Cheesy Heist
Cheesy Heist Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. The Game
The Goal
Cheesy Heist is a mischievous card game of cheese, cats, and mice where you sabotage and steal from each other to be the first to collect 5 Cheese cards and get rid of all Cat cards from your hand.
* In a 5 player game, it is recommended to lower the goal and collect 4 Cheese cards instead of 5.
2. Before You Start
Set-Up
The game includes 12 Cat, 16 Cheese, 21 Mirage cards, also 16 Attack and 10 Defence cards to make the game even more thrilling.
- Shuffle the deck.
- Deal 5 cards to each player.
- Place the remaining deck face down to form a draw pile.
- Leave space for a discard pile, where you'll be playing cards face up.
That's it!
3. Player's Turn
Regular Turn
Players take turns clockwise, starting from the player on the dealer's left.
On your turn: Play as many Mirage and Attack cards as you like – or no cards at all.
Then: Finish your turn by taking one card from the top of the draw pile. Now, the next player can start their turn.
Unless: You decide to finish your turn by playing a Cat card instead!
- Players are not allowed to skip their turns.
- If you play a Cat card and don't have any cards left in your hand, you still participate in the collection of dropped-down cards.
Example: The Cat Card
Instead of finishing their turn by drawing a new card, Jerry plays a Cat card. Everyone drops their cards face down in front of them.
You sit on the left to Jerry, so you start collecting. You take one of Stuart's cards and put it in your hand. You just got lucky – it's Cheese!
Then it's Stuart's turn to take one card, then Jerry's, Your's again, and so on. The collection continues clockwise until all of the dropped-down cards are collected.
4. The Cat Card
Unleash the Cat!
If you finish your turn by playing a Cat card – everyone, including you, must instantly drop their cards face down in front of them.
Then players, starting from the one on your left, take clockwise turns collecting everyone's dropped-down cards – one card at a time, without peeking – until all of them are collected. Dropped-down cards are considered everyone's to collect, no matter to whom they belonged previously – you can take any card you want, including yours.
Note that until all of the dropped-down cards are collected, players don't get to take new cards from the draw pile nor play their cards.
The last player, who didn't get a card, starts their regular turn.
- Players are not allowed to skip their turns.
- If you play a Cat card and don't have any cards left in your hand, you still participate in the collection of dropped-down cards.
5. Defence Cards
Defend Yourself from the Cat
Defence cards are played on the Cat card. Any player can play Defence cards, no matter whose turn it is. Play them quickly before all of the other players drop down their cards. If you are too slow, your card gets wasted.
Cheese Vault card allows you to keep three cards safely in your hand away from the Cat while the rest of your cards go on the table as usual.
Decoy card saves everyone from the Cat. The card collection is skipped, and the next player starts their turn.
- If someone has placed Cheese Vault before Decoy, the Cheese Vault gets wasted – it can't be taken back.
- If you've played a Cheese Vault, you can take your time choosing the cards to keep, but until you drop down the rest of your cards, others still can play their Defence cards!
6. Mirages
Is It Cheese?! No, It's Just a Mirage.
Collect a set of three identical or three distinct Mirage cards. Play this set on your turn to demand one chosen player to openly show their cards so everyone could get a good look at them.
7. Attack Cards
Attack Other Players
Play them on your turn to attack chosen players.
Thief card allows you to blindly steal one card from any chosen player's hand.
Grater card allows you to blindly pick two cards from any player's hand, take a look, and shuffle them back to the draw pile.
Gift card allows you to give one Cat card from your hand to any chosen player.
Example: Attack, Mirage and Defence Cards
Jerry plays a Thief card and blindly steals one card from Stuart's hand. It's a Mirage card.
You openly show your cards, and everyone sees that You have four Cheese cards! Jerry decides to use this opportunity and plays the Cat card.
Jerry was too excited and didn't notice that You have a Cheese Vault card. You play it quickly before everyone has dropped down their cards. Stuart was too slow. Therefore You get to keep three cards safely in your hand.
It's Your turn to take a card, so You take Your card from the table. All of Your Cheese cards are saved. At least for now!
Jerry now has a set of three distinct Mirage cards and decides to play them instantly to make You show everyone Your cards!
8. End of the Game
Finally!
Before declaring yourself a winner, you must have at least 5 Cheese cards, no Cat cards in your hand, and wait for the current turn to be finished.
Congratulations – you won!
- If you want to draw a card on your turn, but the draw pile is depleted, players must drop down their cards for the last time, as if a Cat card was played. You start the collecting. The player with the most Cheese and no Cat cards in their hand win. If two or more players have the same amount of Cheese – they all win. If everyone still has Cats – everyone loses.