Presidents!

How to play

The classic game of Presidents you know and love, with a few extra tricks up its sleeve.

1. Deal the cards

   Shuffle the deck and deal all the cards as evenly as possible among 3–6 players. Everyone picks up their cards and looks at their hand.

   Decide who is the most presidential person at the table. They get to go first. Play moves clockwise.

2. Play your cards

   The goal is simple: be the first to get rid of all your cards.

   The first player puts down any numbered card. The next player must play a card of the same or higher number, or pass. Keep going around the table, matching or beating the previous play.

   When everyone else passes, clear the pile. The last person to successfully play cards starts the next pile.

   A 4 is played → play a 4, 5, 6, or anything higher.

   Matching cards = skipping players

   Play the same number as the previous player and you skip the next player’s turn.

   A 7 is played → you play another 7 → the person after you loses their turn.

   Doubles, triples, and more

   You can play multiple cards of the same number together. If a pile starts with a pair, everyone must play pairs to continue. If it starts with three of a kind, everyone must play three of a kind. The same ascending-number rule applies.

   Completing a set

   You can complete a set even when it isn’t your turn! If enough matching cards have been played to make a complete set of four, immediately throw down the missing matching card or cards, even out of turn. Completing the set clears the pile, and you lead the next one.

3. Become President

   First out becomes President. Second becomes Vice President, and last becomes Scum.

   Everyone else receives a position according to finishing order, including Vice Scum and Middle Class when the number of players allows. The better you finish, the more power you have next round.

4. Start the next round

   This is where the political hierarchy takes over.

   1. Shuffle all the cards.
   2. Deal them into face-down piles, one per player, as evenly as possible.
   3. Turn the top card of each pile face up.
   4. Starting with the President, players choose a pile. The Vice President chooses next, then the remaining players in rank order.
   5. Once everyone has a pile, the President takes two cards from the Scum, and the Vice President takes one from the Vice Scum, when those roles are present. The lower-ranked player gives up their highest cards; the higher-ranked player returns the same number of cards of their choice.
   6. Scum starts the new round.

5. Don’t finish on a bomb!

   You cannot finish the round by playing a VETO (Bomb).

   If your final card is a VETO, you automatically become Scum in the next round, regardless of how well you were doing. Save your bomb for an earlier play!

6. Special cards

   

   VETO (Bomb)

   4 in the deck

   A VETO beats any regular play, clears the pile, and allows you to lead the next pile. Remember: finishing on a VETO automatically makes you Scum next round.

   

   SCANDAL

   1 in the deck

   Choose another player. They must reveal their entire hand to everyone until the current pile is cleared.

   

   PARTY SWITCH

   2 in the deck

   Reverse the direction of play. Clockwise becomes counterclockwise, and vice versa.

   

   BIPARTISAN DEAL

   1 in the deck

   Choose another player. Each of you secretly selects one card from your hand, then exchange those cards face down at the same time.

   

   IMPEACHED!

   1 in the deck

   Cancel the President’s current Executive Order for the rest of the round. The President keeps their title, but their Executive Order is no longer in effect.

7. Executive Orders

   Being President comes with perks.

   At the beginning of each round, the President may announce an Executive Order: a ridiculous rule everyone must follow until the round ends or someone plays IMPEACHED!

   • Everyone must call the President “Your Excellency.”
   • Every time someone passes, they must say, “No comment.”
   • Before playing a card, you must compliment the President.

   Executive Orders should be funny, harmless, and shouldn’t change the core card mechanics.