Circus Grandioso
Circus Grandioso Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Equipment
- 55 Animal-Cards (10 x Elephant, 9 x Rhino, 8 x Camel, 7 x Ponys, 6 x Tiger, 5 x Bear, 4 x Lion, 3 x Crocodile, 2 x Chimpanzees and 1 x Seal)
- 8 Clown-Cards
- 1 Token "Show Master"
- 1 Pyramid-Overview (shown on the back of the rule book)
Aim of the Game
Roll up! Roll up! Today the Circus Grandioso presents the unbelievable "Pyramid of Acrobatic Animals".
The player who plays the topmost card on the pyramid will win the "Show Master" token, but only if no other player can top this by playing a card higher up the pyramid. The player holding the "Show Master" token at the end of the game is the winner.
Setting Up the Game
The "Show Master" will be placed somewhere on the table. An Elephant-Card will be placed on the table as the first card of the pyramid. All other 54 Animal-Cards and the 8 Clown-Cards will be shuffled together and 7 cards dealt face down to each player. Players hold these cards in their hands. All of the remaining cards are placed face down in a stack pile on the table.
Information About Building Up the Pyramid
The pyramid must be build as shown on the overview (see back of the rule book). For example, only Elephants can be placed on the first row. All rows must only contain one kind of animal, with the exception of the Clowns.
A Clown may be placed into any row, but only one Clown per row. Also a Clown cannot be placed as the single topmost card on to the very top of the pyramid.
Except for the Elephants all cards may be placed only when there already are two cards underneath (see overview). Two animals are always required to carry one animal above.
The pyramid has two sides, left and right. Only the highest possible card can be placed to either of the pyramid sides. As soon as no card can be placed at a side of the pyramid and on to the pyramid, another Elephant may be placed on the bottom row of that side.
For example
The pyramid looks like this: At the left side of the pyramid, an Elephant can be placed because no card yet can be played on top of the Tiger. No Elephant can be placed on the right side because it is still possible to play a Tiger (or Clowns) as the upper-most card on that side.
If a Tiger is placed on the right side, then a Bear must be placed on the top of the pyramid because the Bear is then the top-most possible card for both sides of the pyramid.
After placing the Bear, Elephants may be placed again at both sides of the pyramid.
Playing the Game
Players play in clockwise order. The youngest player starts. A player may choose between two possible actions:
Option No. 1: Placing a Card Into the Pyramid
The player on turn may either place one of his own cards, one of the hidden single cards laying on the table (at the beginning of the game there are no hidden single cards on the table) or the topmost card of the stack pile onto the pyramid following the rules above.
If picking up one of the hidden single cards or the topmost card from the stack pile, the player may choose to place that card onto the pyramid (if possible) or not. If not placing the card onto the pyramid, the player has to put that card face down somewhere on the table and the next player takes their turn.
Each time the player on turn can place a card onto the pyramid and that card is not the single topmost card of the pyramid so far, the player can play again and may choose one of the two possible actions again.
If a player places a card onto the pyramid which then is the single topmost card, this player may take the "Show Master" and places it in front of him/her. The next player then comes to turn.
Option No. 2: Exchange a Hand Card
The player on turn may place one of his own cards face down somewhere onto the table and pick up one of the hidden single cards or the topmost card of the stack pile and add it to hers/his cards, without looking at the hidden cards beforehand. The next player then comes to turn.
Game End and Winner
The game ends after a player places his last card onto the pyramid. Whichever player is then in possession of the "Show Master" token is the winner of the game (of course the player on turn should only place hers/his last card if she/he is already in possession of the "Show Master" token or if she/he comes into possession of it by playing hers/his last card).
The game also ends if a player could place the Seal on top of the pyramid. This player is the winner of the game (although this is only possible in theory).
Editor's Notes
- The pyramid overview is printed on the back of the rule book as a diagram. It is not reproduced in text here; the rules above describe which card may go on each row.
- The worked examples in the "For example" passage are described by their captions in the printed rules. The diagrams themselves are not reproduced.