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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Material
• Game Preparation
• Game Mechanics
  • Determine the Dealer
  • Dealing Out Animal Cards
  • Deal Out Plusminus Cards
  • Select Special Cards
  • Playing Tricks
  • Plusminus Cards
  • Count Points
• End of Game

Game Material

• 48 animal cards (12 cards in 4 colors)
• 6 plusminus cards
• 1 dealer card
• 31 special cards (with 4 different colored backs)
• You also need pen and paper

Game Preparation

Depending on the number of players, sort out the listed animal cards and put them aside into the box:

• 3 players: all cards with a value of 11 and 12 and one random card with a value of 1
• 4 players: all cards with a value of 11 and 12
• 5 players: 3 random cards with a value of 1
• 6 players: none

All players may take a look at the set-aside cards.

Game Mechanics

A game consists of several rounds. Each round is composed of the following actions:

1. Determine the dealer
2. Dealing out animal cards
3. Deal out plusminus cards
4. Select special cards
5. Play tricks
6. Count points

Determine the Dealer

In the first round, a random player gets the dealer card. In each consecutive round, the player left of the previous dealer gets the dealer card.

Dealing Out Animal Cards

The dealer shuffles all animal cards and deals out an equal number of cards to each player. Each player takes up the cards s/he got dealed.

Deal Out Plusminus Cards

Each player receives one plusminus card. If the player still has a plusminus card from a previous round, he doesn't get a new card. So each player has exactly one plusminus card per round.

Select Special Cards

Sort all special cards depending on their backside color. There are 4 piles of special cards. Shuffle all 4 piles separately and reveal the top card of each pile.

The player left of the actual dealer may now choose one of the revealed special cards which will be in effect for this single round. Afterwards, the next player clockwise chooses a second special card that will also be in effect for this round. The remaining two cards get put back onto their respective piles. They don't have an effect in this round.

Playing Tricks

A round consists of several tricks. In a trick, each player, in clockwise direction, plays one of his animal cards from his hand. He puts his played card onto the table face up. The first trick of each round is started by the player left of the player who chose the second special card (3 seats left of the dealer). Each following trick is started by the player who won the last trick.

The first card of each trick can be chose by the player. Each following card of a given trick has to be the same color as the first played card of the trick. Only if a player has no more cards of the needed color he may play different-colored cards of his choice.

The player who plays the card with the highest value of the color of the first played card wins the trick. An exception to this rule applies when a special card is in effect that specifies one color as being a trump: if at least one card of a trump color is part of the trick, the player who played the trump card with the highest value wins the trick.

The winner of the trick takes all cards and sets them aside face down. Afterwards he starts a new trick.

Note: As each single trick is worth 1 point, it is advised to rotate each trick by 90° to make them distinguishable.

Plusminus Cards

Each player has one plusminus card per round, which he keeps in his hand similar to the animal cards. The plusminus card has two different sides, one with +2 and one with -2.

Each player may play a plusminus card at any time together with an animal card. He may change the value of the played animal card either by adding +2 or by subtracting 2. Afterwards, the plusminus card is put aside. The player may only use a new plusminus card in the following rounds.

Attention: Only one plusminus card may be played per trick. As soon as one player uses his plusminus card, other players may not make use of their plusminus cards for this trick.

If the use of a plusminus card would end in a draw between two cards that could win the trick, the player who played the plusminus card always wins the trick.

Count Points

As soon as all players have played all their animal cards, the playing of tricks ends. Now, the points of each player are calculated as follows:

• Each trick gains the player 1 point.
• For satisfying the special card effects, the players gain the appropriate positive or negative points. If several players meet the requirements, each player that meets the requirements gets additional points.

The points of all players are written down and the next round starts.

End of Game

Depending on the number of players, a game consists of the following number of rounds:

• 3 players: 6 rounds
• 4 players: 8 rounds
• 5 players: 5 rounds
• 6 players: 6 rounds

If you demand a quicker or longer game, you may adjust the number of rounds that get played. Please pay attention to the fact that each player should be the dealer as often as any other player to guarantee equal chances.

Whoever has the most points after the set number of rounds is the winner of the game. In case of a draw, there can be more than one winner.