Melvin vs Kronk — How to Play

Goal of the Game

In Melvin Vs Kronk, players participate in a frantic scramble to collect as many Gems as possible. The objective is to be the player who, at the end of the match, has accumulated the largest amount of Gems and is still in the game.

Setup

To start the fun, follow these steps:

1. Shuffle each type of card separately: the 48 Versus cards, the 18 Gems cards, and the 4 Penalties cards.
2. Place the Gems cards in the center of the table, within reach of everyone.
3. Choose a player to distribute the Versus cards among the players until all have been dealt.
4. Each player forms a draw pile with their Versus cards, face down, in front of them.
5. The Penalties cards should be placed anywhere easily accessible, at the players' discretion, face down.

Gameplay Flow

The player to the left of the one who dealt the Versus cards starts the game. The flow follows this structure:

On their turn, each player draws the top card from their draw pile and reveals it on the table. This card starts their discard pile. Every new discarded card must be placed on top of the discard pile, covering the card beneath it, so that only the top card is visible.

The game proceeds until one of the following two conditions occurs:

• The Gems deck runs out;
• Only 2 players remain in the game.

Actions and How to Play

The game is based on speed and attention. Below are the main mechanics:

Slapping the Gems

Whenever there are two identical cards on top of the discard piles simultaneously, players must rush to slap the Gems pile. The fastest player to slap first:

• Takes the two cards from the top of the Gems pile;
• Chooses one for themselves and gives the second to any other player of their choice;
• Takes all the cards from all the Versus discard piles and places them at the bottom of their own deck.

Penalties

If a player slaps the Gems pile when there are no two matching cards revealed on the table, they suffer a Penalty. They must take the top card from the Penalties pile and follow the rule described on the card. Penalties only last until someone correctly slaps the Gems pile again. Penalty rules include:

• HANDS BEHIND BACK: The player must place one of their hands behind their back.
• EYE CLOSED: The player must keep one eye closed during the game (or cover it with their hand).
• CARDS FOR EVERYONE: The player must give one of their Melvin Vs. Kronk cards to each player.
• PLAY TWO IN A ROW: The player must discard two cards in a row on their turn while under the effect of the penalty.

Special Cards

There are cards with special abilities that can be played:

• GEEK GLASSES: Play when another player is eliminated. You may look at their Gems cards and choose one for yourself.
• TOWEL: Play at any time to steal 3 Versus cards from another player.
• ORCOLAR: Play when someone is about to draw Gems cards. You take the cards in their place. Choose one for yourself and give the other to the original player.
• ORC AMULET: Play as soon as someone slaps the Gems cards (only correctly). The person who played the duplicate card returns that card to the bottom of their deck and reveals a new one. The previous slap does not count.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when the Gems pile runs out or when only 2 players remain.

Elimination: When a player discards their last Versus card, they are not yet eliminated. They can still attempt to slap the Gems pile to stay in the game. If they are not the first to slap, they are eliminated.

Scoring: The winner is the player who is still in the game and has collected the largest amount of Gems. Gems cards are worth 1, 2, or 3 gems each.

Tips for Winning

Consult the manual for details regarding this section.