¡Caninos!
¡Caninos! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 24 (12×2) Normal Pizza cards: Stuffed Crust, Ham, Tomato, Black Olives, Pepperoni, and Cheese (worth 6 points each).
- 12 Double Pizza cards: Tomato & Ham, Cheese & Jalapeños, Bell Pepper & Onion, Bacon & Spinach, Stuffed Crust & Pepperoni, and Bell Pepper & Cheese (worth 10 points each).
- 9 Modifier Toppings:
- Increase (green): Guindilla (chili pepper), Alcaparras (capers), Extra Mozzarella. Each increases the value of any slice of pizza by 50%.
- Reduction (red): Brócoli Triste (sad broccoli), Rodaja de Piña (pineapple ring), Limón Resentido (resentful lemon). Each reduces the value of any slice of pizza by 50%.
- 60 Pack cards and 6 Chaos Hounds (Sabuesos del Caos):
- Pack cards come in six packs of ten cards (five identical pairs of dogs per pack): Tahúres (Gamblers), Brókers (Brokers), Tragones (Gluttons), Listillos (Smart Alecks), Dietistas (Dieters), and Aguafiestas (Killjoys). The packs' cards include Chihuahua Furioso (Furious Chihuahua) and Perremoto (Dog-quake), among others.
- The 6 Chaos Hounds are Cerbero (Cerberus), Cumpleañera (Birthday Girl), Líder de la Manada (Pack Leader), Destructora (Destroyer), Hada Perrina (Dog Fairy), and Perro Adoptivo (Adopted Dog).
- 16 (8×2) Reaction cards, all titled ¡QUIETO! (Freeze!).
- 6 Mystic Raccoons (Mapaches Místicos): Trascendencia (Transcendence), Equilibrio (Balance), Armonía (Harmony), Clarividencia (Clairvoyance), Fuerza (Strength), and Sabiduría (Wisdom); plus 1 Tanuki (Dualidad / Duality).
Setup
- Place the 12 Double Pizza cards face up, within reach of all players.
- Shuffle the Normal Pizza deck and deal one card to each player. Every player must place this card face up in their collection area.
- Split the remaining pizza deck into two mini-decks and leave these two mini-decks face up, within reach of all players.
- Shuffle the main deck and deal six cards to each player. Then place it face down, within reach of all players.
- Leave a space for the discard pile.
Oh! We almost forgot! The player who has gone the longest without eating pizza starts the game.
(The printed setup page includes a layout diagram with numbered markers 1 to 5. The printed rules give no key for those markers, so the numbered steps above are the governing text.)
Mechanics
¡Caninos! is played in as many rounds as necessary until one player wins. In each round the players take their turns in order and play their cards.
To win: be the first to get at least 50 points in pizza cards, taking into account any Modifier Toppings in play.
During your turn you have three options: play your cards, pass your turn, or discard up to three cards from your hand and leave them on the discard pile.
When you finish, take cards from the main deck as needed until you have 6 in your hand. Then pass the turn to the next player. The game continues until someone wins.
If the main deck runs out before anyone reaches 50 points, the player with the most points wins. This may be a good option for the first games, or with players who do not yet know the rules well. Another option, if you prefer to keep playing, is to shuffle the discard pile, turn it over, and keep playing until someone wins.
During your turn you can make two types of play: steal pizza and perform tricks. If you plan to do both, you must always steal pizza first.
Stealing Pizza
Pizza is delicious and worth points. Normal pizza is worth 6 points and Double pizza is worth 10 points. The more pizza you get, the closer you are to winning: you need at least 50 points!
- You may steal only one slice of pizza per turn, unless you perform a trick that lets you steal more. You may steal pizza from the table or from another player.
- Any player may try to stop you at any time. If you succeed in getting your pizza, add the new slice to your collection.
To steal a slice of Normal pizza, you have three options. You may play: A) a dog from any pack, B) a Chaos Hound, or C) a Mystic Raccoon.
(The printed page shows an illustrated example for each option: A) Chihuahua Furioso, a pack dog; B) Perro Adoptivo, a Chaos Hound; C) a Mystic Raccoon.)
This also applies to all reduced pizzas.
To steal a slice of Double pizza, you have four options. You may play: A) a pair of identical dogs, B) a Chaos Hound, or C) a Mystic Raccoon.
Option D: You can also get your Double pizza by playing two different dogs from the same pack, if the two ingredients of the Double pizza you want to steal are already among the Normal pizza slices in your collection.
Example: If you already have two different dogs from the same pack (the printed example shows Mordisquito and Chihuahua Furioso) and the Stuffed Crust and Pepperoni Normal slices, you can steal the Stuffed Crust & Pepperoni Double pizza.
These options also apply to all upgraded Normal pizzas.
Performing Tricks
Tricks let you get more pizza faster and make things harder for the other players.
- You may perform only one trick per turn, unless you play a card from the Pack of Smart Alecks, which lets you perform extra tricks. You may do this only once per turn.
- Remember that your opponents may try to stop you at any time.
- There are three kinds of tricks: Pack Tricks, Chaos Tricks, and Modifier Toppings.
Pack Tricks
Any dog from any pack can perform them. Each pack can perform a trick, has its own color and emblem, and is made up of five pairs of identical dogs.
| Pack | Trick |
|---|---|
| Gluttons (Tragones) | Steal one additional slice of pizza with this same card. |
| Smart Alecks (Listillos) | Perform two additional tricks using two more cards. |
| Dieters (Dietistas) | Prevent your opponent from stealing pizza with any dog during their turn. |
| Killjoys (Aguafiestas) | Prevent your opponent from performing tricks with any dog during their turn. |
| Gamblers (Tahúres) | Remove two cards from one of your opponents without looking at them, and place them face up on the discard pile. |
| Brokers (Brókers) | Remove a Modifier Topping and place it on another slice of pizza of your choice, yours or another player's. |
Most tricks have an instant effect. However, the tricks of the Dieters and the Killjoys only take effect during the turn of the player they apply to. While they have no effect, the player leaves the card in their collection area; they may discard it at the end of their turn.
Chaos Tricks
These are abilities exclusive to the Chaos Hounds. These tricks are unique and very powerful, so use them wisely.
Birthday Girl, Destroyer, and Pack Leader can affect more than one player at a time.
| Chaos Hound | Trick |
|---|---|
| Birthday Girl (Cumpleañera) | Steal up to two slices of pizza of any type from the player or players of your choice. If the pizza had any topping, the topping goes to the discard pile. |
| Destroyer (Destructora) | Remove as many Modifier Toppings as you like and redistribute them as you prefer. |
| Cerberus (Cerbero) | Place this card on top of another player's pizza to permanently remove all of its value. Once successfully played, this card cannot be removed or cancelled. If the pizza had any topping, the topping goes to the discard pile. |
| Pack Leader (Líder de la Manada) | All affected players must send their active toppings to the discard pile. After a point count, every player except the one with the fewest points must discard pizzas from their collection until everyone has as many points as the player with the fewest points, or fewer. The discarded pizza returns to the table. |
| Dog Fairy (Hada Perrina) | Place it next to another player's pizza collection to enchant it and temporarily turn it into a pile of plush toys. The steps are set out below. |
| Adopted Dog (Perro Adoptivo) |
Dog Fairy steps, as printed:
- All affected pizza cards must be turned over, and their toppings (if any) sent to the discard pile. They are no longer pizza slices but plush toys, so they have no point value.
- Play resumes in turn order. However, the owner of the plush toys cannot stop theft attempts, because they are not pizza slices. If you steal a plush toy, it turns back into pizza as soon as you add it to your collection.
- The affected player may gradually undo the spell and recover their pizza by turning over one plush toy per turn (every turn counts).
- Once all the enchanted cards have turned back into pizza, the affected player may send the Dog Fairy to the discard pile.
Modifier Toppings
Modifier Toppings change the value of slices of pizza that have already been stolen. They can decide a game, so do not underestimate them.
- Place a topping on a slice of pizza, yours or another player's, to increase or decrease its value by 50%. You may use only one topping per slice of pizza.
The following table shows the values of modified pizzas and how to steal them:
| Normal pizza: 6 points | Double pizza: 10 points | |
|---|---|---|
| Increase (+50%) | With increase: 9 points. Steal as a Double pizza; loses the increase. | With increase: 15 points. Steal with a Mystic Raccoon; loses the increase. |
| Reduction (-50%) | With reduction: 3 points. Steal as a Normal pizza; keeps the reduction. | With reduction: 5 points. Steal as a Normal pizza; keeps the reduction. |
End of Turn
When you finish playing, leave all used or inactive cards face up in the discard pile.
Finally, draw cards from the main deck until you have six cards in your hand.
Note: You complete your hand only at the end of your turn. You may never have more than six cards in your hand at any time.
Reaction!
Any player may block another player's actions at any moment of the game with Reaction cards and Mystic Raccoons that have an immediate effect.
- ¡QUIETO! (Freeze!): These cards stop any dog except Chaos Hounds. The card text reads: "Stop a dog from any pack except Chaos Hounds. Play this card whenever you like." They cannot be blocked, and anyone may play them at any moment.
- Mystic Raccoons: They can prevent any theft or trick, including those of Chaos Hounds and toppings. Only the Adopted Dog or another Mystic Raccoon can stop a Mystic Raccoon.
- Adopted Dog (Perro Adoptivo): This is a special type of Reaction card. It may be played only in reaction to a Mystic Raccoon. It stops that Mystic Raccoon and lets you keep it for yourself. Once played, only another Mystic Raccoon can stop it.
Tanuki
Tanuki / Duality (Dualidad):
- The Tanuki can turn into a dog or a raccoon at will. It works as a wild card for any dog card (including Chaos Hounds) and for any Mystic Raccoon card.
- You may play the Tanuki card during your turn to steal any slice of pizza, either as a dog or as a Mystic Raccoon, or to perform any trick, whether a Pack Trick or a Chaos Trick.
- You may also use the Tanuki outside your turn as a Reaction card, just as you would use any Mystic Raccoon or the Adopted Dog for the same purpose.
- The Tanuki can perform only one action: either steal pizza, perform a single trick, or react to another play. So think carefully and choose well!
- Given its elusive and changing nature, the Tanuki cannot be stopped.