Top 36 · #5 of 10 in Card game
SCOUT
A card game in which you may never reorder your hand, so you score by playing a stronger set (Show) or by taking a card from another player (Scout). Nominated for the Spiel des Jahres 2022, it was widely praised for the strategy packed into its short rules.
👨👧👦 Played with our kids
Played with children aged 7 and 5.
Rules
Every card carries two numbers, and you may never reorder your hand. That is why Scout — taking a card off the table and slotting it into your hand — is the heart of the game. You build the sets you can play with your own hands.
45 cards — two numbers on every one
There are 45 cards, each pairing two numbers from 1 to 10, with no duplicate pair in the deck. Turn a card upside down and the other number is on top. The number on top is the card's current value.
Setup
| Players | Cards removed | Hand size | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | None (all 45) | 9 | 5 rounds |
| 4 | The one card showing 9 and 10 | 11 | 4 rounds |
| 3 | Every card showing a 10 (9 cards) | 12 | 3 rounds |
| 2 | The one card showing 9 and 10 | 11 | 2 rounds |
Once you see your hand you decide, one time only, whether to flip the whole thing
Look at the hand you were dealt and choose to keep it as it is, or to rotate all of it 180° and use the other numbers. After that decision you may never change the order of your cards. Flipping a single card is not allowed either.
In a two-player game, deal 11 cards each for the first round and set the other 22 aside for the second round. Each player takes 3 Scout chips, and the Scout & Show tokens are not used.
Sets you are allowed to play
- Matching numbers — two or more cards of the same number.
- A run — consecutive numbers. Ascending or descending, it does not matter.
- A single card counts as a set.
- The cards must be next to each other in your hand. You cannot gather cards from apart.
Your turn — Show or Scout
The set currently in the middle of the table is the Active Set. On your turn you either play a set that beats it (Show) or take one card out of it (Scout). The first player must Show.
Show — how sets are compared
① More cards wins. ② With the same number of cards, matching numbers beat a run. ③ With the same type and the same number of cards, the higher lowest card wins. You may not play an identical set.
- When you Show, the player who played the Active Set takes it face down in front of them. Those cards are points.
- Your set becomes the new Active Set.
Scout — take a card from the table into your hand
Take one card from either end of the Active Set. You cannot take a card from the middle. You may flip the card either way round and insert it anywhere in your hand. In exchange, the player who played the Active Set receives 1 Scout chip (1 point).
Scout & Show
Once per round you may spend the token to Scout and then Show in the same turn. Use it when one card is all you need to take over the table. It is not used in the two-player game.
End of the round and scoring
- The round ends when a player has emptied their hand.
- It also ends when everyone else Scouts in turn and the Active Set comes all the way around unbeaten.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Cards collected face down in front of you | +1 each |
| Scout chips you hold | +1 each |
| Cards left in your hand | −1 each |
One exception
If the round ended because nobody could beat your set, you lose no points for the cards left in your hand. The rule that makes holding out genuinely worthwhile.
Play as many rounds as there are players (3 rounds with 3 players); the highest total wins. The two-player game is 2 rounds, and each unspent Scout chip is worth 1 point (up to 3).
Rules people get wrong
Q. Can I sort my hand?
No. That is the central restriction of the game. The only way to change the order is to Scout a card into it.
Q. Can I flip just one card?
Only twice: the whole hand at the start, and the single card you take with Scout. You cannot flip a card already in your hand whenever you feel like it.
Q. Can I take a card from the middle of the Active Set?
No. Only one of the two end cards.
Q. Can a run go downwards?
Yes. 6·5·4 is fine — any direction works as long as the numbers are consecutive.
Q. How do I compare sets of the same type and size?
Compare the lowest number in each set; the higher one wins. For example 7·8 beats 5·6.
Q. Is being scouted bad for me?
No. The player who gets scouted receives 1 chip (1 point). You trade a card for a point.
History and editions
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Designer | Kei Kimura |
| Publisher | Oink Games, 2019 |
| Award | Nominated for the Spiel des Jahres 2022 |
The first English printing had a misprint with text cut off. If your rulebook seems to disagree with this guide, check the publisher's errata.
Sources
Official Oink Games product page (SCOUT)Rules summary — Happy Piranha: How to Play ScoutTwo-player rules (Oink version)Rule summaries are reference content written by us, not quotations from the official rulebook. Always check the official rulebook for exact rules. Diagrams are original schematics, not rulebook illustrations.
Spotted a mistake? Tell us in the comments below →
Last updated 2026-09-08
💡 Master tip
The Scout & Show token is the one move that can turn the whole table around! Take an end card from the strong run your opponent played, use it to complete the broken set in your hand, and play it right away.
Similar games
Ready for something heavier
If this one has gotten too easy, try these — same feel, one step up in weight.
Tools you can request
Not built yet. Let us know if you want one — it goes on the list.
SCOUT automatic scorer
Enter the cards you collected, your Scout chips, and the cards left in your hand to get the round score and the running total
Two-player rules guide
Covers the Scout chip limit and the round setup used only in the two-player game
Comments
Share your thoughts, report a mistake, or request a tool. No sign-in needed — nicknames are not verified, so anyone can use the same one.
Loading…