of cards. These are explained below.
- Hand: These are the cards that you hold in your hands. You must keep these hidden for the other players. Each player has his own Hand.
- Draw pile: From this pile you draw a new card for your Hand every turn. Each player has his own Draw pile.
- Ring: The Ring is located in the middle of the table (it is a pile of cards) and each player adds a card to it every turn. The Ring continues to grow until a player wins the Ring. Then, that player takes all the cards from the Ring and puts the whole pile (without flipping the cards over or shuffling) on top of their Score pile. This is the only pile you can play cards onto from your Hand.
- Score pile: When you win the cards in the Ring, place them on top of your Score pile. The cards in the Score pile must always be face up. That way your Score pile can easily be distinguished from your Draw pile. During the game you are not allowed to search for cards in the Score pile or to sort the cards differently.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don't have any cards in my Hand anymore. Can I immediately take 4 cards from my Draw pile? No, only when it is your turn again and when you have less than 2 cards in your Hand, you can take 4.
I can take 4 cards from my Draw pile, but there are only 2 left. What happens now? You only take 2 cards from your Draw pile.
I can take 4 cards from my Draw pile, but there are no more cards left. What happens now? You don't take a card. If you do not have any cards in your Hand at that time, you cannot play a card and as a result the previous player wins the Ring. The game ends immediately.
Do I have to use the abilities? For example, if I play the Elephant, may I also choose not to place 2 cards from my Draw pile under the Ring? You must always use the abilities if possible, even if that may result in a negative effect for you. So, with the Elephant you will always have to put 2 cards under the Ring.
I still have a question. Where can I find an answer? Just send us an e-mail: [email protected].
Let's Jump Into the Game With an Example
On top of the Ring is a Mouse. The next player is Sharon, who must play a card with a higher value than 2. Sharon plays a Penguin and places it on the Ring. The special ability allows her to draw a random card from the Hand of a player of her choice. She picks a card from David. Sharon now has an additional card to choose from during her next turn and David lost a card.
Now it's Claudia's turn. She plays a Monkey with value 15. The ability of the Monkey allows her to draw 2 cards from a Draw pile of her choice. She draws the cards from the Draw pile of Sharon and adds the cards to her Hand. The next player is Steven.
Steven has the Bear (19), the Rabbit (4), the Rat (12) and the Turtle (3) in his Hand. He must play the Bear or the Turtle (you can place the Turtle on any card).
If Steven didn't have the Bear, he wasn't required to play the Turtle (only if you have a card with a higher value, you are required to add a card to the current Ring) and Steven could choose to let Claudia win the Ring (previous player). Afterwards he could start a new Ring with a card of his choice. But because Steven owns a card with a higher value (Bear), he must add a card to the current Ring. He plays the Bear. Due to the ability, David, who is the next player, can't take a card from his Draw pile in the beginning of his turn.
The Bear is on top of the Ring, but David doesn't have any cards with either a higher value or a special ability that allows him to play the card. Steven wins the Ring and adds all the cards to his Score pile. David plays the Bat with a value of 5, starting a new Ring. According to the ability of the Bat, the next player should play a card with a lower value. If Sharon can't do this, David immediately wins the new Ring that only consists of one card.
Card Abilities
The ability of each card is written on the card itself. The explanations below are the printed rules for each card, listed by value.
- 1 - Mole Diver: You can always play this card. When you play it, you must put it at the bottom of the Ring.
- 2 - Power Mouse: It is permitted to put this card on the Ring if there is an Elephant on top. If you do this, you win the Ring and put it on top of your Score pile. The next player plays a card on an empty Ring. If you put the card on the Mole, you don't win the Ring.
- 3 - Jumping Turtle: It is permitted to place this card on any card on the Ring. In short, you can always play this card.
- 4 - Rabbit Archer: You take the top card of a Score pile of your choice (if available) in your Hand. If you are the only player who already has a Score pile, you must take the card from your own Score pile.
- 5 - Bungee Bat: When the Bat is on top of the Ring, the players must play a card with a lower value on it. If the active player can't do this, the previous player wins the Ring.
- 6 - Magic Penguin: Choose another player and draw a card from their Hand. This gives you an additional card in your Hand. The other player loses a card in their Hand. That player doesn't draw a replacement card.
- 7 - Camel Cyclist: Choose another player. Take the 2 cards on top of their Score pile and place them in unchanged order on top of your own Score pile. If that player only has one card in his Score pile, you only take one. When there aren't any other players with cards in their Score pile, nothing happens.
- 8 - Old Dog Musician: If this card is in your Score pile at the end of the game, this card isn't worth 1 point, but 3 penalty points.
- 9 - Cheating Cheetah: Take the 2 cards on top of your Draw pile. Flip them over and place them face up on your Score pile. Don't change the order.