Cowabunga

About this board game

Cowabunga is a number-calling card game for 2–5 players that plays in about 30 minutes. The goal is to avoid collecting Fettnapf cards while managing a changing sequence of numbers.

Each player begins with three cards valued from 0 to 9 and an island card valued from 10 to 30. On a turn, a player plays one card, draws a replacement, and announces the updated number aloud. Played values are added or subtracted, with the running total moving between 10 and 30.

• Play a card and draw a new one.
• Add or subtract its value from the running total.
• Announce the resulting number.
• Watch for numbers held by other players as island cards.

Going over the upper limit or below the lower limit creates an immediate consequence: the player to the right receives an island card. Another danger comes from announcing a number that another player has in hand as an island card. When that happens, the announcing player receives a Fettnapf card.

The game ends as soon as someone collects four Fettnapf cards. Rather than rewarding the player who triggers the ending, Cowabunga determines the winner by comparison: the player with the fewest Fettnapf cards wins.

With its simple card values and constantly changing total, Cowabunga turns every announcement into a possible mistake. Players must keep track of the range, the direction of the running count, and the island numbers in other players’ hands while trying to pass the penalty along.