Revision Rules

Ages: 10+
Players: 3 to 6
Play time: about 30 minutes
Designer: Richard Gibbs

Theme

Revision is a changing-rules trick-taking game. The basic structure resembles classic trick-taking games, but the rules for following, ranking, winning tricks, and scoring can change while the game is in progress.

Object

The game lasts 3 rounds. Each round can score differently. The player with the highest total score after the third round wins.

Components

1 set of Play cards.
1 set of rule cards.
10 Revision tokens.

Rule Decks

Sort the cards by their backs into the following groups:

Game: green-backed cards that determine how the current round scores.
Default and Partner: red-backed cards.
Immediate: orange cards with diamonds on the back.
Rank: yellow cards with hearts on the back.
Wins Trick: brown cards with clubs on the back.
Next: blue cards with spades on the back.
Play: purple cards showing all four suits. These are the cards played into tricks.

Setup

Shuffle the Game deck and draw 3 Game cards. Put the rest back in the box.
Place one of the 3 Game cards face up. Put the other two face down beside it. These three cards determine how the three rounds will score.
Shuffle the Rank, Wins Trick, Next, and Immediate decks separately and place them in a row.
Take the default rule cards marked with stars and place each default card face up beside its matching rule deck.
Unless using the Partner variant, return the Partner cards to the box.
Give each player 1 Revision token.

Partner Variant

The Partner variant is for 4 or 6 players only. Randomly choose 3 Partner rule cards. Put one face up and the other two face down beside it. Return all other Partner cards to the box.

Round Overview

Each of the 3 rounds consists of a series of tricks. A trick is one trip around the table in which every player plays one card. When players run out of Play cards, the round ends and players score.

Step 1: Deal Play Cards

Choose a dealer and shuffle the Play deck. Deal the following number of cards to each player:

3 players: 11 cards each.
4 players: 8 cards each.
5 players: 7 cards each.
6 players: 5 cards each.

Any unused Play cards form the pocket.

In the first round, the player holding the 2 of clubs begins with the lead, following the initial Immediate rule. In later rounds, the player who won the final trick of the previous round begins with the lead.

Step 2: Rule Changes Before a Trick

Starting clockwise from the dealer, each player may spend one Revision token to attempt a rule change.

The player chooses one of the rule decks.
Draw the top 2 cards from that deck.
The player may choose one of those cards to become the new active rule of that type, placing it face up over the previous rule.
The player may instead choose neither card.
Cards not used are returned to the bottom of that rule deck in any order.

Rules marked “KEEP IN PLAY” remain active and are not replaced during this step.

Step 3: Play a Trick

The player with the lead plays any Play card. The remaining players play clockwise.

The active Next rule tells players what they must or may play after the lead card.

The active Wins Trick rule determines which type of card wins the trick. The active Rank rule determines how cards are ranked when the Wins Trick rule requires a comparison.

Rule Changes Triggered by a 5

If a player plays a 5, pause the trick and make an immediate rule change.

The player who played the 5 draws 2 rule cards from the deck matching that card's suit.
The player may put one of those rules into effect.
Unused cards return to the bottom of that rule deck.
After the rule change, reevaluate all cards already played into the trick in their original play order using the new active rules.

If a 5 is played during the final trick of a round, that player may take a Revision token instead of changing a rule immediately.

Taking the Trick

After every player has played, determine the winning card using the active rules. The winner takes all cards from that trick and places them face down in front of them.

The player who won the trick becomes the leader for the next trick.

Continue the Round

Before each new trick, players again receive the opportunity to spend Revision tokens for rule changes. Then the current leader starts the next trick.

Continue until the players have no Play cards left.

Scoring a Round

Players examine the tricks they collected and score according to the current face-up Game card, including any modifications created by active Immediate rules.

The player with the lowest score for the round gains 1 Revision token. If multiple players tie for the lowest score, each tied player gains a token. Revision tokens are not limited by the physical supply; substitute another marker if needed.

Partner Variant Scoring

In the Partner variant, partners add their round scores together and both receive the same team score. Reveal the next Partner rule for the next round. Both members of the lowest-scoring team gain a Revision token.

Starting the Next Round

Record each player's score.
Reveal the next face-down Game card and make it the active scoring rule.
The player to the left of the previous dealer becomes the new dealer.
If fewer than 3 rounds have been completed, deal a new round and continue.

Winning the Game

After the third round, the player with the highest total score wins.

If there is a tie for highest score, the tied player with the most unused Revision tokens wins. If still tied, use the current Rank rule to compare the tied players' ages; whichever age is considered “best” by the active Rank rule wins.

Understanding Rule Cards

The Rule cards themselves define the current conditions for Rank, Wins Trick, Next, Immediate effects, and scoring. When a new rule card becomes active, follow its printed text together with the procedures above.

The source document contains older detailed clarifications for individual rule cards and explicitly marks those clarifications as outdated. For that reason, this accessible version uses the current text printed on the actual rule cards rather than reproducing those outdated notes.

Accessibility Note

Because Revision changes its rules during play, announce every rule change aloud when it occurs. Keep the active Game, Rank, Wins Trick, Next, and Immediate rules in consistent table positions so blind and sighted players can refer to the same rule categories.