DELUXE PAIRS includes a brand-new fruit deck illustrated in a fun retro style and a Pairs Companion booklet with over 30 games and variants, including The Judge, Deadfall, Hawthorn, and more! The perfect choice gift for Pairs completionists as well as the perfect introduction to the Pairs family.
Players: 2-8 // Age: 12+ // Time: Varies // Price: $17 // Pairs Companion
HOW TO PLAY
PAIRS uses a simple triangular deck of cards: that’s 1×1, 2×2, 3×3, and so on all the way to 10×10. There are many ways to play, but here’s the basic game:
Basic PAIRS is a simple press-your-luck game. Players take turns taking cards, trying not to get a pair. If you get a pair, you score points (and points are bad). You can also choose to fold, instead of taking a card, and score the lowest card in play. Folding gets you some points, but catching a pair could get you even more.
Pairs doesn’t have a winner, just a loser. The first player to reach a target score loses, and the target score depends on the number of players. For example, with 4 players, the loser is the first player to 16 points.