Scout

Categories: Card Game

Mechanics: Hand Management, Ladder Climbing, Score-and-Reset Game

Players: 2–5

Ages: 9+

Playtime: 15 Min

SCOUT is a ladder-climbing card game where each card has two possible values, and players cannot rearrange their hand. Players can pass their turn to draw a card from the current highest set. The game uses 45 cards, each with two different values ranging from 1 to 10. During setup, the dealer shuffles the cards thoroughly and randomizes their orientation. After dealing, players pick up their hand without rearranging but may rotate their hand to use the alternate values.

On a turn, a player can choose between two actions:

• Play: A player selects one or more adjacent cards from their hand that either have the same value or are in consecutive order (ascending or descending) and plays them to the table. This can only be done if the table is empty or if the new set is higher than the current set on the table. A set is considered higher if it has more cards, consists of identical values rather than consecutive ones, or has higher values in the same quantity. If a player plays a higher set, they capture the previous set and place it face down in front of them.

• Scout: A player takes a card from either end of the current table set and places it anywhere in their hand in any orientation. The player who played the previous set receives a 1 VP token for making a set that wasn't beaten.

Players may scout and then immediately play once per round.

The round ends when a player has either emptied their hand or all but one player has scouted instead of playing. At the end of each round, players earn 1 VP for each captured face-down card and lose 1 VP for each card remaining in their hand (except if they were scouted repeatedly to end the game). Play continues for as many rounds as there are players, and the player with the most points at the end wins.