Solar Republic Card Game Instructions
About the Card Game
The deck consists of 52 cards, 5 suits, and 2 wild cards. The cards are listed below from the most powerful cards to the least powerful.
- 5’s: The Sun (Sol) and the Asteroid Belt (Wild Cards) — 2 cards
- 4’s: Large Planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) — 4 cards
- 3’s: Small Planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) — 4 cards
- 2’s: Large Moons and Dwarf Planets — 23 cards
- 1’s: Small Moons — 19 cards
Suits
There are 4 suits with 10 cards each, and one suit with 12 cards. This is the Sol suit. The Sol suit includes 10 cards, but also includes the Sol and Asteroid Belt wild cards. It is important to remember the 5 suit symbols since all cards belong to one of the 5 suits.
Game Play
The Object of the Game
End the game by with the most rounds or “tricks” won.
Number of Players
The best gameplay is with 2 or 4 players.
Game Play
The game begins with a shuffle and a deal of cards counterclockwise. Each player receives ten cards. The remaining cards are stacked face-down on the table. This is the Draw Pile.
- The first player to the left of the dealer plays the first card from his hand face up. The first card sets the card suit.
- Everyone who plays a card from their hand thereafter must follow suit. If a player doesn’t have a card in suit that player can draw a card from the draw pile and play the card that is drawn.
- If a card is drawn from the draw pile, the card MUST be played and the player’s turn ends. The suit of the card drawn does not change the suit. Therefore the following players must follow the original suit.
- When everyone takes a turn, this is the first round (trick or hand). The trick is won by whoever plays a Trump card.
- The Trump cards are 5, 4, 3.
- At the end of the round, if a Trump card is not played, another round ensues.
- If TWO Trump cards of the same suit are played, the planet (Planets are 3’s and 4’s) closest to the Sun wins the round or trick.
- The Sun is the most powerful card, taking the Asteroid Belt anytime both cards are played in a round or trick.
End Game and Scoring
The game ends with the first player relieving themselves of all cards or the Draw Pile is depleted.
The player or team with the most Books wins.
Pro-Tip
By allowing a round or trick to proceed into a second round, you have a chance to win the two rounds or tricks. But, don’t get too greedy, someone else may have a better trump card.