These are some of my children’s favorite things, yes, even the goat, but we’re talking games today. This little deck of cards provides big fun. It’s a hybrid of war and crazy 8’s with a touch of animal larks thrown in for good measure. Slide it in your pocket and take it with you on the go.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is a round robin card game. Players chant one word in the order of the title of the game while discarding one card from their pile. When the card matches the spoken word, players must slap the deck. The player with the hand on top takes the pile. Watch out for the special cards – animal antics must then ensue! First person to run out of cards AND be the first to slap a match or special card wins.
- Ages 8+ (youngers too – if they know what a Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, or Pizza is, and can keep pace, they probably can play the game)
- 10 minute game play
- 3-8 players – or as many as can fit around a table!
- Group game
- Party Game
Overview
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza comes with instructions and 64 playing cards. Cards have one of the 5 words (Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza) with matching graphics. Special cards are identified by Gorilla, Groundhog and Narwhal graphics.
The first player to run out of cards AND to be the FIRST to slap a match or special card wins.
Gorilla
When this card is played all players must beat their chest and then slap the deck. The player whose hand is on top must pick up the discard pile.
Groundhog
When this card is played all players must knock on the table with both hands and then slap the deck. The player whose hand is on top must pick up the discard pile.
Narwhal
When this card is played all players must slap their hands above their head to form a horn and then slap the deck. The player whose hand is on top must pick up the discard pile.
Set Up
Pull out the 2 instruction cards and set aside. Choose a player to be the dealer. Shuffle the cards, then deal out all cards face down evenly to all the players. It’s ok if some players have more cards than others.
Players may not look at their cards, but place them in a pile either in their hand or on the table.
Game Play
Play begins to the dealer’s left. Player 1 lays down one card from the top of their pile, face up, beginning the discard pile while saying “taco”. Their turn is over.
The player to the left of player 1, turns over a card from their pile onto the discard pile, while saying “cat”.
Play continues around the table. Each player plays a card, and says the next word in the title Goat, Cheese, Pizza, etc. This continues until one of the following happens:
A card and spoken word match, ex: the player said cat and placed a cat card down. All players must slap their hands on top of the discard pile. The player who’s hand is on top takes the discard pile and adds it to the bottom of their pile. The game resumes with the word “taco”.
A special card is played. All players must complete the played cards actions BEFORE slapping the deck. The player who’s hand is on top takes the discard pile and adds it to the bottom of their pile. The game resumes with the word “taco”.
Other rules:
No peeking:
Players must not look at their pile at any time. Anyone caught peeking at their card before placing it into the discard pile must pick up the discard pile and is out of the game…for this round.
No Flinching:
If any players starts to slap the pile but doesn’t or “flinches”, they must pick up the discard pile and are out of the game…for this round.
Keeping the Pace:
Players must keep a steady pace when playing the game. If anyone forgets their word or doesn’t notice it’s their turn they must pick up the discard pile and add it to the bottom of their pile.
Winning the Game
When a player has used all their cards, that player continues to play on their turn by stating the current word. The game ends when a player with no cards slaps the deck FIRST when a match occurs.
House rules: while not expressly written in the instructions, our house rules include that if you are the last person to slap, you must pick up the pile and play continues.
A fair warning for your hands-remove rings or other items that might cause damage to other players’ hands. We’ve found the bigger the kid, AKA, adult, the more exuberant they get with their slaps!
