GO LOW

OBJECT OF GO LOW: The object of Go Low is to be the player with the lowest score after 5 rounds.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 6 players

MATERIALS: 75 game cards

TYPE OF GAME: Card Game

AUDIENCE: 7+

OVERVIEW OF GO LOW

If you have a good memory and can do quick math, Go Low is the game for you! With four cards in your hand, two must be memorized before each round. This allows you to make an accurate assumption that you have the lowest points in your hand compared to the other players. 

Memorize high cards and switch them out for lower cards. Memorize the lowest cards and switch out the others. The process is up to you! However, when a player yells “Go Low” be ready!

SETUP

To setup the game, first grab a piece of paper and a pen to keep score. The oldest player will be the first dealer. The Dealer will shuffle the deck and deal four cards to each player.

The remaining cards are placed face down in the center of the group, creating the draw pile. The top card is then flipped and placed next to that deck, forming the discard pile. Each player should position their cards face down in a square, two rows of two, in front of them. 

GAMEPLAY

At the beginning of each round, each player is to look at and memorize the values and positions of any two cards in their hand. Make sure the other players do not see. The two cards are then returned to their original position, and they cannot be looked at again.

The player to the left of the dealer begins the game, and the game will continue clockwise around the group. The goal is to keep lower cards and get rid of higher cards. Each round a player may do one of three things. They may draw a card and keep it by replacing one of the cards in their hand, take the face-up card on the discard pile and swap it with a card in their hand, or draw a card from the draw pile and discard it. 

When a player believes they have the lowest scoring hand, they shout “Go Low”. This must be announced before discarding a card into the discard pile. After the announcement, each player is allowed to take one additional turn. After each player has had their last turn, everyone turns over their hand. If the player who made the announcement does not have the lowest score, they receive double points.

After each round is over, the players tally their points and document it on the piece of paper. If the player who announced “Go Low” does not have the lowest points, their points for the round double. If they tie with another player, each player is awarded full points. After points have been tallied, all cards are reshuffled and a new round begins.

END OF GAME 

The game ends after five rounds. The player with the lowest score is the winner!

Nakoa Davis
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