Goal

Kabbu is a 4-player memory card game. Keep the total value of the cards remaining in your grid as low as possible. The player with the lowest unique score wins the round.

Set up

• Deal each player 4 cards face down in a 2×2 grid.
• At the beginning of the game, each player privately looks at their two bottom cards, then returns them face down.
• Put the remaining cards in a draw pile and leave space beside it for a discard pile.

Taking a turn

1. Draw one card from the draw pile. You may not pick up or draw from the discard pile.
2. Keep all cards in your grid face down unless a rule specifically allows you to look at one.
3. Resolve the drawn card as follows:

Matching discards

• Each time a card is placed in the discard pile, any player may discard a matching card from their own grid.
• A player who tries to discard a nonmatching card receives a 30-point penalty.
• Once all players are finished discarding matching cards from their own grids, they may try to discard a known matching card from another player’s grid.
• When you discard a card from another player’s grid, you must give that player one card from your own grid in exchange.
• A player with no cards in their own grid cannot discard a card from another player’s grid.
• Cards removed by matching discards are placed in the discard pile.

Auto-Kabbu

• If you discard all cards from your own grid, you must call Kabbu automatically on your next turn, with a score of 0.
• If another player has a score of 0 or lower, the auto-Kabbu player loses the round.
• Removing all of your cards is therefore not automatically a win; do it carefully.

Calling Kabbu

• When you believe your grid has the lowest total, call Kabbu.
• Everyone reveals the cards remaining in their grids and totals their scores.
• The player with the lowest unique score wins the round.
• If the player who calls Kabbu is tied for the lowest score or does not have the lowest score, they receive a 50-point penalty.

Card values and penalties