The Game is a cooperative experience like no other! Players must play their cards correctly but can’t show each other what they have in their hands. To win, players need to discard all their cards into the correct discard piles, which might sound easy, but this game requires some proper thought and strategy to beat.
What is The Game Card Game?
If you are getting bored of family games like Old Maid or Monopoly, then this game is exactly what you need! In the game, players will need to discard all 98 cards into the discard piles to win. This might sound simple enough, but cards must be discarded in a specific way.
In total, there will be 98 cards that need discarding, and they’ll be split between all the players during the entire course of the game. On the table, there’ll be four starting cards used to form the discard piles.
Two piles will show the number one and an up arrow, while the others will show the number 100 and a down arrow. These arrows show whether the piles will be in ascending/ descending order. On your turn, you need to play two cards onto the piles.
This might all sound quite straightforward so far, right? But there is an extra complication because players can also play cards that are exactly ten numbers higher or lower.
For example, let’s say the top card on the 100 descending pile is 50, then you could play a 60 card on it without breaking the rules. Once a player has emptied their hand, they must redraw more cards so they can continue playing.
There are more rules to know, though, because players can’t speak to each other during the entire course of the game. However, you can use gestures (under some rule sets) to prevent other players from putting down the wrong card.
Once the deck gets empty, players must play one more card from their hand if they have some to win the game! Now, this is the basics of The Game; let’s look at what else you need to know.
What You’ll Need To Play?
To play this fun card game, you’ll need a card set. Upon its release in 2018, The Game became very popular, and it was even nominated for the Spiel Des Jahres/ Game of the Year award! So, you should be able to find it in toy/ game shops.
However, getting your card set of The Game online will often be easier. Once you have your cards, you can get right down to playing. But to ensure the game runs smoothly, make sure you check out our rules guide below.
Rules And Gameplay
1. The Aim of The Game
The Game is a cooperative experience, but what does this mean? You’re playing as a team, and you’re working toward the goal.
The goal is to play all your cards in the right order to ensure they are played correctly. All players need to put down their cards correctly to win the game.
2. The Set-Up
While The Game makes a fun two-player card game, this game really comes alive when you have multiple players. We think it works best with 4 – 6 players, but you can play it more or less quite easily. The only thing that will change is the number of cards each player has. Use our handy guide below to ensure you deal the right amount of cards.
- Two Players – 8 Cards
- Three/ Four Players – 6 Cards
- Five/ Six Players – 5 Cards
- Seven or More Players – 4 Cards
Before you deal any cards, you’ll need to first choose a dealer. This is normally the oldest player; however, you choose however you like. The dealer will then deal out the cards to each player.
Remember, cards should be dealt one at a time and always placed facedown. The deck should be well-shuffled beforehand too. Then, place down the four starting base cards to begin the game.
3. Playing The Game
Players must put two cards down on their turn on any of the four piles. The player to the left of the dealer should go first. Remember, cards can be played in ascending or descending motions.
Players can also put down cards that are exactly ten numbers higher or lower than the previous top card. You can use this to sometimes get out of difficult spots if someone has put down a difficult card.
Once you have played your cards, you should draw new ones from the stockpile. The game continues till the stock is empty. Once empty, every player must play one more card from their hand to finish the game.
If, at any point, players aren’t able to put down any cards on the four piles, they are out of the game. They should also add their remaining cards to the bottom of the stockpile. The game can continue with the other players.
However, if only one player is left, the game is lost, and you must restart. Don’t worry if this happens; it is all part of the fun and part of developing a winning strategy. Speaking of which, let’s take a closer look at the no-talking rules.
4. Communication Matters
While the aim of The Game might seem simple, what makes it challenging is that players can’t communicate with each other. You can put down what you think is the right card only to effectively block another player from taking their turn.
There are actually several different ways you can impose the communication rules. Under normal rules, players can’t talk, meaning communication can only be done through gestures. But some people think this can make the game too easy, especially after you’ve played a few times already.
So, you can always impose an absolute silence rule to add an extra layer of challenge to the proceedings. Players can only talk with this rule if they can’t play any cards and must forfeit the game; everything else must be done in complete silence!
We don’t recommend this for new players as it can make the game quite difficult. But it can be a fun rule to add if you’re looking for a new challenge and want to test how well you work in a team.
5. Challenge Rules
Another fun new challenge rule to add to the game is to increase the number of cards that must be discarded each turn. Increasing the total to three or four cards can make the game much more difficult, especially if you’re playing with a large team.
The Game – Sure To Be A Fun Time!
If you’re getting bored of Battleship and Clue and are looking for a new way to see how well you all work together, The Game is a must-play! The gameplay loop is fun and addictive, and no two games will ever be the same.
