LIGHTS ON

Hey there! Welcome to Lights On, a super fun game where we collect cards and try to outsmart our opponents. It’s based on another cool game called Kemps, but with a twist for the holiday season!

Okay, so here’s how it works: we play in teams, and each team gets to choose a secret signal. It’s like having our own secret language! Pretty cool, huh? Now, the goal is to collect a set of four matching lights. Once we do, we secretly signal our partner by saying “Lights On”. But watch out! If the other team thinks we’re trying to signal, they can block us by saying “Lights Off”. Sneaky, right?

There’s a catch, though. If someone blocks us and they’re wrong, they’ll earn a broken bulb card. Ouch! And if they collect three broken bulb cards, guess what? They automatically lose. So, we need to be strategic, my friend. Let’s make sure our signals are on point and our opponents don’t catch us off guard. It’s all about communication and keeping a sharp eye!

THE CARDS & THE DEAL

Okay, listen up. Here’s what you need to do to get the Christmas Lights Card Game started. First, grab five bulb cards of each color – that’s red, green, blue, yellow, and purple – along with five bubble bulb cards. You’ll also need five plug cards and five broken bulb cards, but don’t worry about those just yet.

Now, mix up the color bulbs and the bubble bulbs to make your deck. Put the plugs and broken bulbs to the side for now – we’ll be using those later for scoring.

Alright, time to deal. Deal out four cards to each player, face-down. No peeking! Then, put four cards face-up in a row in the middle of the table, where everyone can reach them. Don’t forget to keep the rest of the deck face-down, forming a draw pile.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Lights On is a team game, so make sure partners sit across from each other. Before you start playing, each team needs to come up with a secret signal to use when they have a set of four matching cards. But here’s the catch – it can’t be words or noises. It has to be some kind of body movement or gesture. Got it?

The Game Begins

We start the game when the dealer counts down from three. It’s an exciting moment because from that point on, we can start swapping cards. We have four cards face up in the middle of the table that we can choose from. And here’s the catch – we can only swap one card at a time.

Now, sometimes there comes a time when the swapping stops. It’s like a pause in the game. When that happens, the dealer asks if we want new lights. And if we all agree, those four cards in the center are no longer in play. They’re discarded, and we get four brand new cards in the center, face up. The dealer counts down again, and the game continues from where we left off. It’s a thrilling ride!

Turn the Lights On!

When I have four matching bulbs in my hand, I can signal to my partner. If my partner sees the signal, they say “Lights on!” to end the round. Then, I show my hand to the table. If I do have four of a kind, the round ends and I earn a plug card. But if “Lights on” was said and I don’t have four of a kind, the round still ends and my team earns a broken bulb card.

LIGHTS OFF

If I think my opponent has four of a kind or is signaling, I can say “Lights off!” to end the round. I point at the player I suspect has four of a kind. That player reveals their hand. If they do have four of a kind, they earn a broken bulb card. If they don’t have four of a kind, I earn a broken bulb card instead. Either way, the round ends.

After each round, I collect all the cards and give them a good shuffle before starting the next round. Remember, deal always goes to the left.

How to Win the Game

The goal is to be the first team to earn three plugs. Once a team achieves this, they win the game. However, if a team ends up with three broken bulbs instead, they automatically lose.