How to Play Good One!

2–6 Players (or add a second deck for up to 10 players!)

Good One! is a fast-paced card game where your goal is simple: get rid of all your cards and don’t be the last player left.

A How to Play video is coming soon! In the meantime, everything you need to play is below.

Objective

Be the first to get rid of all your cards—or at least, don’t be the last!

When you play your final card, you’re officially a Good One! and you’re out of the game. Play continues until only one player remains.

Setup

Each player starts with 9 cards:

  • 3 cards face down in front of you. Don’t look at these!

  • 3 cards face up on top of your face-down cards.

  • 3 cards in your hand.

Before the game begins, you may swap cards between your hand and your 3 face-up cards. You can only do this once, before play starts.

Place the remaining cards face down in the center as the draw deck.

Starting the Game

The first player who can play a 3 starts the game.

If no one has a 3, start with the lowest available number: 4, then 5, and so on.

Play continues clockwise unless a Wild Card changes the direction.

General Play

Cards are played from low to high.

On your turn:

  • Play a card that is equal to or higher than the top card on the discard pile, or play a Wild Card.

  • You may play one or more cards of the same number together.

  • If you have a card you can play, you must play it.

  • If you cannot play, pick up the entire discard pile and add it to your hand.

  • You must play before you draw.

Drawing Cards

As long as cards remain in the draw deck, you must keep at least 3 cards in your hand.

After you play:

  • If you have fewer than 3 cards, draw until you have 3 again.

  • If you still have 3 or more cards, do not draw.

Once the draw deck is gone, continue playing the cards remaining in your hand.

Hand → Face-Up → Face-Down

You’ll work through your cards in three stages.

1. Play Your Hand

You must finish the cards in your hand first.

You cannot play your face-up cards until both:

  • The draw deck is empty, and

  • Your hand is empty.

2. Play Your Face-Up Cards

Once your hand is empty, begin playing the 3 face-up cards in front of you.

If you cannot legally play one of your face-up cards, pick up the discard pile and add it to your hand.

You’ll need to empty your hand again before continuing with your remaining face-up cards.

3. Play Your Face-Down Cards

Once all 3 face-up cards are gone, it’s time for your face-down cards.

Play them one at a time without looking first.

If the card you reveal can be played, great—play continues.

If it cannot be played, pick up the discard pile and your turn ends.

Wild Cards

Wild Cards can be played on any card.

When you play a Wild Card, its effect happens immediately before play continues.

Wombat Wally — Card #1

Reset the pile.

Wombat Wally sets the discard pile value to 1.

The next player may play any card.

The Tazza — Card #2

Reverse direction.

The Tazza reverses the direction of play and sets the discard pile value to 2.

With 2 players: The Tazza acts as a skip instead. The player who played it immediately gets another turn.

Bandit Bluey — Card #14

Clear the pile.

Bandit Bluey clears the entire discard pile and removes it from play.

The player who played Bandit Bluey then starts a new discard pile with any card or matching set of cards.

Special Rule: If 4 or more cards of the same number are played together, they automatically have the same effect as Bandit Bluey: clear the pile and play again.

King Kanga — Card #15

The highest card in the game.

King Kanga can only be beaten by:

  • Another King Kanga, or

  • A Wild Card.

If you cannot beat it, you must pick up the discard pile.

Winning the Game

As soon as you successfully play your final card, you’re a Good One! and you’re out of the game.

Everyone else keeps playing.

The game ends when only one player remains.

That player has officially failed to be a Good One.

Better luck next time. 😉