Moons is a trick-taking card game in which suits are represented by different planets in our solar system, and card ranks are represented by the moons that orbit them.
Set Up
Separate all the planet tokens and place them off to one side of the table within reach of the players. (Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus)
Remove all the scoring reference cards and give one to each player. Put any extra reference cards back in the box.
Shuffle all the small Asteroid cards and deal two to each player. Place the remaining Asteroid cards in a draw deck off to one side of the table within reach of the players.
Shuffle all the larger Moon cards and deal the whole deck out to the players one at a time in clockwise order.
Put the block token (red circle with a line through it) off to one side of the table within reach of the players.
Quick Play
1. Complete the set up
2. All players create a face down three card tableau
3. All players reveal tableaus simultaneously
4. Highest card in tableau gains first player marker (first round only)
5. The first player may play an Asteroid card if he/she wishes
6. First player leads first trick by playing one Moon card
7. In clockwise order from the first player, all other players may play one Asteroid card if they
wish, and then must play one Moon card (must follow suit if able)
8. The player with the highest numbered on-suit card wins the trick and gains a planet token
that matches any suit in his/her tableau
9. The lowest off-suit card wins a token matching the off-suit played (if tied, low off-suits do not get a token)
10. The winner of the trick leads the next trick
11. After all cards have been played, the winner of the most tricks gains 1 planet token of their
choice (does not have to match tableau) — In the case of a tie, all tied players receive 1
token of choice
12. Players who earned zero tricks may take one token that matches any card in their tableau
13. Pass the first player token to the left (the Earth’s moon token) — the Earth token should
never be moved as it marks the starting point
14. The new first player deals out all cards for the next round and leads the first trick
15. Repeat until all tokens are gone or until all players have dealt one time
Players score points based on sets of tokens.
