Kabuki Tricks

Get ready for the spotlight in Kabuki Tricks, a game where you take on the role of a Kabuki performance producer! The fame and quality of your show depend directly on how many tricks you can win. The game unfolds over several rounds, with one player acting as the dealer each round. At the start of each round, every participant receives a hand with a joker and seven actor cards, divided into four suits. The dealer's task is to arrange the actor cards to determine the suit ranking and decide whether high or low cards will be the most powerful for that round. The first trick is led by the dealer, and all players must follow suit if possible. The twist comes when a player, who didn't lead the trick, chooses to play their joker instead of following suit. By doing so, they place a bet: they put one of their cards face down on an actor card, betting they will win 1, 2, or 3 tricks. This play is also a bet on the suit of the chosen actor for their final card. The dealer can also manipulate the game by flipping the card that determines if high or low is best, or by swapping the positions of two actor cards to change the suit hierarchy. Whoever plays the highest or lowest card in the highest-ranking suit wins the trick and leads the next. After seven tricks, bets are revealed and scoring occurs: one point per trick won, bonus points for correctly predicting the number of tricks bet, and an additional point if the player's final card matches the chosen actor. A special play grants 5 points if the last card is the joker and the player won no tricks. The producer with the most points at the end of all rounds is the big winner of this card show!