Tapeworm
Tapeworm Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
Place the start tile down in the middle of the table between all players.
Shuffle the deck and deal out 5 cards to each player, players take turns clockwise, the player who most resembles a worm goes first (or just randomize it).
Gameplay
During each turn, the active player first draws a card from the tapeworm deck, then plays a card from their hand that matches the color of any open segment on the table. If the card played doesn't end or change color, that player may attach another card to the previous card and repeat this process until they place a card that ends the color sequence or they run out of cards of that color to play.
Example
Player one places a red curve card alongside the red open slot to the right of the start card, then places a red head (hatch card) on top, this ends his sequence (since he can no longer place any red cards onto his sequence) and he ends his turn.
Player 2 places a pink straight card to the left of the start card and then a pink/black curved card. Since his sequence ends so does his turn.
Player 3 has a hand full of pink cards and one white head, since there is only a white and black slot open to place cards he can only place his white head card to the right of the start card and ends his turn.
Winning the Game
The first player to have no cards in hand at the end of their turn wins!
Card Effects
Cut: sever a worm segment in play matching the color of the cut card, then discard all cards attached to the severed segment.
Peek: draw a card, then put a card from your hand on the top of the deck.
Hatch: force another player to draw a card from the tapeworm deck.
Swap: choose a player and look at their hand. You may take a card from it, if you do give them a card from your hand.
Dig: draw a card from the tapeworm deck, then discard a card.
Note: you can not cut a segment that is part of a Ringworm (see Ringworm) only a segment that when severed can be completely detached with a single cut.
Wild: these segments can be played as if they are segments of any color. Once played, they assume the color of the segment they are attached to.
Advanced Mechanics
Ringworm
If at anytime a player completes a fully connected ring, they may discard 2 cards.
Additional Rules
You can not place open ends of cards against other cards unless they connect correctly.
You can not place cards that would fall off the edges of the table.
FAQ
Q: Can I play a card with multiple colors, can I continue playing cards off of any color segment? A: No, once you play a card you can only play off of that card's initial color, once that color ends and becomes another color you can no longer play cards off of it.
Q: Can I tell or show other players cards in my hand, give info about what cards I know other people have in their hands, or are on the top of the deck? A: If you want, you can also lie for all I care :) Information and how you share it is all part of your own strategy and totally legal as long as you aren't looking at other players' cards without permission.
Q: What happens when all ends of the tapeworm are closed off and the only way to keep playing is to have a cut? A: If the game has no legal ways to play a card outside of a cut, and the current player doesn't have a cut card to play, the game ends and the person to play the last card is the winner.
Q: Can I play a CUT in the middle of my turn? A: Yes, as long as the CUT card matches the color of the segment you are playing off of.
Q: Can a CUT card be played at the end of a segment? A: No, you can only play a CUT on an area where two segments touch.
Q: Can I play off of a rainbow segment as if it was a segment of any color? A: No, once a rainbow segment is played it assumes the color of the card it's attached to.
Q: If I start by playing a rainbow segment off of red can I play a different color than red after the rainbow segment? A: No, once a rainbow segment is played it assumes the color of the card it's attached to.