Paper sea

Key features of the card game Paper Sea

The course of the game

Each round begins with a draw of either the top two cards from the topping deck (keep one, discard the other) or one top card from any discard pile. A key element of the game is the unloading of paired cards, which allows you to perform various effects - such as viewing discard piles with crabs, making another complete turn with boats, picking up a card with fish, or even stealing a card from an opponent with a swimmer and shark pair. Strategic use of these effects is key to optimizing your turn. The round ends when the active player has collected cards with a total value of at least 7 points (cards in hand and cards on the table). At that point, it decides whether to "end" the round safely or to go for a "last chance", where you bet on the other players not beating your score. If the bet is successful, you will receive a colour bonus for your longest card suit. If not, only you get the bonus, while your opponents get their regular points. You become the winner of the whole game either by reaching a predetermined number of points (40 for 2 players, 35 for 3 players and 30 for 4 players) or by getting all four mermaids immediately.