how to play Drumbl

the basics

1. everyone gets seven cards. one turns face up to start the pile.
2. on your turn, play a card that matches the top card's colour or its number — or any wild.
3. nothing to play? tap the deck to draw one. if it fits, you can play it straight away; tap the deck again to keep it.
4. power cards hit the next player: skips, draws, demands and swaps. they're all below.
5. empty your hand and the round is yours. no need to shout about your last card — the table marks it for everyone.
6. thirty seconds a turn. run out and the game moves for you; miss three turns in a row and you forfeit the match.

the power cards

numbers 0 to 9 come in four colours: red, yellow, green and blue. every number has its own drawing, so you can read a hand by shape alone. the rest do something.

• skip

  the next player misses their turn.

• reverse

  flips the order of play. with two players, it works as a skip.

• draw two

  the next player takes two — or stacks a draw of their own on it and passes the bill along.

• wild

  plays on anything. you name the colour that comes next.

• wild draw four

  plays on anything, you name the colour, and the next player takes four — or stacks a heavier draw.

• fetch

  name a colour. the next player has to play it, or draw one card at a time until it turns up. a wild answers any demand.

• dig

  name a number. the next player has to play it, or draw until it turns up.

• swap

  name the colour, then trade your whole hand with another player. two in the deck.

• deflect

  bounces a draw, fetch or dig on to the next player. there is exactly one in the deck.

• scramble

  every hand moves one seat along, in the direction of play. tables of three or more.

• dump knockout

  play it, then throw any cards of its colour on top. the dump lands back on top.

• draw six knockout

  the next player takes six, or stacks.

• draw ten knockout

  the next player takes ten, or stacks. one in the deck.

stacking draws

a draw card aimed at you isn't the end of it. answer with a draw of the same weight or heavier and the total grows and moves on — a draw four answers a draw two, never the other way round. bounce it with the deflect. or tap the deck and take the lot.

scoring

win a round and you bank every card left in the other hands:

number cards

face value

skip, reverse, draw two, fetch, dig, dump

20

wild, wild draw four, swap, deflect, scramble, draw six, draw ten

50

first to 100 points per player takes the match: 200 heads-up, 300 at three, up to 500 at five.

race and knockout

playing with friends

tap with friends, pick a mode, and you get a room with a four-letter code. send the link or read out the code; friends tap it and sit down — no account, no app. up to five at a table, and whoever opened the room deals. drop out mid-hand and your seat waits for you.

on your own? tap play and choose how many sit down: you and one to four bots.

the deck

119 cards in a classic game. each colour has one 0, two of every number from 1 to 9, two skips, two reverses, two draw twos, one fetch and one dig. then four wilds, four wild draw fours, two swaps and one deflect. tables of three or more add two scrambles; knockout adds eight dumps, two draw sixes and a draw ten.

questions