SaintCards: Base Game

SaintCards is a ground-breaking "true fact" card management system that helps players get to know facts about the lives of Catholic Saints. In a fun and interactive match-making, turn-based game, players vie to collect as many Treasures as possible before the end of the game.

The game begins with the dealer dealing a fixed number of cards to each player. The number of cards varies depending on the number of players. The remainder of the deck is placed face down to form the draw pile with the top card turned face up next to it to start the play pile.

In turn, each player aims to match at least one attribute of a card in his or her hand with an attribute of the top card in play. Players gain treasures (also called jewels) which are collected from the Storehouse of Treasure, with each additional matching attribute earning a player an additional treasure. Treasures take the physical form of game pieces of varying size and color, each corresponding to a different value and so function as the point scoring system for the game. On a single turn, a player may play a second card only if at least 3 matches between it and the card previously played can be identified.

Alternatively, or if a player is unable to find any matches, that player may draw a card from the draw pile instead.

Play moves to the next player in turn once a player says pass.

The game ends after one player has played his or her final card and the dealer has had a final chance to play. The player who has gathered the most treasure is the winner. That player then collects all the other players' treasures and lays them at the feet of Jesus, i.e. next to the Jesus Card. SaintCards Expansions add more saints and fun twists and turns to the gameplay.

—description from the designer