The Epic Beard Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object
• Set-Up
• Play
• Ending a Round
• Winning

Contents

• 108 cards. Cards feature four colors (red, blue, green and yellow) and nine characters with designated penalty point values.
• 50 bluffing chips
• Score pad and pencil

Note: the printed rulebook refers to "designated penalty point values" for the nine characters but does not print the values; they are not reproduced here.

Object

End the game with the lowest number of points by discarding as many cards as possible and bluffing your opponents.

Set-Up

• Shuffle the cards and deal six cards face-down to each player.
• Place the remaining cards face-down in the center of the table as the draw pile.
• Turn one card face-up to start the discard pile.
• One player should be designated as the banker to give out the chips when they are won.
• The player to the left of the dealer goes first.
• A game consists of three rounds of play. Each round ends when one player discards all of his/her cards.

Play

On each turn, players may do one of three actions: DISCARD, DRAW or DECLARE-A-PAIR.

1. DISCARD - Discard a card by matching the same color or the same character as the card on top of the discard pile.

   Special Actions

   • If you discard an EPIC card, all other opponents must draw one card.
   • If you discard a Beardless Harry card, you must draw three cards.

2. DRAW - Draw one card. (This drawn card may not be played on this turn.)

3. DECLARE-A-PAIR - The Declare-A-Pair option gives you a chance to get a leg-up on your fellow players, and very importantly, is a great way to rid yourself of Beardless Harry!

   Here's how it works.

   Pick another player as your "target." Then take two cards out of your hand and place them face-down on the table and declare your pair to that person.

   For example, you might say, "Chris, I have two Barney Stubbles." Maybe you do or maybe you don't!

   If you have two matching character cards in your hand that also match the character on the top card on the discard pile, you can lay that pair of cards face-down, and declare very truthfully that you have a pair of ______.

   OR you can pick two random, non-matching cards and place those face-down on the table, and attempt to deceive your target.

   For example: You can take a Beardless Harry and a Helmut Chinstrap from your hand, place them face-down and say to your target, "Chris, I have two Barney Stubbles" (or whatever character is on the top card of the discard pile).

   Either way, Chris has to decide whether you are telling the truth... or bluffing.

   Here's how the bluffing chips are awarded:

Ending a Round

When any player discards his/her final card, all hands are totaled for their penalty point values and recorded on the score pad to end that round. Chips that were won in that round are set aside until the end of three rounds of play.

Play continues by repeating the initial set-up to begin the next round.

Winning

At the conclusion of three rounds of play, add up each player's total penalty points and then subtract five points for each chip earned. When the final tally is complete, the player with the fewest points wins!