Variant Kontsina: A Fishing Card Game for 3 or 4 Players

Welcome to Variant Kontsina! It’s a fun fishing card game that you can play with 3 or 4 players. The goal is simple: score more points than your opponents by the end of the game. Let’s dive in and learn how to play!

Before we start, let’s decide how many rounds we want to play or how many points we need to reach in order to win. It’s important to agree on this before we begin.

If we have 4 players, we have two options: we can either play as partners or play individually. If we choose partners, we’ll sit opposite each other and share a score pile. It adds a cool twist to the game!

Getting Set Up

First things first, we need to choose a dealer. This can be done randomly, and the dealer will change with each round, going anticlockwise. Remember, being the dealer isn’t always an advantage, so it’s fair to take turns.

Alright, let’s get started! First, the deck of cards will be shuffled, and then each player will receive a 4-card hand. Next, 4 additional cards will be placed face up between the players, while the remaining cards will be set aside as a stockpile.

Card Ranking

In this game, there is no specific ranking system for the cards. Every card is equal and has the same value.

GAMEPLAY

The game begins with the player to the right of the dealer, and then continues to the next player in a counterclockwise direction. When it’s your turn, you have the option to play one card from your hand. Depending on your move, one of the following situations may occur: you can capture a single card from the layout, capture multiple cards from the layout, or add a card to the center of the layout.

If you want to capture a single card, you have to play a card from your hand that has the same rank as the one you want to capture. This means you can only capture Kings, Queens, and Jacks in this way. When you capture a card, both the captured card and the one you played will be added to your score pile. If there are multiple cards that match and could be captured, you can only capture one.

If you want to capture a set of cards, you have to add up their values to equal the value of the card you played from your hand. Remember, Aces have a value of one in this game. If there are multiple sets of cards that can be captured, you can only capture one set.

If you can’t or don’t want to capture cards from the layout, you can add a card to it by playing a faceup card from your hand.

Whenever you capture a card or cards, both the captured card(s) and the card you played will be added to your score pile. Your score pile is kept facedown.

The game doesn’t stop until you run out of cards in your hands. Once that happens, the dealer hands out four cards to each player. If there are three players, this goes on for four rounds. If there are four players, it goes on for three rounds. At the end of all the deals, the round is finished.

Here’s an interesting twist: the last player to take a card from the layout gets to score all the remaining cards in the layout when the round is done. That should keep you on your toes!

Now, let’s talk about scoring. After the round ends, it’s time to tally up your points. The player who captured the most cards gets a nice bonus of 2 points. If you have the most clubs in your collection, that’s worth 1 point. And hey, if you were lucky enough to grab the 2 of clubs or the 10 of diamonds, you also get 1 point each.

But here’s the thing, if there’s a tie for the most cards captured, no one gets those 2 points. They’re off the table, so to speak.

Finally, when all the rounds are finished, the game comes to an end. Give yourself a pat on the back for playing a great game!

Did you know that games have a conclusion? Yes, they do! The game ends when the decided number of rounds or points is reached. It’s really that simple. Whoever has the most points at the end wins the game. Exciting, right? You can play all sorts of games, and this is how you determine the winner.

Now, let me tell you about someone cool. Their name is Amber, and they are an amazing writer from Austin. But that’s not all – Amber is also a gaming connoisseur. They know all there is to know about games and can talk about them for hours. Oh, and they have a special talent for playing games too. They call themselves a gaming master. How awesome is that?

But Amber has other interests too. They absolutely adore dogs, plants, and Dungeons & Dragons. Dogs are such loyal and lovable companions, aren’t they? And plants, well, they add life and beauty to any space. As for Dungeons & Dragons, it’s a legendary role-playing game that has captured the hearts and imaginations of many.

So, now you know about the game’s conclusion and a bit about Amber. Keep gaming, my friend!