Classic Games with a TIC Twist
Many classic card games can be adapted for TIC playing cards, giving familiar games a Ticky twist. Games such as Go Fish, War, Old Maid, and Memory can all be adapted to use TIC numbers, shapes, colours, Tics, and other TIC card features.
Below is our TIC version of Go Fish: Go Ticking.
Once you get the idea, try creating some TIC versions of your own favourite card games!
Go Ticking
Difficulty: Easy
Players: 2–6
Age: 7+
Time: About 5–10 minutes
Scoring: No
Style: Collecting Tic pairs
This game is modelled after the classic card game Go Fish.
Before playing, make sure everyone understands a Tic: two cards Tic when they have exactly two properties in common. See the TIC Card Principles or the examples on the back of the TIC box.
Objective
Collect and lay down as many Tic pairs as possible. At the end of the game, the player with the most Tic pairs wins.
Setup
Deal 8 cards to each player.
Place the remaining deck face-down in the centre of the table.
How to Play
The player to the left of the dealer goes first (rotate who deals on subsequent rounds). Play continues clockwise.
Starting Tic Pairs
After the cards are dealt, all players check their starting hand for any Tic pairs.
If you already have a Tic pair, lay it face-up in front of you before the game begins. If you have more than one possible Tic pair, you choose which pairs to lay down. Once a pair is laid down, those cards are out of play and count toward your final total.
On your turn, choose any other player and ask them for one specific property:
- a number,
- a shape, or
- a colour.
For example:
“Do you have an orange?”
If they have the property
If that player has at least one card with the property you requested, they must give you one of those cards.
If they have more than one matching card, they choose which one to give you.
If the card you receive makes a Tic with one of the cards already in your hand, immediately lay the two cards face-up in front of you as a Tic pair.
You then take another turn.
If the card does not make a Tic, keep it in your hand and your turn ends.
If they do not have the property
The player says:
“Go Ticking!”
Draw 1 card from the centre deck.
If the card you draw has the property you originally requested and makes a Tic with one of your cards, lay down the Tic pair and take another turn.
If the drawn card makes a Tic in some other way, you may still lay down the pair, but your turn ends.
If the drawn card does not make a Tic, keep it and your turn ends.
Making Tic Pairs
A Tic pair is laid down when a card you have just received or drawn makes a Tic with a card already in your hand.
Once a Tic pair has been laid down, those cards are out of play and remain face-up in front of you.
Each pair counts as 1 Tic pair at the end of the game.
Choose Your Game Length
There are two ways to play.
Quick Game
When the first player gets rid of all the cards in their hand, the game ends immediately. Everyone counts the Tic pairs they have collected. The player with the most pairs wins.
Full-Deck Game
If a player runs out of cards, they immediately draw 8 new cards from the centre deck and continue playing. Continue until the deck has been used.
Because the TIC deck is large, you can also begin with only part of the deck for a shorter game.
When play ends, everyone counts their Tic pairs. The player with the most pairs wins.
