Kings and Jokers

(1-6 players with 52 card deck + 2 jokers)

Setup

Identity Pile

4 Kings + 2 Jokers (Red and Black)

Tools Pile

Ace - 9 odds only

Challenge Pile

Everything else

Assign Secret Identites

  1. All piles are built facedown then shuffled.
  2. Each player takes one card from the Identity Pile. They look at but don’t show anyone else.
  3. Each player is dealt three cards from the Tools Pile to form his or her Hand.

Play

Each Turn

  1. One challenge card is turned over and revealed on top of the Challenge Pile.
  2. Two cards from the Tools Pile are placed in the center face down and unreveald.
  3. Each player plays exactly one card from his or her Hand.
  4. Only when all players have played exactly one card are the cards shuffled (to hide who played what), then scored.

Scoring

  1. Tool Cards that match the color of the Challenge Card count as positive (+) value equal to their face value. If the Challenge Card is the Jack of Diamonds, then a Five of Hearts is +5. Tool Cards that do not match the color of the Challenge Card count as (-) value equal to their face value. If the Challenge Card is the Six of Clubs, then a Three of Diamonds is -3.
  2. Add up the value of all the Tool Cards played (plus the extra 2), if the total is greater than zero the Challenge is Passed, otherwise the Challenge is a Fail (a score of exactly zero is a Fail).
  3. Discard the used Tools Cards to a Discard Pile.

Passed Challenges

When a Challenge Card scores more than zero points it Passes. Place it in a according to suit. At this point anyone who has won should announce so, before the start of the next round.

Failed Challenges

When a Challenge Card scores zero or less points it Fails. Place it into the Failed Pile. If the Failed Pile contains 5 cards, the game is Lost and everyone loses.

Reset the Tools Pile

After two Turns, all players will have one Tool Card left.

  1. Each player discards his or her last remaining Tool Card, face down, into the Discard Pile.
  2. Shuffle the Discard Pile into the Tools Pile.
  3. Deal three cards to each player from the new Tools Pile.

Losing

If five Challenge Cards Fail - are in the Failed Pile, then everyone loses and the game is lost.

Winning