SETUP:
”8s Rule!” is a challenging and fun family card game for 3-6 players, ages 13 and over.
The object of the game is to be the player with the lowest score at the end of Round 8.
- GAME CONTENTS:
- 60 cards with numbers 1-15 in 4 different suits.
- 6 Player’s Cards explaining rounds (RD) 1-8 objectives and the point (PT) values for each round.
- 1 instructions booklet.
DEFINITIONS:
Suit: The four suits are Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green.
Round: The game is played in 8 rounds. Each round has its own objective. See Player’s Cards for each Round’s Objective. To begin a round, all 60 cards are dealt face down with an equal number of cards to each player. The round ends when the round’s objective has been met.
Trick: A trick is complete after each player has placed a card face up in succession. The player that plays the largest numbered card in the suit that was led wins the trick. That player then leads with a card to start the next trick.
Renege: When a player fails to follow suit, when able to do so, or passes when the player has a card that plays.
Example 1: Player 1 leads with a blue card. You have a blue card but play a yellow card from your hand. You just reneged!
Example 2: In Round 8 you have a green 10 in your hand that plays on top of the green 9, but you pass instead. You just reneged again!
If a player reneges, a 50-point penalty is added at the end of the round to that player’s score.
8s REALLY DO RULE!
If you play an 8 in the same suit that was led, the 8 rules! You have the option to “take” or “no take” the trick. You must declare whether you will “take” or “no take” the trick at the time you play the 8. if you lead with an 8 and no other player can follow your suit, you must “take” the trick even if you have announced, “no take.”
TO START THE GAME
Each player is given a Player’s Card explaining each round’s (RD) Objective and point (PT) values. Then all players cut the deck for “high card.” The player with the highest number is the first dealer who shuffles and deals Round 1.
RULES FOR ROUNDS 1-7
The player to the left of the dealer begins the round by placing a card face up in the center of the table. The play continues clockwise and in succession. You must follow suit if you have a card in that suit. If you do not have a card in that suit, you may discard any card from your hand. The player with the largest card in the suit that was led takes the trick – unless, a player plays an 8 in the suit that was led and chooses to “take” the trick then the trick goes to the player who played the 8. The round ends as soon as the objective has been met and you move on to the next round. The player to the left of the dealer deals the next round.
RULES FOR ROUND 8
The first player after the dealer must play one of the four 8s to start the round. If you do not have one of the 8s, you must pass, and play goes to the next player. If you play one of the 8s, then the next player has the option to place the 9 in that suit above the 8 or the 7 in that suit below the 8; or that player may place another one of the 8s to the left or right of the first 8. If the second player does not have the 7 or 9 in that suit or another one of the 8s, that player must pass.
Players continue to stack cards on top of cards in descending order from 7 through 1 and ascending order from 9 through 15. When a player goes out by playing the last card, the game ends. Each player then adds 10 points for each remaining card in each player’s hand. If you are the player who goes out first, you subtract 25 points from your score. The player with the lowest score at the end of Round 8 is the winner.
In the event of a tie for first place, the player who had the highest score (not the lowest score) at the end of Round 7 wins the game. The winner of the game deals Round 1 in the next game.
For a more challenging game… try playing partners if you have 4 or 6 players.
