Zookini: Zuper Match

You don’t see something like this every day!

The zoo animals are celebrating “Bikini Day” and proudly showing off their best outfits. A zebra in a rhino bikini or a bear in orangutan style? It’s quite bizarre, and keeping track of everything in the colorful commotion and playing the right card isn’t easy. Adding to the excitement are flamboyant gorillas, pesky flies, and a highly coveted zucchini. Fans of fast-paced card games will find plenty to enjoy in the hilarious pocket game “Zookini” from Piatnik.

Before starting, it’s decided who gets the zucchini card. This person also shuffles and deals the cards and begins the game. The remaining cards are placed face down in the center of the table as a general draw pile, the top card is turned face up and placed face up next to it as a discard pile. On their turn, a player may either play a card or draw one. There are, of course, strict rules for this. Which card can be played depends on what the top card of the discard pile shows. Is it an animal wearing a bikini in the color of another animal or their own? Or is the animal perhaps naked? You have to look closely to play a suitable card. The icons in the corners of the cards help you quickly identify which card can be played. If there’s a gorilla on the discard pile, things can get tricky. Anyone who can also play a gorilla is safe. Anyone who can’t must draw as many cards into their hand as the gorilla card shows. If there are multiple gorillas stacked on top of each other, the numbers of all the cards must be added together, and the corresponding number of cards drawn must be taken. Sometimes – there are ten of them in total – a fly lands on the discard pile.

Then it’s time for the others to be quick and grab the fly card. Whoever places their hand on the fly card first gets their turn immediately. That leaves the zucchini card. Whoever has it in front of them can use it as an alternative to their normal turn, discarding up to two cards at once – also according to the usual rules. It provides the ultimate super boost and is therefore so popular. Afterward, it goes to the person with the most cards in their hand. The first player to play their last card wins. If no one manages to do so, the game ends as soon as all the cards in the draw pile are used up. In this case, the player who currently has the zucchini card in front of them wins.

“Zookini” is easy to learn and perfect for larger groups or extended party game nights. The faster the cards are played, the funnier it is. The unusual theme further contributes to a successful and entertaining game.