Allegra

Categories: Card Game, Number

Mechanics: Auction/Bidding, Deck Construction, Highest-Lowest Scoring, Pattern Building, Semi-Cooperative Game, Set Collection, Team-Based Game

Players: 2–6

Ages: 8+

Playtime: 30–40 Min

In Allegra, a card game inspired by "Golf," players strive to achieve the lowest score possible while strategically interacting with their neighbors. Here’s how it works:

Game Setup and Play:

• Setup: Each player starts with a grid of twelve face-down cards arranged in four columns and three rows. The grid includes a rightmost column that belongs to their right-hand neighbor and vice versa.
• Turns: Players take turns either drawing from the deck or the discard pile.
  • Drawing from the Deck: The drawn card can be discarded (revealing one card in the player's grid) or swapped with any card in the player's grid.
  • Drawing from the Discard Pile: The drawn card replaces any card in the player's grid, and the replaced card is discarded. Alternatively, players can swap the drawn card with a card from their neighbor's grid, causing the neighbor to take the replaced card into their hand.

Special Actions:

• Knocking: If a player draws from the deck, other players can knock to claim the card. The player drawing must then swap the claimed card with one from the claiming player’s grid, and the claiming player replaces the swapped card in their grid.
• Discarding Identical Cards: If a player achieves three identical cards in a row or column (including their neighbor’s rightmost column), those cards are discarded from play.

End of Round:

• The round ends when one player has all their cards face up. Other players get one more turn, then scores are calculated.
• Scoring: The player with the lowest total score wins the round. If the player who triggered the end of the round doesn’t have the lowest score, their total is doubled.

Objective:

• The player with the lowest total score after three rounds wins the game.

Details:

• Ages: 8+
• Players: 2-6
• Play Time: 30-40 minutes