SCOUT

SCOUT is a clever ladder-climbing card game where your hand of cards presents a challenge all its own! Imagine having cards with two different values on each end—like a 3/7 or a 5/2. The catch? You can't rearrange the order of cards in your hand after they're dealt. But don't worry, you can rotate your entire hand to use the values on the other end of each card, which already opens up a world of possibilities. There are 45 cards in total, featuring all possible combinations of numbers from 1 to 10, ensuring each game is unique right from the shuffle. On your turn, you have two main options: play or 'scout'.

When you choose to play, you need to form a set of adjacent cards in your hand that either have the same value (like three 5s) or values in sequence (a 3-4-5, for example). This set can only be played if the table is empty or if it's stronger than the current set on the table. A set is stronger if it has more cards, if it consists of identical cards rather than sequential ones, or if it has the same quantity and type but with higher values. If you beat a set, you capture the cards from the previous set and keep them as points. The other action, 'scout', allows you to take a card from either end of the set on the table and add it anywhere to your hand, in any orientation. Whoever played the previous set earns 1 point for making a play that wasn't beaten. Once per round, you can 'scout' and then immediately play, which can be a powerful combo! The round ends when someone empties their hand or when all but one player have 'scouted'. At the end, you tally points for captured cards and lose points for cards left in your hand. You play a number of rounds equal to the number of players, and whoever has the most points wins. It's a game that makes you think a lot with simple rules!