RAT A TAT CAT

Hey there! Have you ever played Rat a Tat Cat? It’s an awesome game that’s perfect for families with younger players like you. Get ready to learn some key skills that will make you a competitive and strategic player. Oh, and don’t forget the most important rule – you have to memorize your cards to win! Are you up for the challenge?

So here’s how it goes: every player starts with four cards. Throughout the game, your goal is to swap your cards for ones with lower point values. Sounds simple, right? Well, not exactly. You see, there’s a twist – you can’t look at your own cards! It’s like solving a puzzle without all the pieces. How exciting!

SETUP

Alright, let’s get this game started! First, we need to choose someone to be the dealer. The oldest player in our group will be in charge of keeping score. Once we have our roles assigned, the dealer will shuffle the entire deck and give four cards to each player, facing down. But here’s the catch – no peeking at your cards!

The remaining cards in the deck will be placed face down in the middle to create the draw pile. Then, the top card of the draw pile is flipped face up and becomes the starting card for the discard pile. And just like that, we’re ready to begin!

Gameplay

Now that everything is set up, it’s time to start playing. Each player can now take a look at the two outer cards of their four face down cards. Remember, the powers of any Power Cards you see won’t be active unless they’re drawn from the Draw Pile.

When we play this game, it all starts with the player sitting on the left side of the dealer. From there, we continue moving around the group to the left. Now, when it’s my turn, I have two choices.

I can either pick up the last card that someone discarded and use it to replace one of my own cards. The card I replace is then put face-up in the discard pile. Alternatively, I can draw a card from the pile and use it to replace one of my cards.

Now, let’s talk about the special cards that give us extra powers in the game. There are three types of these cards. First, we have the Peek Power Cards. With these, I can take a peek at one of my cards that’s facing down, like getting a secret sneaky look.

Next, we have the Swap Power Cards. These cards allow me to swap one of my cards with a card from another player. It’s optional, though, so I can choose not to use it if I don’t want to. The interesting thing is that I can’t look at the cards I’m swapping, so it’s all a surprise!

The Draw 2 Power Card gives me the chance to take two extra turns. On my turn, I get a card from the draw pile. During my first turn, I can either discard the card I drew and continue to my second turn or I can use the card I drew and give up my second turn. Power Cards don’t have any points, and I have to replace them with a card from the draw pile at the end of the round. They can either help me win or ruin my winning streak!

If I think I have the lowest score among everyone playing, I can knock on the table and say “rat a tat cat” to end the round. Then everyone shows their cards and replaces Power Cards with cards from the draw pile. We all add up the points on our cards, and someone keeps track of the scores for each round. The person to the left of the dealer becomes the new dealer.

The Journey’s End

When the game draws to a close, there are three possible outcomes, depending on the group’s decision. The group can agree to play for a set number of rounds or a specific duration. If this is the case, the player with the fewest points at the end emerges as the victor.

Alternatively, players can opt to play until they reach 100 points. Once a player hits this milestone, they bow out of the competition. The last remaining player emerges triumphant.

If you’re looking for a thrilling finish, this game also offers the option to play until a player scores 100 points. Once a player achieves this feat, they voluntarily exit the game, leaving the final round to determine the ultimate champion.