Gallery Gambit Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Introduction
• Setup
  • Before You Start
  • Round Setup
  • Example Setup, 2 Players
• Objective
• Set Types
  • Set Examples (from high to low, for Exhibit Battles)
• Round Structure
• Turn Structure
• End of a Round
  • Gambit Example: Rearrange Cards Between Two Exhibits
• Scoring a Round
  • Exhibit Battles
  • Scoring Example
• End of the Game

Components

• 54 playing cards, including Jokers
• 2 Player aid cards
• Score book
• 5 Player boards
• 1 Starting Player chip

Introduction

After three Rounds, the player with the highest total score wins.

2-5 players, 15-30 minutes, age 10+.

Setup

Before You Start

Remove cards from the deck based on player count:

• 5 players: Keep all cards
• 4 players: Remove the 2s and 3s
• 3 players: Remove the 2s through 5s
• 2 players: Remove the 2s through 7s, and one Joker

Round Setup

1. Shuffle the deck of the playing cards.
2. Deal one card to each player's hand.
3. Deal three face-up cards to form the Market. Four cards with three players.
4. Place the remaining deck nearby.
5. Each player starts with three empty Exhibits in front of them. Each Exhibit has a fixed card capacity:
   • Exhibit A: up to 2 cards
   • Exhibit B: up to 3 cards
   • Exhibit C: up to 4 cards
6. Choose a Starting Player and give that player the Starting Player chip.

Example Setup, 2 Players

(Illustration: each player has three Exhibits, A (2 cards, bonus 2 points), B (3 cards, bonus 3 points) and C (4 cards, bonus 4 points), a Sets reference and a Turn Actions reference; a Discard pile, the deck and the face-up Market sit between the players.)

Objective

Fill your Exhibits with Sets of cards and outscore your opponents. After three Rounds the player with the highest total score wins.

Set Types

Ordered from best to worst:

1. Same rank: All cards in the Set are of the same rank (example of two cards: 6 of hearts, 6 of spades)
2. Run in the same suit: All cards in the Set are of the same suit and have consecutive ranks (example of three cards: 6 of hearts, 7 of hearts, 8 of hearts)
3. Run: All cards in the Set are of consecutive ranks (example of three cards: 6 of clubs, 7 of diamonds, 8 of clubs)
4. Same suit: All cards in the Set are of the same suit (example of two cards: 6 of clubs, 10 of clubs)

Note: Jokers are wildcards. At the end of the Round, they can be swapped with cards from the Market.

Set Examples (from high to low, for Exhibit Battles)

Points: number of cards x 2

• Same rank: 9 of spades + 9 of hearts; 9 of spades + 9 of hearts + 9 of clubs; 9 of diamonds + 9 of spades + 9 of hearts + 9 of clubs
• Run in the same suit: 5-6 of diamonds; 5-6-7 of diamonds; 5-6-7-8 of diamonds

Points: number of cards

• Run: 6 of clubs + 7 of spades; 6 of clubs + 7 of spades + 8 of hearts; 5 of spades + 6 of clubs + 7 of spades + 8 of hearts
• Same suit: 9 of diamonds + K of diamonds; 5, 9, K of diamonds; 5, 9, 2, K of diamonds

Round Structure

The Starting Player starts the Round by taking a Turn, then players continue taking Turns in clockwise order.

Turn Structure

On your turn, follow the steps below.

Choose one of the following actions:

1. Draft & Play: Take a card from the Market into your hand, then place either card from your hand into one of your Exhibits.
2. Draw & Play: Take the top card of the deck into your hand, then place either card from your hand into one of your Exhibits. Then place the top two cards from the deck into the Market face up.
3. Gambit: Rearrange cards between any two of your own Exhibits. You may move as many or as few cards as you like between the two chosen Exhibits.

When the Market is empty, deal a new Market.

Note: Exhibit capacities (2/3/4) are strictly fixed and may never be exceeded.

End of a Round

As soon as one player fills all three of their Exhibits to capacity, the end of the Round is triggered.

Remaining players take one last turn. After the last player finishes their turn, open cards from the top of the deck until eight cards are shown, including the existing cards already in the Market. Players holding a Joker exchange it in turn order for any of the open cards. Then score the Round.

Gambit Example: Rearrange Cards Between Two Exhibits

(Illustration: a player swaps a card between Exhibit A and Exhibit B.)

Scoring a Round

Each Exhibit awards base points according to the type of Set and the number of cards in that Set.

• Same rank: Points = number of cards x2
• Run in the same suit: Points = number of cards x2
• Run: Points = number of cards
• Same Suit: Points = number of cards

Example: Exhibit C (four-card capacity) contains three 10s and a King. This is a 'Same rank' Set of three, worth 6 points. Whenever there are multiple Set types in an Exhibit, the Set that scores the most points prevails.

Example: Exhibit C contains 6 of hearts, 7 of spades, 8 of clubs, 8 of diamonds. This counts as a Same rank of two cards (8s), resulting in 4 points.

Exhibit Battles

Compare matching Exhibits (A vs A, B vs B, C vs C). For each Exhibit, the player with the best Set scores extra bonus points.

Bonus:

• Exhibit A: 2 Points
• Exhibit B: 3 Points
• Exhibit C: 4 Points

Steps to compare Sets:

1. Number of cards: Exhibits are compared first by the number of cards in the Set. A Set that has more cards always wins against a Set with fewer cards. Whenever there are multiple Set types in an Exhibit, the Set with the most cards prevails.
2. Set type: If the number of cards is equal, compare the Sets as follows (best to worst):
   • A. Same rank
   • B. Run in the same suit
   • C. Run
   • D. Same suit

The highest card in the Set breaks ties when comparing the same Set, then the second highest, etc.

If the Set type and card ranks are exactly equal: All tied players receive the bonus points.

If this is the third Round, the game ends. If not, gather all the playing cards (except those removed at the start) and set up a new Round. The player to the left of the Starting Player receives the Starting Player chip and starts the Round.

Scoring Example

Player 1: 21 points

• Exhibit A: Same rank of 2, 2 x 2 points. Loses, 0 bonus points.
• Exhibit B: Run in the same suit of 3, 3 x 2 points. Wins, 3 bonus points.
• Exhibit C: Run of 4, 4 x 1 points. Wins, 4 bonus points.

Player 2: 16 points

• Exhibit A: Same rank of 2, 2 x 2 points. Wins, 2 bonus points.
• Exhibit B: Same rank of 3, 3 x 2 points. Loses, 0 bonus points.
• Exhibit C: Run in the same suit of 2, 2 x 2 points. Loses, 0 bonus points.

End of the Game

You play three Rounds in total. After the third Round, the points of all Rounds are totaled together. The player with the highest total wins.

In case of a tie: share the victory (or play again)!