In Pups you will take the role of an aspiring dog-trainer with dreams of winning big at the dog show. Below is a quick overview of how the game works:
1) Each round you will be dealt a new hand of seven Pup cards. These cards represent your dog pack.
2) You must carefully analyze your hand and then choose a Bid card based on how many tricks you think your Pups can win. You can play it safe and make an “At Least” bid, or live dangerously and make an “Exactly” bid.
3) You will then play your Pup cards in a series of showdowns against your opponents. The first card played establishes a suit, and all other players must match that suit if they can. The highest valued Pup of that suit takes the trick!
4) …unless someone can play an Alpha suited card. A Pup that matches the Alpha suit will always beat every other suit played! Also, players can add one Mutt card to their play to increase the value of their Pup.
5) The round ends when any player exhausts their hand. If you’ve collected the number of tricks listed on your Bid card then you will earn the reward treats. But if you fail at your Bid you must take the penalty poos.
6) The player who collects the most tricks earns the Top Dog bonus! If there is a tie, no one gets it and the top card of the stack is burned.
7) When the Top Dog cards or any of the Bid card piles run out the game ends. The player who collected the most treats is the winner!
For more detailed rules, download the Pups PDF rule book.
Why a trick-taking game? As a child I was introduced to the game Trump (no affiliation to the presidential candidate) by my parents. We would play it often as a family and the experience made a lasting impression on me. So I decided to create my own tribute to the game and also sprinkle in a little of my own design flair!
So why dogs? Not long after completing my first Kickstarter for Trekking the National Parks I was chatting with my artist buddy David Jackson about collaborating on a project. While browsing his sketchbooks I stumbled upon some delightful drawings of his dogs Penny and Moose. This instantly launched us into a spirited discussion about the joys of dog-ownership and all the silly antics that go with it.
