Catch the Match
Catch the Match Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
In Catch the Match, there are 15 cards that each have the same 15 items. On each pair of cards the same 15 objects are always shown: TEDDY BEAR, DUCK, PENCIL, SWEATER, FLOWER, BOAT, AIRPLANE, HAT, BALL, DRUM, FISH, BUTTERFLY, CAR, TEAPOT, KITE. All objects are shown in 2 different colors, however, always in different combinations: sometimes the teddy bear is yellow-green, sometimes it is green-yellow, sometimes it's red and blue, etc. Any two cards always have one (and only one) object that is exactly identical in color. All players play at the same time. Be the first to find this pair and say the name of the object and point it out. If correct, the player takes one of the cards as a reward. The player with the most cards, when all run out wins.
Example: two ducks with identical colors are "Absolutely Identical"; two teapots with swapped colors are "Not Identical".
Set up
The 15 cards are shuffled and placed face down on the table.
Game Play
The oldest player takes any two cards and places them face up in the center of the table, next to each other. Now the game begins!
On the two face up cards, exactly one object is identical. All players immediately look for this object at the same time. Whoever believes they have found the match, quickly calls out the name of the object and points at them to show the other players.
Whoever first called the identical match correctly takes one of the two face up cards and keeps that card as a point.
Note: If a player should call an incorrect match, they are out of this round (with these two cards) and the others continue to look until someone finds the correct match.
For example: Tony has found the identical item and quickly calls out, "Butterfly". He points at the two identical butterflies.
Then, a new card is taken from the pile of face down cards and is placed face up next to the other card on the table. The next round begins immediately. All players look for the identical match in the same fashion as the first round.
After Tony has chosen one of the two cards to keep in his score pile, he turns over the top card of the stockpile and places it above or below the other face up card.
Again, whoever finds the identical match first, gets one of the cards as a point. The game is played in this way, round after round.
End of Game
The game ends when only one card is left. The player with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.
Note
When a player takes a card as a point, then that player should always select the card, which has been in play for the longest period of time, in order to guarantee constant change.
Wanna Play Again?
Shuffle all 15 cards and start over. The matches will always change depending on which two cards are turned over, so every game is different!