Cut the Rope: The Card Game
Cut the Rope: The Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
160 cards:
- 14 sets of 10 cards (numbered 1 to 10)
- 20 "Scissors" cards
Setup
Shuffle all the cards into a common deck.
Deal each player an equal number of cards (the exact number depends on the number of players):
- 2–3 players: 20 cards
- 4–5 players: 16 cards
- 6–7 players: 12 cards
- 8 players: 10 cards
These cards form each player's personal deck. Each player places their personal deck in front of them face down, turns over the top card of it, and places that card back on top of the personal deck so that everyone can see it. The goal of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your personal deck.
Now deal each player 6 cards from the common deck as their hand. A player may look at their hand but does not show it to opponents.
The first player is the player who most recently played the mobile version of Cut the Rope.
Game Areas
Next to each player's personal deck are 3 supply rows (each player has their own).
At the end of their turn, a player must place one card from their hand into any one of their supply rows.
In the centre of the table, next to the common deck, are 3 level rows (shared by all players). A player may play cards from their hand, from their supply rows, or from the top of their personal deck onto the level rows.
Card Rows
When you place a card in a row, place it on top of the other cards in that row so that the edge of the cards lying beneath it remains visible.
Card Order in Rows
The first card of a level row must be either a "1", a "10", or "Scissors". Cards must be played to a level row in strict order: in ascending order (if the first card of the row was a "1") or in descending order (if the first card of the row was a "10").
Cards may be placed in supply rows in any sequence (any card may be the first card of a supply row). From your own supply row you may play to a level row only the top card. You can see which cards lie beneath it, and you may then play the next card once it becomes the top card.
Turn Order
- On your turn you may play as many cards as you like to any level rows. Cards may be played from the top of your personal deck, from your hand, or from your own supply rows. Place each played card on top of the previous cards in the row.
In a level row, cards must follow strict order (ascending or descending). If the row already contains "1" and "2", the next card to play is "3". If it contains "10" and "9", only "8" may be played. If a level row is empty, you may play the first card of a level: "1", "10", or "Scissors". If there are already cards in three level rows, you may not start a fourth row!
How to play cards:
- From hand. Place a card from your hand onto a level row.
- From supplies. Take the top card from any one of your supply rows and place it onto a level row.
- From the top of your personal deck. Take the face-up card from the top of your personal deck and play it onto a level row. Then turn over the next card of your personal deck and place it on top of that deck. You may also play this card right away (if there is a suitable level row for it).
If a level row gathers a complete collection of 10 cards, that level is considered complete! Discard all the cards from it to the common discard pile and continue your turn.
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At the end of your turn you must place 1 card from your hand (if you still have cards in your hand) onto any one of your supply rows, on top of the other cards in that row. If a supply row is empty, you may start it with any card. If there are already cards in three of your supply rows, you may not start a fourth row! After this your turn ends: you may no longer play cards to the level rows.
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Draw cards from the common deck to your hand until you again have 6. Pass the turn to the player on your left.
Scissors
A "Scissors" card can replace any card in a level row. For example, in the sequence "10, 9, 8, Scissors" the "Scissors" card counts as a "7".
If the first card of a level is "Scissors", then only the next card played determines the sequence of that level row (ascending or descending). The same applies if the first two cards of a level are "Scissors", and so on.
Winning the Game
The goal of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your personal deck by playing them onto the level rows. The player who plays the last card of their personal deck is declared the winner. They have helped Om Nom to eat his dinner more than anyone else!
Rule Variants
Quick Game
To speed up the game, you may deal fewer cards to each player's personal deck at the start of the game (or, conversely, deal more cards if you want a longer game).
You may also use the following rule. When playing a card to a level row, a player may play a card with the same number as the top card of the row. For example, if a row contains "1, 2, 3, 4", you may play either a "4" or a "5" on top of it.
If a "Scissors" card is played to a level row, its value is not determined until the next card is played. For example, in the row "1, 2, 3, Scissors", the next card may be played as either a "3", a "4", a "5", or another "Scissors" (the value of the "Scissors" is then set as "3", "4" and "5", respectively).
If a "Scissors" card closes a row after a "9" or a "2", the level is considered complete and the cards of the row are discarded to the common discard pile.