Before the Guests Arrive

Before the Guests Arrive is a quick, family-friendly card game that turns every player into a house‑cleaning hero. The goal is to tidy up the house before the guests show up, and each player controls a family member with unique cleaning abilities. The board is represented by a grid of cards laid out in rows and columns; on your turn you pick an entire row or column, collect all the cards in it, and add them to your collection. If the display has up to three cards, you first refill the board before choosing your next row or column.

After drawing cards you can “tidy” items with the character you control. Mom, Dad, Girl, and Boy can clean two types of objects at once, while Baby, Grandma, and Grandpa are more specialized and can only clean one type. Each object comes in five colors (yellow, red, blue, green, and purple) and has three variations (for example, plush toys, blocks, and lollipops). To clean a type you may remove all cards with the same illustration, so it pays to collect identical cards before you clean.

A surprise element keeps the tension high: the Guest card is buried in the bottom of the deck. When it surfaces the game ends immediately, giving everyone a final chance to tidy or discard a card. At the end, players tally the stars from the items they cleaned, subtract points for leftover items and unused family members, and the one with the highest score wins.

The compact design and set‑collection mechanic make it perfect for quick sessions, ideal for anyone looking for light yet strategic card play in under 15 minutes. If you enjoy games that mix organization with friendly competition, “Before the Guests Arrive” is a great addition to your collection.