Top Drop
Top Drop Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal of the Game
Team up to master this cooperative challenge! Work together to place all the Number Cards onto a common pile in the center of the table. Here's the twist: you must follow the rule showing on the Direction Card and play either UP or DOWN. Don't worry though — you have special cards to help you along the way!
Components
- 60 Number Cards in five colors (1–60)
- 12 Action Cards (4x Skip, 4x Flip, 4x Color)
- 4 Wild Cards (Giraffe)
- 1 Direction Card (double-sided)
Setup
- Place the Direction Card in the center of the table. It doesn't matter which side is visible.
- Shuffle all the Number Cards.
- Deal 4 Number Cards to each player. Place the remaining Number Cards face down next to the Direction Card. This is your draw pile.
- Place the Action Cards (Skip, Flip, Color) in the center of the table. Make sure the number of each type of Action Card corresponds to the number of players.
- Take the Wild Cards depending on your chosen level of difficulty. We recommend starting with the easiest level for your first game: a. Easy = 4 Wild Cards b. Medium = 3 Wild Cards c. Hard = 2 Wild Cards d. Extreme = 1 Wild Card
Illustration: "Set up for 3 players (medium)" — shows the Action Cards, Wild Cards, Number Cards, empty common pile and Direction Card.
Now you are ready to start playing!
The printed sheet has no heading above the following play text; the heading is added here for navigation.
Playing the Game
Each player may look at their own cards, but may not show them to the other teammates. Choose which side of the Direction Card is visible. Decide together who will start, and then play continues clockwise. The chosen starting player plays a card that best fits the Direction Card, ideally giving others a good starting point. On your turn, you must do the following:
Place 1 or 2 cards on the common pile, using the number of its topmost card as your reference, following the rule showing on the Direction Card:
UP: You place cards in ascending order.
DOWN: You place cards in descending order.
At the beginning of your turn, you may use one Action Card that is still available. You can choose one of the following:
- Skip: Don't place any Number Cards and pass your turn to the next player.
- Flip: Flip the Direction Card to change from ascending to descending or vice versa. Then, place 1 or 2 cards from your hand onto the common pile, following the new rule on the Direction Card.
- Color: Place 1 card from your hand onto the common pile, matching the color of the Number Card on top. In this case you can place a card that goes against the Direction Card. But you can break the rule only once. If you want to place a second card, you must follow the rule showing on the Direction Card.
Example: (1) Sara uses the 'Flip' action card, discards it, and then flips the Direction Card from DOWN to UP. (2) She can now place her red 12 Number Card following the new rule (UP).
Example: Harry uses the Color card and places his purple 15 Number Card on the common pile, matching the color of card 54. He cannot place a second card because all the cards in his hand are lower than 15.
Wild Card: This covers all the actions described above: Skip, Flip, and Color. When you use this Wild Card, you can choose one of the three actions to perform.
If you have played an Action or Wild Card, discard it by returning it to the box.
After your turn, draw Number Cards from the draw pile to bring your hand back up to 4 cards.
Empty draw pile? You're close to victory. Keep playing without drawing.
Empty hand: When a player has no cards left, the other players continue playing.
Special case: If you play the 1, set the Direction Card to UP. If you play the 60, set the Direction Card to DOWN. The direction automatically reverses when either of these cards is played. No Action or Wild Card required.
No Spoilers — Keep Your Cards Secret!
You're allowed to discuss tactics and talk generally about your cards — for example, 'Don't make big jumps on the pile,' 'I only have low cards,' 'I'll need an Action Card,' 'I cannot play any cards,' or 'I wish we could place in ascending order.' But don't reveal your cards, mention exact numbers or colors, or show your cards to your teammates at any time. Keep the thrill alive!
End of the Game
The game can end in different ways:
Victory: If the players manage to place all the Number Cards onto the common pile while respecting the Direction Card, and there are no cards left in the draw pile or in their hands, well done! You are top-tier. You've beaten Top Drop.
Better luck next time: If a player cannot place any Number Cards onto the common pile, the game ends immediately. Unfortunately, you have lost the game. Don't worry, though – you can always try again.
How good were you? If there are no cards in the draw pile, that's still a very good result. You were so close to victory! Don't give up. If you have cards left in the draw pile and in your hands… try to improve communication in your team next time.
A QR code on the rules sheet links to video rules.