The rules of the game are simple, which means you don’t have to spend your evening interpreting a multi-page booklet full of cheesy illustrations and instructions that aren’t any easier to understand in English than any of the other eight languages (thanks, IKEA). The object is to get the lowest number of points at the end of six rounds Remember, points are bad!
The gameplay is as follows:
- All Cards are dealt and each player takes a turn by playing one card. Each person must play the same fruit as the lead if they have it. If they don’t, players may play any other card in their hand (there’s a strategy to this).
- The person that plays the highest numbered card of the leading fruit takes the bushel (pile) and leads the next bushel.
- The round is complete after all points have been played. The game ends when you complete all six rounds. The player with the lowest points wins.
See? Simple, right? But there’s one caveat that makes Fruit Basket way cool. Each of the six rounds has a different challenge and penalty you need to watch out for. And the last round is a freaking mad house because it includes the penalties and challenges of ALL of the five previous rounds.
