AGE APPROPRIATE: 14 to adult

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 6

THE DECK: Universal Card Deck – 54 cards with 2 to 6 Galaxy (wild) cards

RANK OF CARDS: Galaxy (high), Sun, Moon, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

RANK OF SUITS: E (high), J, M, N, S, V (alphabetical order) E, J, & M are Primary suits – N, S, & V are Secondary suits

THE SHUFFLE AND CUT: Draw or cut for deal; high suit deals. If any players draw or cut the same highest suit, the card rankings go into effect. Dealer shuffles. The player at dealer’s right cuts the deck. Deal rotates left each hand.

VALUE AND RANKINGS: Each card has the same point value of one. However, the rank of the card’s suit determines its capturing ability; e.g., a Neptune card can capture a Saturn or Venus card, but it cannot capture a card of a higher rank than itself. This ranking also pertains to the galaxy (wild) cards; e.g., the red Mars Galaxy can capture the purple Neptune Galaxy, the orange Saturn Galaxy, the green Venus Galaxy, and any of the regular 54 cards, but it cannot capture the blue Earth and yellow Jupiter Galaxy cards, as they are of ranks above it. The ranking of the Galaxy cards is also indicated by the “Galaxy dots” in the top left corner of the card. Clearly, the blue Earth Galaxy card can capture any of the other 59 cards.

THE DEAL: The number of galaxy (wild) cards included is equal to the number of players; e.g., the Galaxy Venus and Galaxy Saturn cards are included for 2 players, the Galaxy Neptune card also included for 3 players, etc. With 2 or 3 players, 13 cards are dealt to each player. With 4, 5, or 6 players, 9 cards are dealt to each player. Flip over the top card on the remaining stack of cards. Galaxy cards that are turned over on the top of the stack are to be placed at the bottom of the stack and the new top card is to be turned over.

OBJECT OF PLAY: To obtain the highest number of points. During each hand each player tries to capture cards from the opposing player(s). The hand ends when one player has played all of his/her cards (Going Out).

THE PLAY: The player to the left of the dealer starts the hand by playing a Secondary card (regular cards of the Neptune, Saturn, and Venus suits). The lead must be made with a Secondary card. If a player does not have a Secondary card with which to lead, the player must pass to the next player to his/her left. If none of the players have a Secondary card, then the player who first passed may lead any of the Primary suits he/she wishes.After a card has been led, the next player can only play a card of the same number or name (Sun or Moon) as the one that was led. In addition, the card must be higher in rank than the card that was led – i.e. if a Saturn 3 card is led, the only cards that can follow are number 3 cards of a higher ranking suit or any of the galaxy cards. The Venus 3 could not be played because it is of a lower ranking suit. Play continues from one player to the next as long as the suit rank increases for each play for that particular number or name card.

CAPTURING CARDS: If a player cannot play a card of the same number or name that was played, and chooses not to play a galaxy card, the player says “No Play.” The previous player can then play any additional cards of that number that she/she may have as long as he/she follows the increased ranking before capturing all the cards of that particular round. If that player does not have any more of that card type (number or name), he/she captures just the cards that have been played that round. A player must play a card if he/she can, but the playing of galaxy cards is up to the player’s discretion. Captured cards are turned face down and put to the side for counting after the hand is finished.For clarification, cards are not played as tricks (1 card per person per round) like in other card games. It could happen that a player is not able to play a card(s) for several rounds; e.g., if 2’s are led, only 2’s can be played for that round. If a player doesn’t have a 2, he/she cannot play. If the player does have a 2, but it’s not higher in rank than the last 2 played, again that player cannot play.

LEADING: The player who captures a round of cards must then lead a card from his/her hand for the next round. Again, the player must lead with a Secondary card. A player may never lead with a Galaxy card.

CAPTURING THE UP-CARD: When the number or name on the cards being played is the same as the up-card on the stack, whoever captures that round gets to also capture that up-card. The next card on the stack is then turned over and becomes the new up-card.

GOING OUT: The hand is over when one player has played all of his/her cards and the round has been completed.

SCORING THE HAND: Each player counts his/her captured cards. Each card is worth one point. Cards left in a player’s hand are counted against the player.

WINNING THE GAME: The player who has acquired the most points after 6 rounds is considered the winner. It is suggested the game be played several times before incorporating some or all of the options below:

OPTION #1 FOR ADVANCED PLAY RULES – BONUS SUIT FOR BONUS POINTSBONUS SUIT: The suit of the top card on the stack is worth double value for that particular hand. The scorekeeper should mark on the score pad the bonus suit for that hand. All cards of that particular suit are worth double.

NEW UP-CARD DOES NOT CHANGE BONUS SUIT: When the first up-card is captured, the next card on the stack is then turned over and becomes the new up-card. The bonus suit, however, does not change even though the suit of the new up-card may (and usually will) be different than the original up-card. The bonus suit remains the same for the entire hand. As a variation on this option, all the players could agree that the bonus suit does change to the new up-card. The bonus suit could change several times during the hand. The actual bonus suit would end up being whatever the suit is of the up-card at the end of the hand.

SCORING THE BONUS SUIT: Cards of the bonus suit are worth double (2 points). Bonus suit cards left in a player’s hand are also counted double (2 points) against the player.

OPTION #2 FOR ADVANCED PLAY RULES – DEAL EXTRA HANDTHE DEAL: One additional hand of 13 cards is dealt when there are 2 or 3 players. One additional hand of 9 cards is dealt when there are 4 or 5 players. There is no additional hand dealt when there are 6 players.

BIDDING: Bidding on the additional (extra) hand is a player’s option when there are between 2 and 5 players. After the top card on the stack is flipped over a player can bid on the extra hand if he/she thinks the extra hand might be better than the one he/she was dealt. (It might take a couple hands before players get a feel for what determines a good hand). The player who bids the highest and wins the extra (new) hand must then discard his/her old hand. If that player is able to go out first, the amount of the bid will not count against him/her. The scorekeeper should mark on the score pad the amount of the final bid.

BIDDING PROCESS: Bidding for the extra hand starts with the player to the left of the dealer. If that player would like the extra hand instead of his/her own, the player would bid 1. If the player is not interested in the extra hand, he/she would say “pass.” The next player would bid 1 or higher if he/she would like the extra hand, or “pass” if he/she is not interested. The bidding stops when the player with the highest bid is no longer challenged.

SCORING THE BID AMOUNT: The player who acquired the extra hand must deduct the amount of the winning bid from his/her score unless he/she was the player to go out first.

OPTION #3 FOR ADVANCED PLAY RULES – CERTAIN POINT TOTALS GET POINTS CUT IN HALFSPECIAL RULE ON TOTAL POINTS: 2 or 3 players – Any player that acquires a game total of 60, 80 or 100 points exactly after counting his/her points at the end of a hand, that player’s total points are cut in half. 4 to 5 players – Any player that acquires a game total of 30, 40 or 50 points exactly after counting his/her points at the end of a hand, that player’s total points are cut in half.

Each of the above options can be added individually or collectively.

© Copyright 2001 by John Frampton & Craig Richter