How to Play Snarkas

Game Objective

In Snarkas, players battle to collect cards and earn the most gems. The game takes place in the Snarkaverse, where precious gems have been scattered after the Great Sneezle Uprising. These gems are the only way out of exile. Players will use cunning strategies to blast their way to victory with ZAP! and come out on top with SNARKAS!.

Setup

1. Place all Snarkas Gems and bonus scoring cards together and set them aside.
2. Choose a dealer to shuffle and deal the game cards. Cards are dealt face down as follows:
   • Two-player game: Deal 6 game cards to each player.
   • Three-player game: Deal 4 game cards to each player.
   • Four-player game: Deal 6 game cards to each player, and players seated across from each other play as partners.
3. To start the game, the dealer turns over the top four cards from the deck of game cards face up on the table. This is called “the Flop”.
   • Note: No ZAP cards can be in the Flop. If there are any ZAP cards in the Flop, randomly place them back into the deck and replace any ZAP with a game card from the top of the deck.
4. The remainder of the game cards are set aside for future hands.

Game Flow

The player to the left of the dealer starts. On your turn, you must play one card from your hand. The card you play is either added to the table with the Flop, or your card allows you to collect cards from the Flop.

Once all players have played all the cards from their hands, the dealer deals out a new hand of cards to each player again (6 cards for 2- or 4-player games, or 4 cards for 3-player games). The dealer does not put out a new Flop, even if the table is empty after the previous hand.

The game continues until there are no more game cards in the deck and all game cards have been played. At that point, any remaining game cards on the table go to the last player who collected any game cards.

Actions and How to Play

Playing a Card

On your turn, you must play one card from your hand. You can only play one card from your hand per turn.

Collecting Cards

You can collect cards by matching a card from your hand with the card(s) on the table. You can also collect combinations of cards from the table that add up to the number of the card you played from your hand. The collecting-by-addition tactic only works one way: you can play one card from your hand that matches the combined value of multiple cards on the table, but you cannot play multiple cards from your hand that add up to the value of one card on the table.

• Example: Play a 5 card from your hand to match the two 5 cards on the table. Move all three 5 cards to your collected pile.
• Example: Play a 2 card from your hand to match the 2 card on the table. Move both the 2 card you played and the 2 card from the table to your collected pile.
• Example: Play a 10 card from your hand, and you clear all the cards from the table and earn a Snarkas Gem! The 10 in your hand matches the 10 on the table, so you take the 10. You take the other cards too, because 7 + 3 = 10 and 6 + 4 = 10.

Special Cards and Plays

• ZAP Cards: These are the most powerful cards. When a ZAP card is played, you clear the table and collect ALL the cards on the table. Using a ZAP card to clear the table does not earn a Snarkas Gem. After a ZAP card is played, the next player must play a game card onto the empty table (which often leads to a SNARKAS!). If you play a ZAP card onto an empty table because someone before you cleared the table, your ZAP remains on the table until another ZAP is played. If another ZAP is played to clear the table, this play does not earn a Snarkas Gem.
• The Snarkas Play: When you collect all the cards on the table WITHOUT using a ZAP card, shout “SNARKAS!”. You earn a Snarkas Gem, which is worth 10 gems! Take a Snarkas Gem and place it next to your collected pile of game cards. This is the biggest gem-earning play in the game!
• Aster and Jolt Cards: Asters and Jolts are the two lost robot squads of the Snarkaverse. There are four Aster cards and four Jolt cards in the deck. These cards have no numerical value. You can collect Aster cards with Aster cards and Jolt cards with Jolt cards. By themselves, these cards do not count toward your gem total, but if you collect all four Asters or all four Jolts, you earn extra gems.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends after one or more rounds of play, when the first player or team to earn 50 gems wins. If you want a longer game, you can choose a different goal than 50 gems, such as 75, 100, or even 150 gems.

After all the game cards in the deck have been played and a round ends, all players count their cards and gems to determine their scores.

Scoring

1. Count your collected game cards (not including any Snarkas Gems or bonus scoring cards). Bonus scoring cards are awarded as follows:
   • If you (or your team) collected the most game cards, you earn the Most Cards Bonus Card, worth 3 gems. If there is a tie, no one receives this card.
   • If you (or your team) captured all four Asters, you earn the Aster Bonus Card, worth 4 gems.
   • If you (or your team) captured all four Jolts, you earn the Jolt Bonus Card, worth 4 gems.
2. Count all the gems you (or your team) collected. This includes any colored gems represented on ZAP cards and some of the numbered game cards, along with any Snarkas Gems and bonus scoring cards.

Players count their cards and their gems and write down their score. If no player (or team) has 50 or more gems at the end of the round, another round is played. The game continues until one player (or team) has 50 or more gems. The player (or team) with the most gems wins.

Tips for Winning

• Remember that you can only play one card from your hand each turn. This means you can play one card from your hand that matches the combined value of multiple cards on the table, but you cannot play multiple cards from your hand that add up to the value of one card on the table. The collecting-by-addition tactic only works one way!
• Keep in mind which cards have been played. In situations where you have to play a card onto an empty table, this can reduce the chances of your opponent making a SNARKAS!.
• Play your ZAP cards strategically. It is often best to play them when players have many cards in their hands, because it is more likely to lead to a SNARKAS!.
• If you have a card in your hand that matches a card on the table, you don't have to play it. Play your cards whenever they are most advantageous to your strategy.