How to play the Ripple Card Game

We have an easy to learn and play card game for you today: Ripple.

It is similar to the card game Golf but with it’s own unique twists. Players who like the games Fe Fi Fo Fum, Hay Stacks, Garbage and James Bond will also like Ripple’s game play—kids love this game and will play for hours.

In this post we will cover how to play, the rules and how to win the Ripple card game.

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What You Need

First, you can get a beautiful beach themed version of this game on Amazon. For the rest of us you will need two standard decks of cards with the jokers included. If you need some new cards, check out the selection here; Canadians here. We think the Crazy Chicken Lady ones are fun looking!

The Ripple Object

The object of the game is to have the lowest score at the end of the round.

Playing Ripple Card Game

To start, mix the two decks of cards on a table and leave them in a big messy pile. You can compile them into one tidy draw pile if you like, but I haven’t met a kid yet who doesn’t love a big messy pile of cards. It makes is easier to shuffle too.

Next, all players pull out ten cards from the pile. Do not look at the cards. Instead, lace them on the table in front of you in two rows of 5. When everyone has picked their cards, everyone gets to choose three cards to turn over in their playing area to be face up.

Now, choose someone to go first. This player now picks a card from the center pile and looks at it. She can now exchange it with any of her ten cards. The exchanged card now gets set above the rows of cards as a personal discard pile. If she didn’t want to use the card that she picked, she simply puts it in her discard pile.

The player to the first player’s left gets to go next. He can now choose a card from the center pile or from anyone’s discard pile. Again, he chooses which card he wants to exchange it for and places that card at the top in his discard pile. It is now the next player’s turn.

Matching Card

When you have two cards in line with each other –one above the other—the score for the pair is 0.

Block Party

If you are lucky enough to have two pairs beside each other that are the same rank, then you have a block party. This combination will score minus 20 points.

If you are even luckier and have three sets of matching cards that are side by side they are worth minus 40 points. And if you are super lucky and get four matching sets side by side, you score minus 60 points.

Ripple

There is one more rule that makes this game unique: the Ripple effect. When you flip over a card that you are replacing and it matches one of your face up cards, instead of discarding it, you get to place it in your row. Again, if this new card that is turned over matches one of your face up cards you can again use it to fill in your rows.

You can’t exchange a card with one that is already face up.

Other Rules

First, on your turn you can choose a card from the center pile or any other player’s discard pile. You can’t use a card from your own discard pile.

Second, You can use a card that you picked up to replace a face up card. You can’t use a ripple card to replace a face up card however.

Ending the Round

When one player has turned up all of their cards, all other players get one more turn to better their hand. Then it’s time to score.

Scoring Ripple Card Game

Matches score 0 points. One block party score -20. Two block parties score -40. Three block parties score -60 points.

For any card that is not in a match set, they score positive points of their face values except the 7s, Jacks and Jokers which count as 0 points. The queens and kings are both worth 10 points. See the list below:
Aces = 1
Two = 2
Three = 3
Four = 4
Five =  5
Six = 6
Seven = 0
Eight = 8
Nine = 9
The = 10
Jack = 0
Queen = 10
King = 10
Jokers = 0

At the end of the round, each player’s score is added or subtracted to their pervious round’s score.

Winning Ripple Card Game

The game is over when one player reaches either 100 points or -100 points. The player with the lowest score is the winner.

Ride the Wave of Fun

The Ripple card game is a fast and easy card game that players of all ages will want to play again and again. To get the printable rules for this game, click here.

For more fun with cards check out the card games Golf, Hay Stacks, Garbage and James Bond. And for even more fun visit our Family Game Shelf shop for seasonal and original games like our Sticks card game and Whacky Putt mini golf dice game! There’s something for everyone.