Switched Up!

Contributed by Justin Huneke

Introduction

Switched Up! is a two player game inspired by the card game called Swap!, but if you're like me, two people with a deck of Swap! cards is just no fun. Like Uno, it’s a great 3-4 player game. It’s not made for two people. I have created this card game especially designed for two players. You play with a regular 52 card deck. There are no Slap cards or Super Swap cards because they were no good in a two player game of Swap!. Instead, other, more suitable cards will take its place. Oh, and if you know Swap!, Swap cards are now Switch cards. They have the same effect.

Once you have read all of this (you don’t have to understand it) it’s on to the game!

How to play

Pick a dealer and deal 10 cards to each of you. Place the remaining cards in the center, forming the stock pile. Flip the top card off the stock pile to form the discard pile. The player who did not deal goes first. The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards. You do this by matching the top card color of the discard pile.

In a standard deck, as you know, there are two colors, but in Switch Up!, there are 4 "colors".

• The first color is Red. These are red cards 3-7.
• The second color is Black. These are black cards 3-7.
• The third color is called Red Royal. These cards are red 8-Queen.
• The fourth color is called Black Royal. These cards are black 8-Queen.

The Kings and the Aces are switch cards. You may play these cards on any color. When you do, you and your opponent switch hands.

The Twos are switch + 2 cards. When you play these cards, you must switch hands with your opponent. Your opponent then draws 2 cards from the stock pile.

The Threes, Fours, Eights and Nines are change color cards. These cards can only be played on their own color (i.e. a Red 3 or 4 can be placed on a Red card, a Black 3 or 4 can be placed on a Black, a red royal 8 or 9 can be placed on a Red Royal and a black royal 8 or 9 can only be played on a Black Royal). Once you play these cards, you can change the color to anything but the original color. This means if Black was already down and you played a black 3, you have to change the color to either Red, Red Royal or Black Royal.

If you can not play a card, you must draw one card from the stock pile, which you may then play if it is of the right color.

Remember, you are the victor when you deplete your hand.

Switched Up! will have you and your opponent constantly switching hands, which is all the more fun!

Enjoy!