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Game Instructions

The exciting new card game where your luck can change as fast as your color.

AGES: 8 through adult

OBJECT: To be the first player to score 1,000 points in a game by changing all their Play Cards to match the color of their Color Card.

COMPONENTS: CHAMELEON consists of 108 cards which need to be separated upon beginning of play.  Separate cards into two distinct decks.  The first deck being 32 Color Cards.  This deck is distinguished by the black back with the four-colored CHAMELEON.

Fronts consist of:

  • 8 Red CHAMELEONS
  • 8 Blue CHAMELEONS
  • 8 Green CHAMELEONS
  • 8 Yellow CHAMELEONS

The second deck consists of 76 Play Cards, distinguished by the brown back with two green CHAMELEONS.  The fronts consist of the following:

Four – 10’s of each color, red, blue, green, yellow
Four – 20’s of each color, red, blue, green, yellow
Two – 50’s of each color, red, blue, green, yellow
Two – 70’s of each color, red, blue, green, yellow
One – 100 of each color, red, blue, green, yellow
Two – Skip cards of each color, red, blue, green, yellow
Two – Reverse of each color, red, blue, green, yellow
Four – Wild cards
Four – Color Change cards

These two decks are to be kept separated, shuffled separate, and dealt separate at all times.

THE DEAL:

Separate cards as described above.  Determine the dealer.  The deal passes left after each round.  Deal seven Play Cards (brown deck) to each player, face down, so each player can see only their own cards.  Also deal one Color Card (black deck) to each player.  These cards are dealt face up, for all players to see, and are placed one in front of each player.  Place the remaining cards from both decks, separately, and face down in the center of the table. Turn over the top card from the Play Card pile (brown deck) face up, forming a discard pile.  There should now be three piles in the center of the table.  Each player should now have seven Play Cards in their hand, and one Color Card, face up, in front of them.

Play is ready to begin.

BASIC PLAY:

Play begins with the person to the left of the dealer and passes left.  Each player, in turn, decides on one of the three choices.

  1. Take the top card from the Play Card
    pile or
  2. Take the top card from the discard
    pile or
  3. Take the top card from the Color Card pile

If a player draws from the Play Card pile (brown deck) or the discard pile, the player must then discard a Play Card, placing it face up on top of the discard pile, ending their turn.

If a player chooses to draw from the Color Card pile (black deck) hoping to change their color, the new card is placed face up on top of their pervious Color Card ending their turn.  Play continues in this order until a player “Goes Out”.  “Going out” consists of changing all seven Play Cards in your hand to the same color and must also match the color of your top Color Card.  At that time all cards in every player’s hand are revealed and scores are totaled.  A player cannot, however, draw from any of the 3 piles and go out on the same turn.

At the end of a round (each time someone “Goes Out”), all cards in each player’s hand which match the color of their top Color Card, are added to the score.  All cards in their hand not matching the color of their top Color Card are subtracted from their score.  A 100 point bonus is awarded to the player who “Goes Out”.  After each round all cards are shuffled and a new round is started.  The first player to score 1,000 or more points wins the game.  If two players go over 1,000, the player with the highest total wins.

OTHER RULES OF PLAY:

Skip and Reverse cards may be drawn from the discard pile. Skip and Reverse cards, if they are the same color as a player’s top Color Card, upon someone going out, count as positive points.  A player may go out with Skip and Reverse cards in their hand as long as they match their top Color Card.  Skip and Reverse cards that do not match one’s Color Card count as negative points.  Wild cards can be used as any color and always count as positive points.

Color Change cards always count as negative points, and a player cannot go out with a Color Change card in their hand.  Color Change cards can never be picked up from the discard pile.  No card taken from the discard pile can be discarded in the same turn.

If a Skip card is turned up to begin around, the player to the left of the dealer is skipped.  If a Reverse card is turned up to begin a round the dealer plays first with play passing to the right.  If a Color Change card is turned up to begin a round the player to the left of the dealer must draw a new Color Card (black deck) placing it face up on top of their previous Color Card.  Play then begins as usual, to the left of the dealer and passing left.

WORD CARDS:

There are four different word cards: Skip, Reverse, Wild and Color Change.

  • Skip: When discarded the next player is skipped.
  • Reverse: When discarded it reverses the direction of play.
  • Wild: May be used as any color and should never be discarded.
  • Color Change: When a player discards a Color Change card onto the discard pile they then choose any player, except themself, to draw a new Color Card.  The player chosen takes the top card from the Color Card pile (black deck) and puts it face up on top of their previous Color Card. Play then continues in natural order with the player next to the player who discarded the Color Change card playing. Sometimes this will be the same player who was chosen to change their Color Card.

 SCORING:

  • All numbers cards = Face Value
  • Skip, Reverse = 50 points
  • Wild = 50 points
  • Color Change card = -100 (Negative)

TWO HANDED PLAY:

For play with two players, remove all Reverse cards.  When a Skip card is played the player playing the Skip card plays again. In two handed play a Color Change card can be played on either the opposing player, or on oneself (when a player discards, they may choose either themselves or their opponent to draw from the Color Card pile).

SUGGESTED STRATEGIES

Watch what opposing players pick up from the discard pile to determine what color they are playing.

Do not discard the color the following player is collecting, wait (if possible) until play switches direction.

Play a Color Change card when you know an opponent has the same Color Card up as the color he is collecting in their hand.

HELPFUL HINTS DURING PLAY:

If you run out of Play Cards (brown deck) during play, reshuffle all but the top card of the discard pile.

If you run out of Color Cards (black deck) during play, reshuffle all but the top card of each player.

Thank you for purchasing CHAMELEON!

CHAMELEON is a family game from Kaybob Productions LLC. developed in Kansas City, Missouri by Hohman Brothers and Company

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