Free game published in the May 2018 (GTM #219) issue of Game Trade Magazine.

The game utilizes the Pairs game system and is designed with the Deluxe Pairs deck, though it can be played with any Pairs deck.

Background: You and your friends are racing into space. Play your cards right, build a rocket, and head to the Moon!

To the Moon is played over several rounds. Each round is made of several countdowns, or tricks. The goal of each trick is to be the last player still “in,” and this earns you one point for every card in the trick.

To start the round, shuffle the deck and deal a hand of cards to each player. The number of cards you deal out varies with the number of players, as follows:

Players: 2 3 4 5 6
Cards: 8 7 6 5 4

The dealer plays the top card of the deck to start the first trick. Each trick represents a countdown, and may therefore contain no more than one card of each rank. Play proceeds clockwise, skipping players who are out. On each turn, you may do one of three things: build, test, or withdraw

Build: Play a card from your hand into the countdown. This card can’t match any of the cards that are already there. If you complete a perfect countdown (all ten cards), then you win this trick immediately. Otherwise, play continues, and you are still in.

Test: Play the top card of the deck. If it is a legal play, then your test is a success, and you are still in the trick. If it matches another card, then you are knocked out of the trick, and take that card into your hand.

Withdraw: Play no cards, and take yourself out of the trick. You also take one card from the table into your hand, unless this would leave no cards on the table.

Note: When out of the trick, lay your hand face down on the table, with the card that you just took face up on top. This makes it easier for everyone to see who is in and out.

Taking the Trick: When only one player remains in the trick, that player wins the trick and scores those cards. All players come back in, and the winner leads the next trick by playing the top card of the deck. If the deck is empty at this step, the round is over.

Scoring: Each card captured in a trick is worth one point. Play six rounds, and then the highest total score wins.

To the Moon

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