Stop it!
Stop it! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 150 playing cards
- 17 cards of each colour: red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange and brown
- 2 stop cards per colour
- 2 superstop cards
- 15 minus cards, each with 1 minus point
For 2 – 6 players, ages 8 and older.
The Aim of the Game
The aim of the game is to have the smallest number of minus cards in the end. These are given to the player who, when a stop card turns up, has the smallest number of cards of the colour in question.
Game Preparation – Be Prepared!
Sort out the 15 minus cards and place them on the edge of the table. Shuffle the remaining 133 cards and distribute them to 5 stacks of more or less the same height. These stacks are placed openly (face up) in the middle of the table, so that all players can reach them equally well.
Note: the printed rules give 133 remaining cards. The card counts in the Contents (7 colours × 17 + 7 × 2 stop cards + 2 superstop cards = 135 non-minus cards) total 135, not 133. The printed figure is transcribed unchanged here.
Playing the Game – Grab as Fast as You Can!
The player with the shortest arms shouts „Go!“ Now all players take up cards from the five stacks at the same time... but getting the right colour is important! The following rules apply:
- You may take only the top card.
- You may take cards with one hand only.
- You must hold the cards picked up in the other hand, sorted by colour!
If a player does not keep order in his hand of cards, he receives a minus point, when „Stop!“ is called. A player who drops one or more cards receives a minus point as well. (The minus cards are put down in front of the players.)
Picking Up Cards? What For?
For each colour, there are corresponding stop cards. As soon as such a stop card turns up in one of the stacks, any player may shout „Stop!“ plus the colour of the stop card (e.g. „Stop blue!“ or „Stop red!“). The game is immediately interrupted. If a player has just taken up a card, he may sort it into his hand, but then the turn is over.
Evaluation – When Someone Calls „Stop!“
The players have to show all their cards in hand. The player with the smallest number of cards in the colour of the „Stop!“ card receives a minus card.
If several players have the same small number of cards, they each receive a minus card. The other players check also whether a player has sorted his cards correctly. If not all cards of one colour are held together (one after the other), the player receives a minus card.
After all the minus cards for this „Stop!“ are distributed, the stop card is taken out of the game.
The player who shouted „Stop!“ starts the game again. He says loudly „Go“, and then the players may take up cards again ... until someone shouts „Stop!“
You Can Also Pick Up Stop Cards!
If a stop card turns up on one of the five stacks, a player can take it into his or her hand – only if he or she snatches it before someone else can call „Stop!“ The stop cards picked up can be played later simply by calling „Stop!“ (and discarding the stop card). This can be done at any time while the other players are picking up cards. He then shows the stop card, and, as usual, the minus cards are distributed for the colour in question.
Stop cards in hand do not count in an evaluation (neither for colour stops nor for superstops).
The Superstop Cards
If the game is stopped with such a card, the players count all the cards in their hand. The player with the smallest number of cards receives a minus card. If several players have the same small number of cards, each receives a minus card. Then the game continues.
End of the Game – And the Winner Is...!
As soon as the last minus card is given out, the game is over. (If there are several minus cards to be distributed at the end of the game and there are not enough minus cards left, the players have to add the remaining minus points to their score.)
The winner is the player with the smallest number of minus cards.