With tons of thanks to all my colleagues who have helped with the development of this game so far with their suggestions and critiques... here is the latest version of this game's rules.
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 suck up the most pesky items off the rugs !! Be the first to vacuum up a rug and win points!! Vacuum up more than on one of the three dirty rugs and get even more points, but be careful not to over suck !!!
-- COMPONENTS :
32 MESS UP THE RUGS CARDS ( 4 levels of 8 cards each )
114 VACCUM ASSEMBLY DECK CARDS
77 HOUSEHOLD UPHEAVAL CARDS
---NUMBER OF PLAYERS : 2 or 3
---OBJECT : To build a vacuum cleaner with the VACCUUM ASSEMBLY Cards that is strong enough to suck up the stains ' points off the rugs made by the MESS UP THE RUGS Cards.
THE CARDS AND SETUP :
The three different decks of cards in SUCK IT UP represent the three different mechanics of the game play.
MESS UP THE RUGS CARDS
VACCUUM ASSMEBLY CARDS
HOUSEHOLD UPHEAVAL CARD
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.
( Level 1 Mess 2 1's , 2 2's, one of each 3, 4, 5, 6, -- Dust Bunnies)
( Level 2 Mess 2 4's, 2 5s one of each 6,7,8, 9 -- Wads of Hair)
( Level 3 Mess 2 7's, 2 8's, of each 10, 11, 12, 13 -- Coins )
( Level 4 Mess 2 11s, 2 12's, one of each 14,15,16,17 -- Socks)
16 cards from the MESS UP THE RUGS deck are chosen, 4 from each level and set up in 4 rows of 4, forming one row each of each levels of mess. These are now the 3 " RUGS" that have to be vacuumed in order to " suck up " the mess to get the points. Each level has a " strength" ( 1-4) that a meld of VACCUUM ASSEMBLY CARDS must match or exceed in order to " suck up" that row.
((After making the rugs, the cards not in this set of 16 are set aside in their individual piles of each level and not used again until the round is over or a "STAIN CHANGE" card comes up. This card is one of the Household Upheaval Action Cards to be discussed shortly. ))
VACCUUM ASSMEMBLY CARDS
A player is attempting to lay down in a " meld" of all three of a vacuum's parts in order to clean up a rug and " suck up " a row of points. A player must lay down a completed vacuum meld of three cards and then claim a row their vacuum meld is strong enough to clean up.
( DISTRIUBUTON OF VACCUUM CARDS IN THE DECK)
--The Really Regular Vacuum Level 1 Strength
15 Wheels 15 Body 15 Cord & On/Off Switch
--The Super Sweeper Vacuum Level 2 Strength
12 of each Wheels, Body, Cord & On /Off Switch
--The Extra Special Vacuum Level 3 Strength
7 of each Wheels, Body, Cord & On/Off Switch
-- The Mega Monster Vacuum Level 4 Strength
4 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. ( DISASTER, FIX , SAFETY )
DISASTER CARDS ( 6 # 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 ( 8 of each )
Mother In Law Visit Canceled ( 13)
Electricity Back On !! ( 13)
Errands Complete !! ( 13)
New Supply of Vacuum Cleaner Bags ( 13)
SAFETIES ( 1 of Each )
Mother in law On Cruise
Permanent Power
Kids TO Run Errands For You
Endless Supply of Vacuum Cleaner Bags
12 Stain Changer Cards-- these alter the point value of a row.
Each player is dealt 8 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.
GAME PLAY :
On each turn a player may :
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 from their hand and choose a replacement from either the face down draw pile or the face up discard pile. ( A la Gin Rummy)
---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. ( 8 cards are in each player's hand at all times.)
-- 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. At the end of this action the player picks up one card.
-- 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 playing a " Stain Change" card :
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 ,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 5 points
For Sweeping all 4 rugs and making a CLEAN SWEEP -- 10 points.
For any safeties played : 1 -- 3 points 2 - 5 points 3- 10 points all 4 -- 15 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.
