The Great Dalmuti

The Great Dalmuti is a strategy party game for 4-8 players, but I've played it with 12 and it still works well and was enjoyed by all. Winner of a Mensa Select award in 1995, this card game implies a solid level of strategy along with its quick and quirky game play.

In the game, the objective is to play all of your cards before everyone else. The cards themselves are a pyramid deck, with twelve 12 cards, eleven 11 cards, ten 10 cards, all the way down to two 2 cards, and one 1 card. In addition there are also two Jesters which are played as wilds.

Play starts with the leader, or Great Dalmuti, playing a card or a set of cards. You're trying to get rid of all of your cards, but there's no rules on when you have to play anything. The only play rules are that you must play lower card values than what has been played; ex. If the great dalmuti plays a 12 you can play anything lower, if the great dalmuti plays a 2 you can only play a 1. The other way to play cards is in a set, ex. The great dalmuti could play five 12 cards. You can follow up the play with five 11's, five 9's, five 5's, or even four 4's and a jester.

Once the entire group passes around the table, because they cannot play a lower card or a lower set of cards. (or chose not to play a lower card or lower set of cards) Then the player that had laid down the lowest set, or single card previously gets to start out the next run. This action allows them to start with their highest cards, as they previously weren't able to lay them down because the Great Dalmuti likely started with their highest cards, preventing anyone else from playing them. Using this mechanic to their advantage, a strategic move is to skip playing a card or set of cards, in order to steal the lead later on.

As a party game, there's a system of rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The player to get rid of their cards last becomes the scum, or the lesser peon, and must give their two best (lowest) cards to their great dalmuti king. These cards are in exchange for whatever 2 cards the king want's to give in return. Furthermore, players will move around the table exchanging seats with one another to reflect how well they did. In addition to being last and losing your best cards as the lesser peon, the lesser peon also must shuffle, deal, and rake away the played cards.

Game play is quick and scoring is simple in the game, but strategy and a bit of luck can let you reign supreme as The Great Dalmuti. Get yours HERE!

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