(((This game's mechanics are a combo of meld making ( a la rummy ) and trick taking. )))))
With thanks to SSWISHER--- check out his cool games on Thegamecrafter.com !! These rules have gone through another revision.. here is version 2.0.
Cleaning your Rugs was never this much Fun !!!
SUCK IT UP !!!! is a strategy card game where you put together the strongest vacuum cleaner you can to vacuum up the most pesky items off the rugs !! Be the first to vacuum up a rug and win points!! Vacuum up more than one of the four dirty rugs and get even more points, but be careful not to over suck too much and rip the carpet !!!
-- COMPONENTS : cards in 3 different decks MESS UP THE RUGS DECK ( divided into 4 levels of 8 cards each ) , VACCUM ASSEMBLY DECK , HOUSEHOLD UPHEAVAL ACTION DECK
First to determine the point sets ( MESS ON THE RUGS ) that are available, divide these cards up into their levels. Each level has it's own item that has to be vacuumed up and a point value.
This deck is composed of cards with numbers on them and is used to compose the three rugs required to play. To begin, separate the following numbers into their respective piles (levels). Once they are separated be sure to shuffle them. Lay them out in four piles starting with Level 1, then place Level 2 below it, then Level 3 below it and so on.
Now draw 4 cards from each pile (level) and lay them out face-up to the right of their respective piles. These become your 4 "RUGS".
A player attempts to lay down in a " meld" of all three of a vacuum's parts in order to clean up a rug and claim a row of points. The melds are a set of three cards , the three parts of one of the 4 levels of vacuum cleaners.
The three parts of each " meld" necessary to assemble your vacuum cleaner are Wheels, Body, On/Off Switch & Power Cord.
( DISTRIUBUTON OF VACCUUM CARDS IN THE DECK)
--The Really Regular Vacuum Level 1 Strength
22 Wheels 22 Body 22 Cord & On/Off Switch
--The Super Sweeper Vacuum Level 2 Strength
17 of each Wheels, Body, Cord & On /Off Switch
--The Extra Special Vacuum Level 3 Strength
12 of each Wheels, Body, Cord & On/Off Switch
-- The Mega Monster Vacuum Level 4 Strength
9 of each Wheels, Body, Cord & On/Off Switch
HOUSEHOLD UPHEAVAL CARDS
These contain cards that can be played on your opponent to halt their ability to clean up a rug row, resume your ability to clean up a row, or protect yourself from a halt card. These cards are marked DISASTER, FIX, SAFETY. The fourth group of Household Upheaval cards are STAIN CHANGER cards that alter the point value of a row.
DISASTER CARDS ( 8 of Each )
Mother In Law Comes to Visit and Criticizes Your Dirty Carpets !!
Electricity is Turned off !!
Have to Run Errands and No Time To Vacuum !!
Out of Vacuum Cleaner Bags!!
REPAIR CARDS ( 16 of each )
Mother In Law Visit Canceled !!
Electricity Back On !!
Errands Complete !!
New Supply of Vacuum Cleaner Bags !!
SAFETIES ( 2 of Each )
Mother in law On Cruise
Permanent Power
Kids To Run Errands For You
Endless Supply of Vacuum Cleaner Bags
20 Stain Changer Cards.
Each player is dealt 8 cards from the mixed together and shuffled piles of VACUUM ASSEMBLY and HOUSEHOLD UPHEAVAL cards. Players will have 8 cards in hand at all times until the last rug is cleaned. ( Last row of points is claimed.) The remainder of the cards are shuffled all together and placed face down for a draw pile. ( This pile will contain both the undealt Vacuum Assembly cards and the household upheaval cards mixed together. )
GAME PLAY :
On each turn a player may do one of the following :
Play a completed Meld of 3 cards of vacuum cleaner parts ( wheels, body,on/off switch & cord)
Play a household upheaval DISASTER card on their opponent
Play a the corresponding FIX a Household Upheaval card on a DISASTER card their opponent has put in front of them
Play a Stain Changer Card
Discard one of their Vacuum Assembly cards or their Household Upheaval Cards face up into the discard pile and choose a replacement from the draw pile.
---If a player plays a meld , they declare " I am going to suck up the mess on the rug on ( level they are claiming with my ( name of the vacuum cleaner.)"
EXAMPLE : A Player has all three parts of the Super Sweeper Level 2 vacuum, there is a rug of level 2 still on the board of 2 7's a 9 and 12 in the level 2 rug's mess.The player says " I am going to suck up the mess of 35 points ( the total of all the cards in the row) with my Super Sweeper Vacuum" -- The player then sweeps up that rug of cards and sets them aside and gets those points. The player must sweep up the rug of cards that is either EQUAL or LESS that the level of the strength of the vacuum cleaner meld they have laid down. ( i.e.The Mega Monster Vacuum Level 4 Strength Meld can sweep up any level of rug cards , The Extra Special Sweeper can sweep up a Level 3 , 2 or 1 . etc. )
However , If a player uses a Vacuum Cleaner Meld that is stronger than necessary to sweep up a rug's points, you receive a "SUCKED TOO HARD AND RIPPED THE CARPET" penalty of one of the highest point cards being removed for every level your vacuum meld is higher than the rug's level you are claiming.
EXAMPLE:
The Level One Rug's mess point cards consists of
1 2 5 6
A player that chooses to sweep this level with a Level 4 strength vacuum, would have to give up the 2 5 6 cards and only receive 1 point. ( Level 4 vacuum is 3 levels higher than a level 1 rug .. 4 -1 = 3 3 being the amount of point cards the player doesn't win in penalty.) A player choosing to sweep the level one mess with a level 3 vacuum would lose the 2 highest point cards.. etc.
In these situations the player takes the cards they do not get from the SUCKED TOO HARD penalty and sets them aside and they receive the point cards remaining.
A player still may elect to do this because at the end of the round there are bonuses for vacuuming more than one rug. These bonuses are outlined in the scoring section.
At the end of a player's turn after he has played a Vacuum Cleaner Meld and claimed a row.. he picks up the top 3 cards from the pile and his turn ends.
-- If a player chooses to play a disaster card on an opponent, that player may not set down a meld until he has played the corresponding FIX card in a subsequent turn. A player may have no more than one disaster card in front of him halting his ability to vacuum at any time.
-- If a player chooses to play a safety, then that person is now protected from his opponent ever playing the corresponding DISASTER card halting his ability to vacuum.
-- If a player plays a " Stain Change " card -- he then chooses a level of rug mess to alter, then removes one card from that level and replaces it with one of the face down point cards of that level.
( There are two strategies of doing this :
1. If you aren't close to building a Level 2 Vacuum, and you think your opponent might be ready to do so, you would remove the highest point card from that row, hoping the next card that replaces is a card of lower value.
2. If you are close to building a level 4 vacuum. card and some of the lower point value cards are in the level 4 rug, you would remove the lowest point card from that row and hope by turning over the top card from the level 4 pile you are increasing that row's point value. )
-- If you have no card or meld you wish or are to play, you may take a card off the discard pile ( which is always FACE UP ) or the top card from he face down draw pile. ( In the same manner as Gin Rummy)
END OF ROUND/SCORING/END OF GAME
Once all the rugs have been swept clean and the fourth and final row has been claimed, the round ends.
Players receive the total of all point cards they swept up ( after their penalties for SUCKING TOO HARD AND RIPPING THE CARPET were already previously removed) and then the following bonus points.
For Sweeping 3 of the 4 rugs 8 points
For Sweeping all 4 rugs and making a CLEAN SWEEP -- 20 points.
For any safeties played : 1 -- 3 points 2 - 5 points 3- 10 points all 4 -- 20 points
First player to 200 points wins and is declared "CAPTAIN OF TOTALLY CLEAN CARPETS !!!"
The loser then has to vacuum the winner's home for a month.
