Circus Flohcati Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components
Preparation
Play
The Action Cards
Form a Trio
Call a Gala Show / Game End
Scoring
Credits

Components

80 Circus attraction cards (0-7 values in ten colors), 9 Action cards (3 of each of 3 types)

Preparation

There are Circus cards in ten different colors that depict ten attractions, and 3 types of Action cards with special functions. Shuffle all the Circus cards and Action cards together and place them as a face-down deck in the middle of the table. The youngest player begins and play proceeds clockwise.

Play

On your turn, you may choose a card from any of the cards beside the deck and take it into your hand. If there aren't any cards next to the deck or you don't like any of the available cards, you can draw the top card from the deck and display it in a row in the middle of the table.

You may draw as many cards as you wish, one at a time. However, you must stop revealing cards in the following two situations;

When you choose a card from the display, to take into your hand and finish your turn. Before the turn ends, you can form a Trio or call a Gala Show.
When you reveal an attraction that is already displayed in the middle, place the new card face-up on the discard pile and end your turn. In this case, you cannot turn over any more cards or take any cards into your hand. You are not allowed to form a Trio or call a Gala Show either.

[Example] On his turn, Dave revealed the top cards one by one as he could reveal as many cards as he wanted. The first card was Rope Walking, the second card was Flying Trapeze, and the third card was [Rolling Globe]. Then the next card was [Rolling Globe] again, so Dave is not allowed to take any cards. Remove the last 5-Rolling Globe card to the discard pile. This card can not be used anymore in this game.

The Action Cards

If you reveal an Action card from the deck on your turn, then you must follow its instructions. Thereafter, place the action card on the face-up discard pile and end your turn. You can form a Trio or call a Gala Show. There are three types of Action cards:

Take a Card

Request one attraction card from another player. When you draw this card, you may select an opponent who will give up a card to you. If the opponent has no cards in their hand, they do not have to give one. The opponent chooses which of their cards to give up and hands it over face-up, so everyone can see it. Take the card into your hand.

Open the Deck

Reveal further cards from the deck, placing them into the display, until an already displayed attraction is revealed. Discard this new card face-up as usual. Thereafter, take one of the displayed cards into your hand. If you reveal another Action card, follow the new instruction. Finish your turn after following the action. You can form a Trio or call a Gala Show.

If you draw the last card from the deck, your turn as well as the game ends immediately. If the last card is a duplicated attraction or an action card, take a card or follow new instructions as usual described above.

Pick a Card

Draw one attraction card from another player. When you draw this card, you may select an opponent and draw one card randomly from the opponent's hand. You must show the drawn card to the other players before placing it into your hand. If an opponent has no cards, you cannot draw from him.

Form a Trio

During your turn, you may form a Trio if you have three cards of the same value in your hand. Place the three cards face-up in front of you before finishing your turn. You can use the card you took from the display in the current turn as a part of the Trio. You may form one or more Trio sets at once. At the end of the game, each Trio counts for ten bonus points.

[Example] Dave revealed 5-Knife throwing and 1-Unicycle. Then, he decided to stop drawing cards and take 1-Unicycle card. Now he has three attraction cards with value 1, including the card he just took. Dave places these cards in front of him and forms a Trio of 1.

Call a Gala Show / Game End

If a player has at least one of each of the ten attractions in their hand, they may call a Gala Show at the end of their turn. This finishes the game immediately and the player scores ten bonus points. If the last card from the deck is drawn with no Gala show called, the player who draws the last card may complete their turn as usual, and the game will finish at the end of their turn.

Scoring

Circus card points: Totals the highest value card of each attraction (color) in your hand. If you have more than one card of the same color, do not count the lower value cards.
Trio points: Each Trio placed in front of a player scores an additional ten-point bonus. Trios in a player's hand do not score.
Gala Show points: The player who called a Gala Show receives an additional ten-point bonus.

The player with the highest points wins.

[Example] Dave has 7 attraction cards and formed 1 Trio. He scores 22 Circus card points (3 + 7 + 4 + 2 + 6 = 22; if you have more than one card of the same color, only the highest value card scores), and 10 Trio points, so has a total of 32 points. He has no Gala Show points.

Credits