Matching Lions

How to Play: At the start of the game, deal each player 5 cards. At the start of your turn, draw a card. If at any time you run out of cards, replenish your hand by drawing five more cards from the deck.

On your turn you may place one herd animal face up in front of you, either a zebra or an antelope. When you have 5 of one kind in front of you (5 zebras or 5 antelopes), you win the game.

After you play your herd animal, you may play one action card from your hand. Lions, elephants and giraffes are your action cards.

To play a lion, place it face up in front of you. When you have played a second lion, you now have Matching Lions. Your matching lions can be used to chase away two animals from one other player’s herds. They can chase away 2 zebras, 2 antelopes, or 1 zebra and 1 antelope. The animals all go into the discard pile. You may use your matching lions on the turn you play the 2nd lion, or you may wait and use them on another turn, after playing your action card for your turn. If you gather several pairs of matching lions in front of you, you may use them all on one turn to chase away other players’ herd animals if you choose.

When you play an elephant, everyone, including you, must pick up their lions and put them back in their hand. The elephant then goes to the discard pile.

When you play a giraffe, you may choose any other player and view all the cards in their hand. The giraffe then goes to the discard pile.

Other animals:

The hippopotamus is a defense card. Play the hippopotamus to block a pair of lions from chasing away any of your herd animals. The hippopotamus and the pair of lions all go to the discard pile.

The hyena is automatically played when it is drawn. All herd animals migrate left, meaning your herds go to the player to your left, that person’s herds go to the player to their left, and so on until every herd has migrated. The hyena goes to the discard pile, and you get to draw again and start your turn. (If you choose, you may use the hyena as an action card instead.)

When the last card from the deck is drawn, the discard pile is shuffled and replaced as the deck.