Get Barbara
Get Barbara is for three to six players and played using a standard deck of cards (52, plus Jokers).
Objective: The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.
Setting up:
Shuffle the cards (with the Jokers) and deal all cards as evenly as possible to all players.
The Queens are the Barbaras. For this game, all Queens should be referred to as "Barbara".
Before play begins, any player with one or more Barbaras removes the card(s) from their hand and sets the Barbara(s) face up on the table in front of them.
The player with the Barbara of Spades starts and play proceeds clockwise.
How to Play:
On each turn, play a card to the middle using the following rules:
- At the start of the round any card, except a Joker, may be played.
- Play a card matching the top card either by suit or rank (Ex. If the top card is an eight of hearts, another eight or heart may be played).
- If a player has one or more Barbaras in front of them, they have the option to play a card matching the suit of any of their Barbaras. (Ex. If the top card is an eight of hearts and the player has the Barbara of Spades, an eight, heart, or spade may be played).
- If a player can't play a matching card, that player takes one Barbara of their choice from another player and the turn ends. No cards are played to the stack and play continues with the player on their left.
The round ends with the first player who runs out of cards from their hand. All players add up score from their remaining cards, including any Barbaras in front of them (See "Scoring" below).
Special Moves:
Aces, Jacks, and Kings are also played on matching suits or rank, but cause additional actions to take place:
Ace: Move any one Barbara from one player to any other player.
Jack: All players pass all their Barbaras either to the player on the left or the right.
King: Swap all the Barbaras of any two players.
Jokers: Cancels the action of any Ace, Jack, or King played. The Joker is set to the side of the discard pile. Jokers are the only cards playable out of turn by another player. Play continues to the left of the person playing the canceled card.
Note: A player is not required to have any Barbaras for swapping or passing. For example, for a swap, a player may give a Barbara to a player who had no Barbaras.
Scoring:
Barbara (Queen): 10 points each.
Exception: If one player has all 4 Barbaras at the end of the round, subtract 25 points from that player's score, then add points from any cards remaining.
Aces, Jacks, Kings, & Jokers: 5 points each.
All other cards: 1 point each.
Game ends after at least one player reaches 100 or more points. The player with the lowest score wins.
Variations:
I am not a drinker, but if you wanted to make it a drinking game, like in Checkered Scissors, I'm sure someone could adjust the rules.
Another thought is to make up additional special moves on the other ranks of cards. Possibly, as the rounds progress, add more and more special moves to the game. Other considered special moves...
- Reverse turn order
- Shuffle and deal the Barbaras
- Instead of discarding a Joker, the player whose move is blocked receives the Joker to play again. This also forces more points at the end of the round.
- When the first Joker is played, the Barbaras are suits that cannot be played. The curse is lifted when the second Joker is played.
- Shuffle the discards and randomly chose one card to be the top card of the discard pile.
If you have any other variations on Get Barbara, or any suggestions for adjusting the rules, please share them.