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POWER PLAYS

A card game of color, strategy & political power

2–6 Players

Swipe to learn the rules →

Overview

Match cards by color or symbol to empty your hand.

Use power cards, lobby for influence, and vote to shift momentum.

Goal: Be the first player to play all your cards.

Card Colors (Power Systems)

🔵 BLUE Legislative — Voting, group effects
🟡 YELLOW Executive — Speed, skips, reversals
🔴 RED Judicial — Blocking, canceling
🟢 GREEN Federal Reserve — Trading, discards

Setup

  1. Shuffle the main deck
  2. Deal 7 cards to each player
  3. Place remaining cards as the Draw Pile
  4. Flip top card to start the Play Pile
  5. Each player draws 1 secret Lobbying Card
BILL Legislative-focused
COURT CASE Judicial-focused

On Your Turn

1. Play a Card

Match the top card by:

  • Color, OR
  • Symbol

Action cards resolve immediately.

2. Draw

Can't play? Draw one card.

  • If playable, you may play it
  • Otherwise, turn ends

Action Cards

Skip Next player loses their turn
Reverse Change play direction
Draw 2 Target draws two cards
Swap Hands Trade hands with another player
Block Cancel the last action

Vote Card (Wild)

  1. Acts as a Wild — choose the active color
  2. All players vote with a card of that color
  3. Highest number wins (actions = 0)
  4. Reveal votes simultaneously
Tie? Player with fewer cards wins. Still tied? No one wins.

Vote Rewards

Win a vote? Gain another Lobby Card matching yours:

Have BILL? +1 Bill Lobby Card
Have COURT CASE? +1 Court Case Card
This represents successful lobbying.

Using Lobbying Cards

Reveal your Lobby Card when you play a matching color:

Play BLUE → Reveal Bill Lobby Card
Play RED → Reveal Court Case Card
Apply the bonus, then discard the Lobby Card.

Calling "POWER!"

When you have ONE CARD LEFT...

Say "POWER!"

Caught? If another player catches you before your next turn, draw 2 cards.

Winning the Game

First player to play their final card wins!

Optional: Play multiple rounds. Reset Lobby Cards each round.

What This Teaches

  • ⚖️ Collective vs individual power
  • ⏱️ Timing matters
  • 💰 Influence can be built and spent
  • 📜 Rules can be shaped, not just followed
  • 🤫 Quiet strategy beats loud moves

Now you're ready to play!

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