Birthday Party, Cheesecake, Jelly Bean, Boom! 2009

A very, very lightweight trick-taking game for three to six R.E.M. fans.

Goal: End the game with the most points. Do this by being the last player to play on a trick. Look out for Boom! cards – they’ll make all the points go away!

You Need:

A Birthday Party, Cheesecake, Jellybean, Boom! (BPCCJBB) deck (available on the game's website)

If you’re starting a trick, you must play a Birthday Party. If you can not start with a Birthday Party, show your hand to the player on your right or left and let play pass to the next player, who must start the trick.

On your turn you may play a card or pass. If you pass on a trick you may still play later on the same trick.

If you want to play a card, look at the top card of the trick:

If the top card is a Birthday Party, you may play a Birthday Party or a Cheesecake. If the top card is a Cheesecake, you may play a Cheesecake or a Jelly Bean. If the top card is a Jelly Bean, you may play a Jelly Bean or you may play a Boom! and set all the cards in the trick aside, out of play.

If you run out of cards, immediately draw up to five cards. If the deck runs out of cards, it’s out of cards. No cards for you!

If you play on a trick and play comes all the way around to you and no one else has played on the trick, you take the trick. Put all of the cards in the trick in your score pile.

When you take a trick or Boom! a trick, you must start the next trick.

If it’s the end of a trick and the deck is out of cards, the game is over. Put any cards in your hand in the score pile of the player on your right.

Winning: Sum the points on the cards in your score pile. If you have the most points, you win!