The Fool & His Nibs 2026

The Fool & His Nibs, named after a gaming group of the same name, is inspired by Doppelkopf and tarock games (mainly Konigrufen).

Deck makeup: 54 cards in total - One trump suit 1-22 - Four side suits J-10-9-8 (2 copies of each)

Each hand the player who is dealt the 22 of trump must tell the table they have it. They are "The Fool" and will be last to bid during the bidding phase. There are six different contracts to bid on. While the main objective can change, they all revolve around capturing the Nibs (aka the Jacks).

Once a contract is selected, the declarer will either be playing with a partner (usually hidden) or alone. Various feats can be announced at the beginning of the hand or attempted silently throughout the hand.

Trick play is must follow (first played wins), if you can't follow you must trump, and you are not required to win the trick. Additionally, the Fool (22 of trump) cannot be played until it is the last trump in that player's hand!

After 12 tricks, all players check to see if they succeeded at their contract and/or feats. Points (aka cash) are gained/lost accordingly.

Play continues until the agreed upon number of hands have been played. The player(s) with positive cash win. The player(s) with negative cash lose.

Why is the Fool always last you might ask? Because they are napping and can't always make it to events on time!

The Fool & His Nibs was designed as a love letter to the previously mentioned gaming group and two games. It was designed during the month of Tarocktober.

—description from the designer