Gadget Builder
Gadget Builder Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
90 play cards in five suits:
- Four gear suits, each 2 cards of ranks 1-7 and 1 wild.
- Gadget suit: 4 cards of ranks 1-7 and 2 wilds.
5 summary cards
8 two-sided score cards
1 reminder card
Setup
Give each player a summary card. Put the 1&2 score cards nearby. Put the reminder card nearby. Unless playing a 2-player or long game, return the 3&4 score cards to the box.
Choose a player to go first. Shuffle the deck. Deal 8 cards to each player.
Flip over the top card of the deck to form the initial play pile. Begin play.
Play
Play proceeds clockwise. On your turn, you must do one of:
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Play a card from your hand to the play pile, matching the top card's color or rank (number). A wild always matches the top card.
Example: A blue 3 is on top. You may play any blue card, any 3 (including a purple gadget 3), or any wild card.
A gadget card can be played from hand to the pile. A gadget card on top is played on normally, matching its color or rank.
After playing a numbered card — but not a wild — you may add to it by playing cards of the same color as long as each card's rank is one more than the rank of the card just played.
Example: A red 2 is on top. You have red 1, 3, 4, 5, 5, and 7. You may play any of these cards. If you play the red 3, you may add the red 4 and then one of your red 5s to it.
Wild cards have no rank. Thus, you can never add to them.
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Build a gadget by placing it from your hand face up in front of you, discarding its cost to the bottom of the play pile, and then drawing as many cards as you discarded for its cost. Each gadget's cost is shown in its robot's head.
Example: Gadget 2's cost is two identical cards.
Building a gadget is instead of playing a card. You may not build a duplicate of a gadget you already have.
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Draw a card if you cannot — or choose not to — play a card or build a gadget.
If the card you draw can play, you may play it (and then possibly add to it). Otherwise, put it in your hand. If the card drawn is a gadget you may not build it.
During your turn, you may use one gadget of yours — except one that you just built — by turning it sideways and applying its effect (which may modify a play).
Alternatively, you may power down one of your gadgets by turning it sideways for no effect.
Once turned, a gadget may not be used until it has been straightened (either by a 1 gadget or at hand end).
On your turn, if you ever have no cards in hand and all your gadgets are turned, you have gone out, ending the hand. Otherwise, the next player clockwise begins their turn.
If you ever have 0 cards in hand on your turn but still have unturned gadgets, draw cards equal to the number of unturned gadgets you have and continue your turn.
When drawing cards, if the deck is exhausted, reshuffle the play pile, except for its top card, to form a new deck.
Gadgets
Each gadget has a cost, listed in its robot head, and a power, depicted in its robot body.
Four of the eight gadgets (gadgets 2, 3, 4, and 5) modify a play you make, possibly one made after drawing a card.
Wild gadget, 1, 6, and 7 are used in addition to a play, building a gadget, or drawing a card.
Reminder: you can use only 1 gadget on your turn.
Wild gadget
Cost: another wild card.
Power: discard one card to the bottom of the play pile.
Example: You have a red 3 and blue 5; a purple 3 is on top; and this is your only unused gadget. You play the red 3 (step 1) and turn this gadget to discard the blue 5 (step 2) and go out.
You may use this power to discard a card you drew. If you begin a turn with one card (and no other unturned gadgets), you may use this power to immediately go out (without having to play).
1 gadget
Cost: another gadget card.
Power: straighten one of your turned gadgets.
2 gadget
Cost: two identical cards, same rank (or wild) and color.
Power: after a play of yours, play again.
You may add to either or both of these plays.
Example: A green 2 is on top. You may play a red 2, add a red 3 and 4 to it (step 1), use this power to play again, playing a yellow 4, and then add a yellow 5 to it (step 2).
3 gadget
Cost: three cards of the same rank (not a set of 3 wild cards).
Power: as your play, play any card (and possibly add to it).
4 gadget
Cost: four cards, one of each non-gadget suit.
Power: play cards of the same color.
Example: A yellow 1 is on top. You may play a green wild and then use this gadget to play a green 6 and green 2.
5 gadget
Cost: 5 different (non-identical) cards.
Power: add cards of the same rank (but not wild cards).
You may use this once while adding cards, either before, after, or in the middle of adding them.
Example: A green 6 is on top. You play a green 3, add a green 4 (step 1), and use this gadget to add a yellow 4, two blue 4s, and a purple 4 before adding a purple 5 and purple 6 to it (step 2).
6 gadget
Cost: three even cards; any mix of ranks 2, 4, and 6.
Power: choose a rival to draw 1 card to their hand.
7 gadget
Cost: three odd cards, any mix of ranks 1, 3, 5, and 7.
Power: draw 3 cards into your hand and then discard any 2 cards to the bottom of the play pile.
Going Out
To go out, you must have no cards and no unturned gadgets on your turn.
If you ever have 0 cards in hand on your turn but still have unturned gadgets, draw cards equal to the number of unturned gadgets you have.
The first time you go out, take a 1&2 scoring card and place it "1" side up in front of you.
In games played to more than going out twice, each time you go out (without winning), either flip your score card over or take a 3&4 scoring card to mark this.
Winning
- 4 and 5 player games: be the first to go out 2 times.
- 3-players: first to go out 3 times.
- 2-players: first to go out 4 times.
Once players are experienced (so hands go quicker), increase the number of times to go out listed above by 1.
New Round
If no player has won, shuffle all cards except gadget cards in front of players. Straighten all turned gadgets. Deal 8 cards to each player. Flip over a card to form the play pile. Begin play with the player left of the one who just went out.
Etiquette
When asked, players must reveal how many cards they hold. Show cards before discarding them to the bottom of the play pile. The play pile itself may not be examined.