CABO (Second Edition) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Setup
Gameplay
Exchange Multiple Cards
Card Special Abilities
Kamikaze
Round End
Scoring
Game End
Score Reset
Expert Variant
Credits

Setup

Shuffle the deck of cards. Deal 4 cards to each player facedown in a line. Place the deck facedown in the center of the table, and place the top card faceup next to the deck to form a discard pile.

Secretly look at any 2 of your cards and memorize them (this is the last time players may look at any cards until otherwise instructed). Player cards may not change location.

Choose a start player randomly.

Gameplay

Beginning with the start player, take turns clockwise. On your turn, draw a card from the deck or discard pile, or call CABO.

Draw from the Deck

If you take the top card from the draw deck, look at it and do one of the following:

Place the card into the discard pile. If the card has a special ability, you may use it.

Exchange one or more of your cards with the card you drew. Put exchanged cards faceup into the discard pile, and put the new card facedown in front of you, in an exchanged card's place. See "Exchange Multiple Cards" for more details on how to exchange multiple matching cards.

Draw from the Discard Pile

If you take the top card from the discard pile:

Exchange one or more of your cards with the card you drew. Put exchanged cards faceup into the discard pile, and put the new card faceup in front of you, in an exchanged card's place.

Call CABO

If you call CABO, your turn ends. Each other player gets one more turn, and then the round ends.

Exchange Multiple Cards

To exchange multiple cards, all exchanged cards must have the same value (i.e., all 6s). Before discarding them, slide them all forward, and flip any unrevealed cards faceup. Place the card drawn in an exchanged card's place.

If any slid cards do not match, return them to the line, keeping them faceup. Add the card drawn at either end of the line.

If three or more cards don't match, take another card from the deck and place it facedown at either end of the line without looking at it.

Card Special Abilities

If you draw a card with an ability from the deck, you may place it in the discard pile and use its ability. The abilities:

7-8 PEEK: Secretly view one of your own facedown cards.
9-10 SPY: Secretly view a facedown card from any other player.
11-12 SWAP: Exchange one of your cards for a card from another player (do not flip either card over).

Kamikaze

If a player ends the round with exactly two 13s and two 12s, and no other cards, they score 0 points and each other player scores 50 points. The player with the Kamikaze may call CABO.

Round End

The round ends when either (1) one player has called CABO and each other player takes one more turn, or (2) the deck is depleted.

If the game did not end, shuffle the cards and play another round. The player with the lowest score in the previous round is the new start player. In case of a tie, the player closest to the previous start player becomes the new start player.

Scoring

Your score for the round is the sum of your remaining cards.

However, if you called CABO and have the lowest sum (or are tied for it), you score 0 points. If you called CABO and do not have the lowest sum, you score the sum of your cards plus 10 more points.

Write down each player's score for that round, and add it to the sum of the previous rounds.

Game End

The game ends when one player has more than 100 points. The player with the lowest score wins. In case of a tie, the tied player with the lowest score in the last round wins.

Score Reset

If a player's total score is ever exactly 100 points, their score is reset to 50 points. This may only happen one time per player per game.

Expert Variant

For expert CABO players who would like a bit more of a challenge, keep all cards in front of players face down, even if they have been taken from the discard pile.

Credits

Design: Melissa Limes & Mandy Henning. Development: Ted Alspach. Artwork: Agus Muqith.