✧ 3+ Player Variant (Base Game)
This has been tested a few times with 3 players, not with 4 or more yet, but in theory should work the same way. There are definitely a lot more weird scenarios that show up in this version than the normal 2 player one! If there is a scenario that we don’t address here, use your judgment and imagination to resolve it. Please let us know how it goes!
Resolving a Tie:
All cards just played get put in a pile to the side (not the discard pile and not anyone’s score pile yet)
Everyone involved in the tie draws another card into their hand, then plays again. (e.g. in a 3 player game, if 2 people tie for winning and the 3rd player loses, the 3rd player does not draw or play again, but their original losing card is put in the pile)
The winner gets the loser’s card as normal AND all the cards put aside! (and any cards from completing a pack as normal, if applicable)
If there is a tie and there are no more cards left to draw, shuffle the discard pile and draw from that (this does not replenish the “draw pile” for drawing from normally though! Just for breaking ties)
If there are no cards in the draw or discard, play from your hand without drawing first.
If there are multiple ties in a row, keep drawing cards (if able) and playing to break it.
Remember that when you break a tie you are still playing to the leader on the board, not to the previous cards put aside in a pile.
If you are never able to break a tie (no cards in draw pile, discard pile, or your hand) then no one gets any of those cards (tough luck).
Treat Card:
The player that lost the most on that turn gets to name the treat after the treat is played
If there is a tie for loser, then play again to break the tie, but the loser gets to name it (so you try to lose, haha)
End of Game:
If there are not enough cards for everyone to get 3 cards dealt to them, do NOT shuffle the discard pile back into the draw pile. (only draw from the shuffled discard to break a tie)
Deal out as many cards as you can so it’s even, and leave the left overs in the draw pile. They may still be drawn when breaking a tie, but if not, then they are just left at the end of the game (no one gets to play them, no one gets them as points)
Alternative: always shuffle the discard pile back as the draw pile any time you need to draw (ties and when dealing 3 out to each player) - this will definitely make the game last longer because you keep playing until all cards are gone or can’t be dealt evenly.
✧ 3+ Player Variant (Complex Game)
Round Set Up:
Deal 4 or 5 cards out to the table (for 3 or 4 players)
Resolving a Tie:
When there is a tie, still discard, draw, and play again (only the people involved in the tie do this)
Add 1 point per tie to the round score.
If the tie was during the round set up, then points are not effected.
End of Game:
3 players: play a best of 7 rounds still (when someone wins 3 rounds)
4 players: play a best of 9 rounds (when someone wins 3 rounds)
Draw your own table (the backs of the score sheets are blank)
Late Round bonuses: Round 6 = x2; Round 7 = x3; Round 8 = x4; Round 9 = x5.
✧ Base Game Variants
Break ties as described in the 3+ player variant above (they go into a score pile instead of the discard).
Play all 6 cards in your hand before drawing back up to 6.
Simplify the winning card options by only using some of them. For example, play with higher value, neighboring value, and same value. Or maybe only higher value! There will be a lot more ties this way, but less for small kids to think about.
✧ Complex Game Variants
Remove the 3 card round set up, just flip one card over from the deck to start as the first Leader card.
Use the score pad but remove aspects of it.
e.g. no winning streak bonuses, no late round bonuses, just play all 7 rounds no matter what, play a different number of rounds, etc.
✧ Cat Card Variants (either game)
You can declare high or low AFTER you have played it so you can seen what the other person has played first (this makes 2 cats played automatically a tie).
✧ Treat Card Variants (either game)
Play the treat card anytime you want, not just when completing a Pack.
Base game: instead of leaving it on the table for the other player to decide what it is, put it in your score pile and flip a new card over from the deck to be the next leader.
The treat does not instantly win. Declare what card it is as you play it, and it might not win depending on what the other person plays.