Ligretto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ligretto

Box of Ligretto 'Green Pack' playing cards
Players	2-12
Setup time	< 1 minute
Playing time	Approximately 5-10 minutes per round
Random chance	Medium
Skill(s) required	Hand-eye coordination, speed, counting

Ligretto is a fun and fast-paced card game for two to twelve players. The main goal is to get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible. You do this by playing them into the middle of the table. Unlike many games, everyone plays at the same time! There are no turns in Ligretto.

The modern version of Ligretto came out in 1988. It was created by Michael Michaels and published by Rosengarten Spiele in Germany. An older version of the game existed in the early 1960s. Since 2000, Schmidt-Spiele of Berlin, Germany has published the game. For players in North America, Playroom Entertainment started publishing it in 2009.

Ligretto is quite similar to another game called Dutch Blitz. Dutch Blitz was actually based on the original Ligretto from the 1960s. Both games use special cards. They play almost exactly like Nerts, which uses regular playing cards. Nerts itself is based on Canfield, a type of Klondike Solitaire.

How to Play Ligretto

Ligretto uses a special deck of cards. Each card has one of four colors: red, green, yellow, or blue. They are numbered from 1 to 10. Each player gets 40 cards. These cards have a unique design on their back, so you know which cards belong to which player. In total, the game has 160 cards.

Setting Up the Game

Before you start, each player shuffles their 40 cards.

• First, count out ten cards and place them face up in a pile. This is your "stack."
• Next, take three more cards and lay them face up next to your stack. These are called your "row" cards.
• Keep the rest of your cards in your hand.

Starting a Round

A round begins when any player shouts "Ligretto!" After that, everyone plays at the same time. You want to be the fastest player!

You play cards into the middle of the table. These are called "piles."

• You can only start a new pile with a '1' card. Place it anywhere in the middle.
• Once a pile is started, you add cards of the same color in order. For example, after a red '1', you can play a red '2', then a red '3', and so on.
• You can start a new pile with a '1' card whenever you have one available.

The game is very fast. If you are slow, other players might play a card before you can. This means you miss your chance. Sometimes, two players try to play the same card at the same time. The card that ends up on the bottom is the one that was played first.

Playing Your Cards

You can play cards from three places:

• From your three "row" cards.
• From the top of your "stack."
• From the cards in your hand.

If you play a card from your "row," immediately replace it. Take the top card from your "stack" and put it in the empty spot.

What if you can't play any cards from your row or stack? You can then look at the cards in your hand. You must count out three cards at a time. Only the top card of that group of three can be played. If you play it, you can then look at the next three cards. Once you've gone through all the cards in your hand this way, flip them over. They become your new hand, and you can start counting them out in threes again.

Ending a Round

Sometimes, no one can play any more cards. If this happens, everyone shuffles the cards in their hand. Then, a player shouts "Ligretto!" again to restart the action.

The game continues quickly. Experienced players often watch what cards other players have. This helps them plan their own moves.

A round ends when one player gets rid of all the cards from their "stack" pile. That player shouts "Ligretto stop!" and the round is over.

Scoring Points

At the end of each round, all the cards played in the middle are gathered. Players get their cards back based on the unique design on the back.

• You get penalty points for cards left in your "stack." Each card in your stack counts as two penalty points.
• You get bonus points for cards you played into the middle piles. Each card you played counts as one bonus point.

The player who ended the round by clearing their stack does not always get the highest score. It's even possible to have a negative score in a round!

After everyone's score is counted, each player shuffles their 40 cards. Then, a new round can begin. The game continues until one player reaches a total of 100 points. That player wins the game!

Ligretto Game Packs

Ligretto comes in different colored packs: red, green, and blue. Each pack has cards for four players. The cards in each pack have different designs on their backs. This helps keep players' cards separate. If you buy all three packs, up to 12 players can play Ligretto at the same time!

See also

• In Spanish: Ligretto para niños