OBJECTIVE:
◘ Use all cards to create a CAIRN CARD CASTLE in pursuit of the CONSUMMATE CAIRN.
WHAT YOU NEED:
◘ One player.
◘ A standard deck of cards, with Jokers but without face cards.
◘ One die.
PLAYING THE GAME:
◘ Set up and shuffle the deck. Draw four cards from the top. If none is a HEAVY STONE (10), repeat this process until at least one of the four cards is.
◘ Deal these four cards horizontally in front of you, face-up and short edge-to-edge. This becomes your bottom row of SUPPORTING CARDS.
◘ Turn over three cards at a time from the top of the deck, playing them in the order they appear. These cards may be played as overlapping BALANCING STONES atop SUPPORTING STONES by aligning the short edge of the SUPPORTING STONE(s) with the center line of the BALANCING STONE.
◘ The numerical value of any one or two SUPPORTING STONE(s) must always be greater than or equal to the numerical value of each BALANCING STONE above. (NOTE: Aces have a value of one.)
◘ After successfully playing each round of three cards, keep count of the number of rounds, starting at one, with a die. Once the die hits four in this way, begin rolling it after each round instead.
◘ If the die ever lands on a four after rolling it, a WAVE comes ashore and knocks out the bottom row of SUPPORTING STONES. Shuffle these back into the deck. If the die lands on any other number, continue play as normal, still rolling it after each future round.
◘ If at any point you are not able to play the next card, the CAIRN CARD CASTLE cannot be completed, and you must begin again. If you manage to play all forty-two cards, you win! But wait, there's more…
IMPORTANT RULES:
◘ HEAVY STONES (10) must always be supported by at least one HEAVY STONE (unless it is in the bottom row).
◘ AGATES (Jokers) have a numerical value of zero but still may be used in support, and must always be supported by two SUPPORTING STONES, not one.
◘ A BALANCING STONE with only one SUPPORTING STONE beneath it cannot itself support any cards alone.
◘ You cannot place new SUPPORTING STONES in the bottom row at any point.
THE CONSUMMATE CAIRN:
To create the CONSUMMATE CAIRN, you must receive a SEDECUPLE, a perfect score of 4x4, from the judges. To score each four, you must satisfy the following conditions:
◘ 1x4 — Use all forty-two cards to complete the CAIRN CARD CASTLE.
◘ 2x4 — Leave an AGATE as a BALANCING STONE supported alone by exactly two SUPPORTING STONES that are not supporting any other cards.
◘ 3x4 — Same as above, with the other AGATE.
◘ 4x4 — Complete the CAIRN without encountering a single WAVE.