Gambler × Gamble!

About this board game

Gambler × Gamble! is a simple card game for 3–4 players that takes about 30 minutes to play. Published by COSAIC in 2016, it challenges players to hire gamblers, match target numbers, and collect coins.

Each player begins with two gambler cards face up, number cards showing 0 and 1 in hand, and two coins in their treasury. As the game develops, players can hire additional gamblers, receive larger number cards, and build their coin supply.

On a turn, a player may first hire a new gambler by paying its cost. Hired gamblers are placed face up in front of that player. Every gambler card shows a target number and a reward amount; for example, one gambler has a target of 5 and a reward of 3.

After the optional hiring step, the player who begins the round plays a number card face up. The other players then choose and play one of their number cards face down. Once all cards are revealed, the numbers are added together. If the total matches a gambler’s target number, every player who hired that gambler receives its reward.

• Start with two gamblers, number cards 0 and 1, and two coins.
• Hire gamblers by paying their costs.
• Combine played number cards to reach target numbers.
• Collect rewards from matching gamblers.

Play continues until a player collects 15 or more coins. The player with the most coins wins. In Gambler × Gamble!, each number played can help determine which hired gamblers pay out, making the shared total central to every round.

The game won the Group SNE Contest in 2015, giving this compact number-and-reward system an award-winning pedigree.