Goatfish Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective
• The Cards
  • Goat Cards
  • Action Cards
  • Defend Cards
• Playing the Game
  • Setup
  • Herding Phase
  • Action Phase
• Card List
  • 40 Goat Cards
  • 16 Action Cards
  • 8 Defend Cards

Objective

Collect herds of four matching goats to win!

The winner is the first player to collect four herds in a two-to-three-player game or three herds in a four-to-five-player game.

The Cards

Goat Cards

Goats are grouped together to create herds. A herd is a group of four matching goats. There are ten different goat herds in Goatfish. No matter how many Goat cards of a particular type you have in your hand, goats don't count as a herd until you place the Goat cards in front of you. At that point, a goat herd is considered "active."

Action Cards

You can choose to play Action cards during the Action phase of your turn. They are then placed in the discard pile.

Action cards can affect the person who played it or opponents. Read the card text for details on the card's effect.

Defend Cards

A player can choose to play a Defend card in response to another player's Action card or herding request (described under "Herding Phase," below). They are then placed in the discard pile.

Defend cards marked with "Herding Phase Only" can be played only during the Herding phase. Defend cards without "Herding Phase" cannot be played during the Herding phase.

Playing the Game

Setup

1. Choose a dealer. The dealer shuffles the cards, deals seven cards to each player, and places the remaining deck face down in the center of the play area. This will be the draw pile. Leave room next to the draw pile for the discard pile.
2. The youngest player starts, and play continues clockwise.

Each player's turn consists of two phases: Herding and Action.

Herding Phase

1. Your turn begins in the Herding phase. You can either ask an opponent for a Goat card that matches a Goat card in your hand (a "herding request") or you can draw one card from the draw pile and move to the Action phase. You can't ask for Goat cards that are not in your hand!

   If you don't have any Goat cards in your hand at the beginning of your turn, draw a card from the draw pile and proceed to the Action phase.

2. When asked, a player must give up all Goat cards from their hand that match the requested goat, unless they have a Defend card that can be used during the Herding phase. If the asked player does not have the requested Goat card, they tell the herder, "Goatfish."

   When playing a "Screaming Goat" Defend card during the Herding phase, try doing your best "goat scream" impression!

3. If you receive the Goat card you requested, you can continue asking players for the same or other Goat cards until a player tells you to Goatfish.

   Even if you are not told to Goatfish, you can stop asking other players for Goat cards at any time during your Herding phase, draw a card, and proceed to the Action phase.

   There is no limit to the number of cards you can have in your hand.

4. Once told to Goatfish, draw one card from the draw pile. If you draw the Goat card you last requested, you can choose to show it to the other players and continue your turn as if you received the card from another player. Otherwise, proceed to the Action phase.

   If the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile and place it face down as the new draw pile.

5. Once you have a herd of four matching goats, you must immediately place your goat herd face up in front of you. This can happen during the Herding or Action phases.

6. After you draw a card from the draw pile that does not match your goat request, your Herding phase ends and your Action phase begins.

Action Phase

1. Playing an Action card is optional. If you cannot or do not want to play an Action card, simply say "pass" to end your turn. Play then proceeds clockwise to the next player.
2. When an Action card is played, resolve the effect listed on the card, including taking another turn if the card allows for that. Play then proceeds clockwise to the next player.
3. A player affected by an Action card can choose to play a Defend card in response.
4. Place used Action and Defend cards in the discard pile.
5. If a card effect ends a player's turn, their turn ends immediately (with no further draw, action, etc.). Play then proceeds clockwise to the next player.

Sometimes, the text on a card might conflict with the rules listed here. If that happens, follow what the card says.

Goatfish is all about options: requesting Goat cards, playing Action cards, and playing Defend cards are all optional. The right timing is important!

Card List

64 Cards

40 Goat Cards

• 4x Alpine Goat
• 4x Angora Goat
• 4x Boer Goat
• 4x Cashmere Goat
• 4x Fainting Goat
• 4x Irish Goat
• 4x Kiko Goat
• 4x LaMancha Goat
• 4x Mountain Goat
• 4x Pygmy Goat

16 Action Cards

• 1x Goat Rodeo
• 4x Goat Roper
• 2x Goat Sacker
• 1x Honey Badger
• 4x Milk the Goat
• 2x Milk the Goat: Double Udder
• 1x Mutton Busted
• 1x Stop & Eat the Brambles

8 Defend Cards

• 1x Farmer D.B. McGurkin
• 1x Guard Donkey
• 1x Maremma
• 4x Screaming Goat
• 1x Security Llama