Instructions Der Große Dalmuti

Objective of the Game

The objective of The Great Dalmuti is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards and become the Great Dalmuti. It's a party game that is primarily entertaining due to its social component and the role-playing aspect.

Game Components

• 80 Cards: The deck consists of 12 different ranks from 1 to 12, plus 2 Joker cards that function as "Jester" cards.

Rank 1: 1 card
Rank 2: 2 cards
Rank 3: 3 cards
...
Rank 12: 12 cards

Jokers (Jester cards): 2 cards

Setup

1. Number of players: The game is best played with 4 to 8 players, but can be adapted for more players.
2. Shuffle the cards: Shuffle the deck thoroughly and deal all cards evenly among players. Some players may end up with one more card depending on the total number of players.
3. Assign Roles: After the very first game, the first player to get rid of all their cards becomes the Great Dalmuti, and the last one becomes the Great Peon. In subsequent rounds, roles shift based on that round's result.

Game Play

First Round

1. Start: The player with most cards or according to a predetermined rule starts the game.
2. Playing Rounds: The player on turn must lay down one or more cards of the same rank into the center.
3. Next Player: The next player can either:
4. Pass: Sit out and do nothing.
5. Play a Set: Lay down the same number of cards of a higher rank.

Example: If a player plays two "Rank 4" cards, the next player must put down at least two cards with a rank of 3 or lower.

1. End of the Round: If no more players can or want to play higher combinations, a new round begins.

Subsequent Rounds

• The winner of the last sub-round begins the new one by laying down more cards.

Special Rules

• Jester Cards: These function as wild cards and can stand in for any rank.
• Role Changes: As soon as a player gets rid of all their cards, they end their round and become the Great Dalmuti for the next round.
• Card Exchange: At the beginning of each new round, the top two players (Great Dalmuti and Lesser Dalmuti) must exchange their best (lowest) cards with the worst players, who give in return their highest (worst) cards.
• Hierarchy: There is always a player hierarchy which determines the role and card exchange rules.

Strategy

• Blocking: Attempt to block other players by using your high ranks early to alleviate stress in later rounds.
• Clever Use of Jester Cards: Deploy the joker cards strategically to win crucial rounds.
• Rank Utilization: Optimize your hand by playing several same-ranked cards to quickly "empty out".

Conclusion: The Great Dalmuti is an energetic game where both luck and tactics play pivotal roles, combined with a dash of social dynamics through role changes, making each round exciting and varied.