Corgi Pileup
Corgi Pileup Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 50 cards (5 of each number)
- 7 score markers
- 1 score board
Setup
- Place the score board in the center of the play area.
- Give each player a score marker to place on the 0 space of the scoreboard.
- Shuffle the deck and deal 5 cards to each player.
Gameplay
Corgi Pileup is played over several rounds, with each round consisting of five tricks.
Playing a Round
The player who most recently pet a dog leads the first trick by playing any card from their hand. Then, in clockwise order, each other player must do one of the following on their turn:
- A. "Climb" by playing a card with a number greater than or equal to the highest card played to the trick so far.
- B. Play their lowest card. You may always choose this option even if you could climb instead.
After everyone has played a card, the "trick" is over, and the highest played card wins the trick. In the case of a tie, the tied card that was played latest in the trick is considered to be higher. The winner of the trick takes all the cards from the trick, flips them face down, and sets them aside. Then the trick winner leads the next trick by playing any card from their hand.
Example: Emily begins the trick by playing a 4. Peter plays an 8. Taylor plays their lowest card, a 2. Finally, Amy plays another 8. The highest number card played is 8, and since Amy's 8 was played later, she wins the trick. Amy sets the played cards aside, face down, then leads the next trick.
After the 5th trick, the round ends, and all players score points equal to the value of their card in the final trick. To keep score, advance your score marker up the pyramid on the score board.
New Round
Continue playing rounds until someone's score exceeds 15 (see "Game End"). To start a new round, reshuffle the deck and deal 5 cards to each player.
Game End
When any player's score has exceeded 15, their score marker is returned to 0 and the game is over. After scoring is complete, the player with the highest score wins. In the case of a tie, the tied player who played the lowest numbered card on the final trick wins. If there is still a tie, the tied card played earliest in the round is considered to be lowest.
Example: Taylor's score exceeded 15 this round, so they move their score marker to 0. Peter is at 11 points, and Amy and Emily are tied at 13 points. Since Amy played a 4 on the final trick and Emily played a 3, Emily wins!
Special Powers
Some cards have special powers that may take effect when the card is a part of a trick.
- 1: If you play a 1 on the final trick of a round, you may score 0 points -or- the value of any played card.
- 3: Once a 3 has been played into a trick, players may no longer play their lowest card. They must instead climb -or- play their highest card.
- 6: If a 6 wins a trick, the winner of the trick chooses any player (including themselves) to discard a card from their hand, then replace it with a card drawn from the deck. If the deck is empty, shuffle the cards from previous tricks to create a new deck. If a 6 wins the final trick of a round, this card has no effect.
- 10: Whenever a 10 is played into a trick, the winner of the trick may not lead the next trick. The trick winner must instead choose another player to lead the next trick.
Variants
Underdog Variant
At the end of the game, when a player's score has exceeded 15 points, the player with the lowest score still on the board is the winner. In the case of a tie, as usual, the tied player who played the lowest numbered card on the final trick wins. If there is a tie for the lowest played card, the tied card played earliest in the round is considered to be lowest.
Strategic Variant
Deal each player 7 cards at the start of each round (instead of 5). This provides players more choices during each round and a longer build up to scoring the final trick.
Quick Rules
Each trick, one player leads with any card. Then, every other player must either:
- A) "Climb" by playing a card equal to or higher than the highest played card.
- B) Play their lowest card.
When players are out of cards, the round ends, and all players score points equal to the value of their card in the final trick. Continue playing rounds until at least one score marker exceeds 15 and returns to 0.