Objective of the Game:
Druids is a trick-taking card game for 3 to 5 players where the goal is to accumulate the fewest negative points. Negative points are acquired by taking tricks with cards of certain colors, marked by a skull on the cards.
Game Components:
- 50 Cards divided into 5 colors (Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, Purple)
- Each color has values from 1 to 10
- Some cards display a skull
Setup:
- Shuffle the deck and deal an equal number of cards to each player (depending on the number of players).
- The remaining cards form a draw pile.
Gameplay:
- Card Exchange: Before the round starts, players secretly select 3 of their cards to pass to their left neighbor.
- Trick-Taking: The player to the left of the dealer plays the first card. The others then play one card each in clockwise order.
- There is no trump suit in Druids.
- Players must follow the color of the lead card if possible.
- If a player cannot follow suit, they may play any card.
- Winning the Trick:
- The highest value card in the lead color wins the trick.
- The winner of the trick places the won cards in front of them.
- End of the Round: The round ends when all players have played their cards.
Scoring:
- Each card with a skull in a player's won tricks counts as one negative point.
- After a predetermined number of rounds (usually 3 or 4), the negative points are totaled to determine the loser.
- The winner is the player with the fewest negative points at the end of the game.
Strategic Advice:
- Card Exchange: Be strategic about which skull cards to pass to your neighbors.
- Avoid High Cards: Since there is no trump, high cards often force you to win a trick. Plan your hand play carefully to avoid unwanted tricks.
- Color Distribution: Understanding the distribution of the remaining cards can help you decide which card to play or discard.
Druids requires strategic thinking and an ability to predict players’ behavior to keep your score low.
