How To Play - FROG JUICE - Game Rules
A Clever Card Game of Spells & Concoctions
Cast spells, brew concoctions, melt witches...Use a smidgen of math and a pinch of probability.
 

How To Play - FROG JUICE - Game Rules

Object
The player with the most points wins.  Earn two points for capturing or using the most Ingredient Cards, and one point for each Power Card you capture or use.

Ingredient Cards
Ingredient Cards are used to complete spells and capture other cards.  They're easy to recognize by the numbers printed in the upper left corner of the card.  The numbers don't mean the cards are worth more or less, they just identify which cards you can capture during your turn (by matching or adding cards to equal the numerical value of another card).

Power Cards
Power Cards have special powers.  It's easy to recognize them by the power puff icon in the upper left corner of each card.  There are four Witches, four Frog Juice, one Black Cat, one All Purpose Witch Wash, and five different Spells.  For a description of the special powers and a guide to playing them, read "Playing Power Cards" later in the rules.
You won't find the Frog Juice card in that section, though.  It's scored like a Power Card, but played like an Ingredient Card.  Frog Juice is special, not for the powers it has, but because it's the name of the game.  It has both a number and a power puff icon, so capture it like an Ingredient Card, then place it in your Power Pile for one point.

Set-Up
The first time you play, look over the cards in the deck so you'll be able to recognize Ingredient and Power Cards.
Next, decide which player will be the dealer.  The dealer shuffles and deals four cards to each player.  He places the next four cards from the deck face up in a row in the center of the table (this is the only time cards from the draw pile are laid out in the center), and stacks the remaining cards face down as the draw pile.
During the game, there won't always be four face-up cards in the center - sometimes there will be more, sometimes there will be less - as players capture cards and then discard.

Game Play
The player to the left of the dealer goes first, and play continues clockwise.

Here's how to play a turn:

1. Always start your turn with a hand of four cards.  At the beginning of your turn, draw as many cards as you need to bring your hand back to four ( you won't need to do this on your first turn).  Look at the cards in your hand.

2. Then take ONE of the following actions:

• Capture cards from the center, or

• Play the Black Cat Card, or

• Sweep with a Witch Card, or

• Play a Spell Card, or

• Take no action (pass) and discard to end your turn.  (There are two reasons you might want to pass:  either you don't have any playable cards in your hand, or you want to save your cards for a strategic move later on.)

    3.    Once you've taken your action, but before you end your turn, you can add cards to any incomplete spells you have on the table from previous turns by asking your opponents, picking up cards from the face-up cards in the center, or taking cards from your own hand.

    4.    To end your turn, discard one card face up to the center (even if you take no action and pass your turn).  If you don't have any cards in your hand, you can't discard.

Capturing Cards
To capture cards, you match one or more cards from your hand to one or more face-up cards from the center.  You can do it one of three ways

1. Make a direct match.  Match one card from your hand to another card from the center.  Both cards must have the same numerical value.  Example:  A Newt (4) from your hand may capture a Newt (4) from the center because they both have the numerical value of 4.

2. Add one or more cards from the center to equal the numerical value of one card from your hand.  Example:  Deadly Nightshade (11) from your hand may capture any card combination from the center that adds up to 11 such as Toadstools (7), Toads (3), and Shrinking Brew (1).

3. Add one or more cards from your hand to equal the numerical value of one card from the center.  Example:  Bats (2) and Shrinking Brew (1) from your hand may capture any 3 card in the center, such as Toads (3).

Each time you capture cards, place them in one of two piles on the table in front of you:  put your Ingredient Cards in one pile, and your Power Cards in another.  The cards in these piles are out of play for the rest of the game.

Playing Power Cards
You can only play a Power Card if you have it in your hand.  So what do you do if there's a Power Card face-up in the center?  If it's a Spell, the Black Cat, or the All Purpose Witch Wash, it's powerless.  It can only be captured by sweeping with a Witch Card.  If a Witch is one of the face-up cards in the center, it's also powerless, but it can be captured two ways:  by the All Purpose Witch Wash Card or by sweeping with another Witch Card.  Once a Power Card in the center is captured or swept, it goes right into your Power Pile for one point, without being played.

• Black Cat
  A Black Cat Card in your hand is good luck for you and bad luck for your opponents!  On your turn, you can use it to steal a Power Card from any other player's Power Pile (this is the only time during the game that a card can be removed from a player's pile).  First, show your opponent the card, then take any one of the Power Cards form his pile.  Once you've made your move, place both cards in your own Power Pile.

• Witch
  To use a Witch Card as the action for your turn, take the card and "sweep" all the face-up cards in the center.  (Keep in mind that the Witch can't sweep cards from Power or Ingredients Piles, nor can it sweep incomplete spells.) Once you gather all the swept cards from the center, place them in your appropriate Ingredient and Power Piles.

• All Purpose Witch Wash
  Use the All Purpose Witch Wash Card at any time, during your turn or someone else's.  (Remember - playing the All Purpose Witch Wash Card doesn't count as the action for your turn....it's extra.)

There are three ways to play it:

• Capture a Witch Card from the face-up cards in the center - the other face - up cards remain in the center.  Then place the Witch Card and All Purpose Witch Wash Cards in you Power Pile.

• "Melt" another player's Witch Card as he's sweeping the center cards with it.  Show your all Purpose Witch Wash Card and say "Witch Wash" - that will melt his Witch Card so you can steal it and all the other cards he was trying to sweep.  Then place all the cards in your appropriate Ingredient and Power Piles.  The person who played the Witch Card discards, as his turn is now over.

• Melt your own Witch Card as you're sweeping the center cards with it.  (That's one way to make sure you get the Witch and the All Purpose Witch Wash Cards for your Power Piles.)

Spells
To play a Spell Card as the action for your turn, place it face up on the table in front of you and announce that you're playing a spell.  To complete the spell, collect one of each of the cards listed on the Spell Card.  Each time you get a card you need, place it under your Spell Card until you complete the spell.  Then put the Ingredient Cards in one pile, and the Power Cards (including the Spell Card) in another.

Here's how to complete a spell:

1. First, take any cards you need from your own hand.

2. Next, take any cards you need from the face-up cards in the center.

3. Finally, ask other players for any cards that you still need.  Start with the player on your left and continue clockwise until you've asked each player, or until you get all the cards you need.  A player only has to give you the card if you specifically ask him for it, so don't forget to ask.

Any time you can't complete a spell, leave it on the table to complete later.  (Remember - adding a card to an incomplete spell doesn't count as the action for your turn...it's extra.)  After you've taken your action, you can always go back to your incomplete spells.  But if you discard after your action and forget to ask for the cards you need, you're out of luck until your next turn.  Keep in mind that incomplete spells are safe - they can't be swept by the Witch and they can't be stolen by the Black Cat.

Ending The Game
Continue playing until there are no cards left in the draw pile and players have no more playable cards in their hands.

Scoring
First, count the number of cards in your Power Pile.  You get one point for each Power Card.

Then count the number of cards in your Ingredient Pile.  Whoever has the most cards gets two points; other players don't get any points.  If there's a tie for the greatest Ingredient Pile, the tying players each receive two points.

Finally, add the score from your Power Pile to the score from your Ingredient Pile.  (Don't count the cards left in the center, the cards left in your hand, or any incomplete spells left on the table - just set them aside.)  The player with the most points wins.