Crabs in a Bucket is a fast-paced card game for 2-6 players that blends chaos, strategy, and a cast of colorful crab characters. The goal of the game is simple: Be the first to get rid of your hand! Use the powers of the Joker Crabs to claw your way to victory.
Players start with seven cards in hand from a deck comprised of 52 suited cards (resembling a standard deck) and 22 "Joker Crabs" that are unsuited. During play, players use two discard piles, one for suited cards (referred to simply as "The Discard Pile") and another for Joker Crabs (referred to as the Joker Pile).
Suited cards may be played on the discard pile on top of other cards that match their suit or number. Once a suited card is played, a player may also discard all cards of higher value of the same suit from their hand. When a Jack, Queen, or King is on top of the discard pile, no Joker Crabs may be played. Additionally, if a player cannot play, they must draw cards at the end of their turn.
Joker Crabs, which are all based on real crab species, have unique effects. All but one of them can benefit a player by, for instance, forcing an opponent to draw from their hand or allowing them to play unique combos. The final Joker Crab — the Lobster — is a barrier to victory as it cannot be played; should you hold the Lobster, you must find a creative way of discarding it without playing it.
Number of Players: 2-6.
Play Time: 5-15 minutes.
Suitable For Ages 10+.
Includes: Rule manual, playing mat, 6 rule cards, 74 playing cards.
