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Mercury (game based on Uno)

Players: 2-6 players

Deck of 100 special Mercury cards:

• 20 Orange Cards - 2 of each numbered 1-10 [value is face value]
• 20 Purple Cards - 2 of each numbered 1-10 [value is face value]
• 20 Green Cards - 2 of each numbered 1-10 [value is face value]
• 20 Tan Cards - 2 of each numbered 1-10 [value is face value]
• 8 Draw 3 & Go Cards (2 in each of the four colors) [value is 25 points]
• 4 Draw 5 & Go Cards (no color - white/black) [value is 50 points]
• 4 Change Color & Go Again Cards [value is 30 points]
• 2 Give two Cards Cards [value is 20 points]
• 2 Reflection Cards [value is 50 points]

Explination about the card types:

• 80 colored numbered cards (regular cards)- Just normal cards - follow same color & number in play
• Draw 3 & Go Cards - The next person draws 3 cards & gets to go right then. (example: so player 1 plays card, player 2 draws 3 cards - and then gets to play 1 of those cards if they are able to.) These cards are one of the four colors, so they will still be following the same color. If this is the last card played, the next player will draw 3 cards before the game ends.
• Draw 5 & Go Cards - Same as the Draw 3 & Go Cards - except the next player will draw 5 cards & not only do they get to play one of those cards, they can make it ANY color they choose (so kind of a "bonus" for getting a bad card) If this is the last card played, the next player will draw 5 cards before the game ends.
• Change Color & Go Again Cards - The player who plays this card gets to change the color to what ever they want, AND go again - so with this card, they can get rid of 2 cards from their hand.
• Give 2 Cards Cards - When you play this card, you then have to choose 2 cards from your hand to give to the next player. (So player will get rid of 3 cards total - 1 in the discard pile, and 2 to the next player.) (If they only have 2 left, give the cards and win that round. If they only have 1 card left, give that and win the round.) The next player who just got the 2 cards can PICK the color to start back up with (so kind of a "bonus" for getting a bad card)
• Reflection Cards - When your opponent plays a Draw 3, Draw 5, Give 2, or even the other Reflection card - this card will "Reflect" the "Bad" back to the original player. (example: so player 1 plays Draw 5 Card - Player 2 has the choice to play the Reflection card to in turn make player1 draw the 5 cards instead - turn then goes to player 3 where they can choose which color to start with.) ***** The Reflection card can also be played any time, and will act like a "Change Color & Go Again" Card *****

Goal: To get rid of all your cards first - and have the lowest overall points. When a person runs our of cards, the round ends and each player counts up the points in their hand. Once one player reaches 500 points, the game is over - player with lowest points wins.

Board - 2 piles - Draw pile, discard pile

Start of game - Deck of 100 cards is shuffled randomly. Each player gets 7 cards. 1 card is put face up in the discard pile. (This card MUST be one of the 80 regular cards). The remailing cards are put into the Draw pile.

Round 1 - Player 1 starts. In each of the next rounds, the winner from the round before gets to start first.

For each turn (unless a special card is played towards you) - You have 2 choices. Play a card or draw. If you have a REGULAR card that can be played - you must at least make a move (regular or special card). If the only card you can play is any of the other 20 "special" cards, you can choose to play or draw. (so you can hold on to special cards if you want.)

To Play - you must either match the color of the top card in the discard pile, match the number of the top card in the discard pile, or use a special card.

Goal - get rid of all the cards in your hand. At that time, everyone else will count the points left in their hand and that is added to their score. Once a player goes over 500, the game is over. (lowest scored player is winner)

** If a "Gve" card is played as a last card, the amount MUST be picked up by the next player before the points are added for the score.

** If all the cards have been picked up from the draw pile, all cards in the discard pile (except top card) are "reshuffled" randomly and placed in the new draw pile.

VARIANT IDEA:

Quick Mercury - Same as regular, but only to 250 points

Extended Mercury - Same as regular, but to 1000 points

CREDIT:

Game rules and such written by:  Michael A. Coan (COAN.NET) 2006-2010

Page updated November 2010

Game rules are free to use as long as credit is given back to COAN.NET. 

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