Get Ready to Go Low!
If you have a good memory and can do quick math, Go Low is the perfect game for you! You’ll be given four cards at the start of each round. Your task? Memorize two of them and use that information to make informed decisions during gameplay.
Here’s how it works: based on the cards you’ve memorized, you try to figure out if you have the lowest points in your hand compared to the other players. If you think you do, then it’s time to yell out “Go Low!” and show your hand.
Setting Up the Game
Before you start, make sure everyone has a piece of paper and a pen handy for keeping score. The oldest player gets the honor of being the first dealer. After shuffling the deck, the dealer will distribute four cards to each player.
So, here’s how the game goes: The remaining cards are all face down and piled up in the middle. One card from the top of the pile is flipped over and placed next to it, forming the discard pile. Now, to start the game, each player needs to arrange their cards face down in a square shape, like a 2×2 grid, right in front of them.
How to Play
Now let’s get to the fun part! At the start of each round, everyone gets a chance to secretly look at any two cards in their hand. Don’t let anyone see what you’re up to! Memorize those cards – their values and positions. But remember, once you put them back in their original position, you can’t sneak a peek again.
Alright, let’s start the game! I’ll explain how it works. We’ll take turns, going around in a circle, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. The main goal is to keep low-value cards and get rid of the higher ones. Simple enough, right?
During each round, you have three options. Firstly, you can choose to draw a card and replace one of the cards in your hand with it. Secondly, you can take the top card from the discard pile and swap it with one of your own cards. Lastly, you can draw a card from the draw pile and immediately discard it. Keep these options in mind as you play.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. When you believe that you have the lowest-scoring hand, you have to shout “Go Low” before you discard a card into the discard pile. Remember, timing is crucial here. After you make the announcement, each player gets one more turn. Once everyone has their last turn, we all reveal our hands.
If, by any chance, you made the “Go Low” announcement but your hand doesn’t actually have the lowest score, then you’ll receive double points. Watch out for that! It adds a twist to the game and keeps everyone on their toes.
When each round is finished, we add up our points and write them down. If I was the one who said “Go Low” but I don’t have the fewest points, my points for that round get doubled. If I tie with someone else, we both get full points. After we count the points, we shuffle all the cards and start a new round.
THE END OF THE GAME
We play five rounds and then the game is over. The person with the lowest score is the winner!
We play five rounds and then the game is over. The person with the lowest score is the winner!