TIC Playing Cards (Two In Common)

Two In Common (TIC) playing cards are an intuitive and powerful deck of cards with huge game potential. Great for families with kids 7 and up, as well as for the most seasoned and serious card players. May the brain floss begin!

The games are organised by difficulty (or Brain wave:

1. Easy - Brain Ripples
2. Medium 1 - Brain Maps
3. Medium 2 - Brain Waves
4. Difficult - Gamma Waves

Designed by a Neuroscientist, TIC playing card games challenge your visual perception, processing speed, forward thinking, strategizing and resilience (through frustration and losing!)

Sample Game #1

Time’s a Ticking (2-5 Players, Ages 7+, Average Play Time = 10 Minutes)

To set up, the deck of cards will be shuffled and five cards are dealt face-up onto the middle of the table within reach of all players. The rest of the cards are distributed evenly among all players. Any extras are put off to the side, not to be used that game.

There are no player turns in “Time’s a Ticking”. Instead, the object is to be the first player to get rid of all of the cards in your hand. Players will be able to play cards to one of the five face-up center cards, covering the existing one like a standard discard pile. The catch is that in order to lay a card down in must create a “Tic”. As explained above, a “Tic” is when cards have two properties in common. For example, you could lay a 2-Yellow-Moon on a 4-Yellow-Moon because two of the properties match. A 3-Blue-Star on top of a 3-Red-Star would also work.

In the event that no one can play any more cards, the player with the fewest cards in their hand is the winner. You CAN play cards that aren’t “Tics”, but if you’re caught, you’re out for 5 “Tic” plays…meaning you’ll need to wait for at least five cards to be played before you can begin laying out cards again.

Sample Game #2

Tic-a-Long (2-8 Players, Ages 7+, Average Play Time = 5-20 Minutes per Round)

Like “Time’s a Ticking”, the object is to get rid of all of the cards in your hand before anyone else. Each player is dealt eight to ten cards to start, though you can shorten or lengthen the round by dealing fewer/more cards respectively. If you’re playing with younger children for example, you can opt to deal six or seven cards per player. The deck is put into the middle of the table and one card is drawn face-up as a discard pile.

On your turn you’ll try to play cards onto the discard pile, one by one. If you play a “Tic”, you’ll get to go again. If you play a “Single”, meaning only one property matches, then your turn is over. If you can’t play anything, then you’ll draw one from the deck. If you still can’t play, your turn will end. If you end your turn by last playing a card with stars, the opponent who goes next must draw cards from the deck equal to the value listed on the stars card.

A player who has one card in their hand must announce it…if anyone catches them then they’ll be forced to draw two cards. A player’s last card cannot be played as a “Single”…it must be a “Tic” or a “Tic” followed by a “Single”.

More games can be found on the official website.