Welcome to VATIKAN!

Hey there! Let’s talk about VATIKAN, an awesome card game that you can play with 2 to 5 players. The aim of the game is to get rid of all your cards before your opponents do. Are you excited? I sure am!

Let’s Get Started!

First things first, we need to set up the game. To do that, we’ll choose a dealer randomly. The dealer will then shuffle the deck and deal each player a hand of 13 cards. The rest of the cards will create a stockpile, which will be placed face-down in the middle of the play area.

Card Ranking and Melds

Now, let’s talk about how the cards are ranked in VATIKAN. It’s pretty simple, really. Aces are the highest-ranking cards, and they’re also the lowest-ranking cards. So, it goes like this: Ace (high), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and Ace (low).

In this game, we use something called melds. Melds can be sequences or sets, but they must have at least 3 cards. So, remember, you need at least 3 cards to make a meld.

In the game, all the cards in a sequence must be the same suit and in ranking order. You can use the Ace as the highest or lowest ranked card, but not in a loop, so (2, Ace, King) is not a valid meld.

A set, on the other hand, needs to have at least 3 cards of the same rank, but they can’t have the same suit. All the cards in the set must be of different suits. So, a set can only have 4 cards.

Now, let’s talk about jokers. They are wild cards and can be used as any card in a set or sequence. They give you some flexibility in your gameplay.

GAMEPLAY

To start the game, the player to the left of the dealer takes the first turn. From there, the game continues clockwise. On your turn, you have two options: draw one card or meld cards. Remember, you can only choose one option and can’t do both.

The first time I meld, I have to play a sequence of 3 or more cards. Once I’ve made my first meld, I can continue to play any melds I want in future turns. I’m also allowed to rearrange my melds on my turn. And guess what? I can even play on other players’ melds too!

Now let’s talk about jokers. Jokers are like wild cards. I can play them in any meld where they can represent a legal card. But here’s the catch: If I want to move or rearrange a joker that’s already melded, I have to replace it with the card it represents. I can take the replacement card from my hand or one of my existing melds.

Alright, let’s move on to the end of the game. The game ends when someone manages to get rid of all their cards. That player is declared the winner!

Oh, before I forget, let me tell you a bit about Amber. They are an amazing writer from Austin who knows a lot about gaming. They consider themselves a gaming master and have a deep love for dogs, plants, and D&D.