Rock!
Rock! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What's in the Box
- 60 ROCK! Cards: 20 each of Rock, Paper, Scissors
- Travel Tin
- Rule Sheet
The Object of ROCK!
Players collect cards by being the first to call out the name of the winning type of card in each round. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins ROCK!
Setting Up
- Shuffle the cards and deal them to all players, so that each has an equal number of cards.
- Each player stacks his or her cards into a personal draw pile.
Traditional Rock, Paper, Scissors Rules
- ROCK beats SCISSORS by blunting them.
- PAPER beats ROCK by wrapping it up.
- SCISSORS beats PAPER by cutting it.
Playing the Game
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Each player picks up his or her draw pile and holds it in one hand, with the cards face down.
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To begin a round, each player simultaneously flips the top card from his or her draw pile, face up, onto the table.
- Cards should be flipped outward so that all players see the images on the cards at the same time.
- Cards should be placed near the center of the table so that they are in clear view of all players.
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Players race to call out the winning type of card or determine that there is no winning type in that round, in which case players must remain silent. The winning type is determined using traditional Rock, Paper, Scissors rules, with some variation in the three and four player games. It doesn't matter who played which card—what matters is who calls out the winning type first, if there is a winning type in that round. See Traditional Rock, Paper, Scissors Rules.
Players determine if the combination of cards results in a winning type or if they must remain silent.
For a Two-Player Game
If the two cards played are the same type, both players must stay silent.
Example: Paper, Paper → stay silent.
If the two cards played are different types, players race to call out the name of the winning type.
Example: Rock, Paper → call out "Paper!"
For a Three-Player Game
If all three cards are the same type, players must remain silent.
Example: Rock, Rock, Rock → stay silent.
If there are two cards of one type and one card of another type, players race to call out the name of the winning type, regardless of how many cards of each type were played.
Example: Rock, Scissors, Scissors → call out "Rock!"
If one card of each type is played, players must remain silent.
Example: Rock, Paper, Scissors → stay silent.
For a Four-Player Game
If all four cards are the same type, players must remain silent.
Example: Scissors, Scissors, Scissors, Scissors → stay silent.
If there are two types of cards, players race to call out the name of the winning type, regardless of how many cards of each type are played.
Example: Paper, Paper, Scissors, Scissors → call out "Scissors!"
If all three types of cards are played, one type will have two cards while the other two types will have only one card each. Players race to call out the name of the type with two cards.
Example: Rock, Rock, Paper, Scissors → call out "Rock!"
- The first type of card called out, correct or incorrect, determines the results for that round.
- If the type of card called out is correct, the player who called it out wins that round and collects all of the cards in the center of the table. Collected cards are stacked on the table, face down, in front of the player who won those cards.
- If the type of card called out is incorrect or a type is called out when there is no winning type, the player who called it out automatically looses that round. In a two-player game, the other player collects both cards. In a three or four-player game, the player who called out the incorrect type leaves his or her card where it was played. This card will be collected by the next player to win a round. Each of the other players collects the card that he or she played for that round and adds it to his or her stack of collected cards.
- If two or more players call out the name of the winning type of card at exactly the same time, it's considered a tie. In a two-player game, both cards remain on the table. In a three or four-player game, the tied players each collect the card that he or she played for that round and the other cards remain on the table. The cards for the next round are played directly on top of any cards remaining on the table and the next player who wins a round collects the cards played that round and any cards underneath.
- Play continues following steps 2–4 until all cards in the draw piles have been played.
Winning the Game
Each player counts the cards that he or she has collected. The player with the most cards wins ROCK!
In the case of a tie, play again!
Tournament ROCK!
For more competitive games of ROCK! use the following rule variation. Instead of just calling out the name of the winning type of card, a player must be the first to actually touch a card of that type. This variation will reduce the uncertainty of which player was the first to call out the winning type. All other rules are the same for the two, three, and four player games.