Gnav
Gnav Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Rules for Gnav
Each player starts with the same number of holdings, i.e., matches, buttons, or similar. The loser in each round is the one with the lowest value playing pieces when the round of trades is finished or interrupted. The loser has to pay from his holdings into a pool on the table. It is a matter of not having the piece with the lowest value in each round.
The winner is the person with matches or buttons after all the other players, one after the other, have lost their holdings and exited the game.
The 42 Gnav pieces range in value down from the CUCKOO, which is the most valuable. The ranking of the pieces is given below along with the functions they have in the game, from highest to lowest:
- CUCKOO (MATADOR piece)
- KNIGHT (MATADOR piece)
- CAT (MATADOR piece)
- HORSE (MATADOR piece)
- HOUSE (MATADOR piece)
- NUMBER pieces, Roman numerals from XII (12) down to 0
- POT
- OWL
- JOKER
Note: If two players both have a Joker in the same round, each of them gets a match from the pool and stays out of the next round.
THE CUCKOO, KNIGHT, CAT, HORSE and HOUSE are called MATADORS. The Matadors make things happen and cause unexpected situations in the game. Note that players who get MATADOR pieces can prevent a trade with the adjacent player by saying the words that are associated with the playing piece.
A player who has a NUMBER PIECE, the POT, OWL, or JOKER cannot refuse to trade when asked.
Playing the Game
The players (from 2 to 20) sit around a table. Each player begins with equal holdings of matches, buttons, or similar. The loser in each round is the person who ends up with the lowest value playing piece when the round of trades is finished or interrupted. The loser must pay from his or her holdings into a pool on the table, never to any of the other players. If two players lose with identical pieces, both have to pay. Anyone who has lost all pieces exits the game.
The winner of the game is the person who after one or more rounds has something left of his or her holdings after all other players have lost their holdings or have exited the game.
A player draws pieces from the bag and gives one piece to each other player. Nobody should see the symbols on the playing pieces while they are being distributed. When everyone has received playing pieces, the dealer says: "LOOK," and everyone looks at his or her piece.
The player to the left of the dealer checks his or her playing piece as to whether it should be traded or kept. If the player has received a good playing piece and wants to keep it, he or she says: "I AM SATISFIED." If the player wants to trade, he or she turns to the player to the left and says: "I WANT TO TRADE." The piece taken in trade must be retained.
If the player who has been asked has a Number, Pot, Owl, or Joker, he or she must trade with the person who asks. The trade continues without the value of the playing piece being revealed. If the player has one of the Matador pieces, he or she says the words that are associated with the piece (see below). The action in the game depends on which piece he or she has.
If a player has been asked to trade and has a Cuckoo, he or she says, "CUCKOO!" The game stops. A player who has had to give up his or her playing piece evaluates the piece he or she has received in trade and decides whether to trade again with the player to the left, or whether to keep it.
The players continue to trade around the table with the person to the left until the round is completed or interrupted. At the end of the round of trades, the last person turns to the dealer with the bag. The dealer can finally trade his or her playing piece for one in the bag, if desired.
After a completed round, the dealer says: "SHOW YOUR PIECES," and everyone shows his or her playing piece. The person who has the piece with the lowest value loses and has to pay a match into the pool on the table. All of the playing pieces are put into the bag again. The next round of play starts when the bag with all the playing pieces is given to the next person to the left of the dealer. The new dealer distributes the pieces for the next round.
GOOD LUCK!
The Matador Pieces and Other Pieces
CUCKOO
The Cuckoo stops the game. The person with the CUCKOO says: "CUCKOO" when an adjacent player wants to make a trade. The round is then over. All players have to show their pieces and the loser has to pay.
KNIGHT
The Knight stops the trade with an adjacent player. A person who has the KNIGHT says: "CUT OFF." The person who wanted to make a trade has to pay but can keep his or her playing piece. The round continues with trade of pieces on the other side of the player who had the Knight.
CAT
The Cat stops the trade and everyone who has made a trade earlier in that round has to trade back. The person with the CAT says: "MIEU" when the adjacent player wants to make a trade. The player who asked for the trade has to pay. The round continues with trade of pieces on the other side of the player who had the Cat.
HORSE
The person who has a HORSE says: "PASS THE HORSE" when the adjacent player asks for a trade. The player who wants to trade has to turn to the next player.
HOUSE
The player who has a HOUSE says: "PASS THE HOUSE" when the adjacent player asks for a trade. The player who wanted to trade has to turn to the next player.
NUMBER
Roman numerals on playing pieces indicate the value of the piece. If a player has a piece with a number, he or she can not refuse a trade if the adjacent player asks for one.
POT
The Pot is a bad piece. A player who has a piece with the Pot on it should try to trade it.
OWL
The Owl is a bad piece. A player who has an Owl should try to trade it.
JOKER
A player who gets a Joker at the distribution of pieces must tap the playing piece on the table as a warning to the other players. The Joker is the lowest value piece and one should attempt to trade it with the adjacent player. A player who loses a round and holds a Joker has to pay. But the Joker attracts the next lowest value piece, so that the player with the next worse piece also has to pay.