Synergy

Synergy is a card game based off of Gin but where the rules change based on certain cards you have. This game requires 2 Decks of 52 cards. The cards are separated into Leadership cards (Jacks, Kings and Queens) and Worker cards (the rest), and each player is dealt 3 Leadership cards, and 15 Workers. Players must try to sort their Workers into matching sets, with larger sets being worth more points. Leadership cards tell players what actions they can take during their turn to match cards.

Features:

*Randomized cards that can combo in interesting ways

*Supports a variety of playstyles based on the player and the types of Leadership cards drawn

*Fast paced and easy to learn!

*Balancing system to provide support to players who earn 0 points

*Notes: 

• This game requires 2 decks of 52 Cards. 

• Keep some notes or pen & paper to help keep track of points.

Players: 2

Setup:

• Divide the cards into 2 groups, separating the Face cards (Jacks, Kings, Queens) from the Value cards (Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
  • Aces are equal to 1
• Shuffle each group into its own deck, leaving you with a deck of Face cards and a deck of Value cards

Goal:

• The goal of the game is to match up cards from your hand into sets of at least 3 cards with the same number, or cards in sequence of the same suite. 

Game Loop:

• Round Setup:

1. Deal out 3 Face cards and 15 Value cards randomly to each player.
   1. These 3 Face cards are a player’s Leadership Cards
      1. A player’s Leadership Cards must be placed Face Up.
      2. Any player who scored 0 points in the previous round can draw an additional Leadership Card, but they can only keep 3 Leadership Cards and must discard their least favorite.
   2. These 15 Value cards make up the player’s Workers

1. Place the Face card deck aside and place the Value card deck in the middle of the play area.
   1. Take 10 cards from the Value deck and place them face up. This is the Hiring Pool. Whenever a card is taken from the Hiring Pool it is replaced by a card from the Value deck

1. The player to the left of the dealer takes their turn first. The turn order then goes clockwise.

• Player Turn:

1. A player can take one action per each Leadership Card, and the possible actions a player can take is determined by which Leadership Cards they have:
   1. Jacks allow the player to spend 1 action to trade a card from their pool of Workers for a card in the Hiring Pool. Players can choose to place the card face down in the Hiring Pool if they desire.
   2. Kings allow the player to spend 1 action to discard a card from their pool of Workers and place it into the bottom of the Value Deck. The player can discard until they reach their minimum Workers limit of 3.
   3. Queens allow the player to spend 1 action to take a card from the Hiring Pool and put it into their Workers pool. There is no maximum Workers limit.

1. Additionally, the player can always take 1 free action each turn to take a card from the Hiring Pool or to trade or discard a card from their Workers pool (hand).

1. After the player spends their actions for the turn, they should sort their Workers into matching sets, if possible, and end their turn.
   1. Matching sets must be displayed face-up

1. Players can discard a Leadership Card whose action has not been taken yet, in order to force another player to discard a set. They can only discard one Leadership Card per turn.

• Scoring:

  • Whenever any player can match all the Workers in their pool into sets, play for that Round is over and Scoring starts.

• Players are awarded 2 points for each set of at least 3 cards, with an additional point for every card after the 3rd in a set.

• Players are penalized -1 points for each unmatched Worker in their pool.

• The minimum possible score per round is 0 points.

• Once the players have their scores for that round, all the Leadership Cards and Worker Cards are shuffled back into their respective decks, and the following round begins, starting from Round Setup.

• The first player to reach 25 points wins the game! If all players go past 25 points, the highest overall score wins.

• In the case of a tie at 25 points, the player who ended the Round gets the win.