RoadApples

Objective

Race your Tack Room score to the target (default 500). Each round, win passes to claim cards — then score what’s in your Tack Room and what’s left in your Stable.

The deck

• 4 breeds (Arabian, Quarter Horse, Mustang, Appaloosa), ranks 1–12 each
• 2 Thoroughbreds (top of the hierarchy)
• 2 of each action: Horse Thief, Bucked, Bareback, Wild Stallion

Setup

Each player gets a Stable of 5 cards. The table starts with a Corral of 5 face-down cards and an empty Pasture. Remaining cards form the Herd (not drawn mid-round for Corral refill).

One player declares the Lead Breed (trump) for the round.

Winning a pass

Hierarchy, high to low:

1. Thoroughbred
2. Lead Breed (trump)
3. The led gait (first breed played that isn’t trump / Thoroughbred)
4. Higher rank wins within the same class

Heads-up (1v1)

• Contest the high card: play something that beats it, or a lower card to fold.
• Draw (Corral) / Take (Pasture) only when you can’t go — no contest card left.
• Highest card wins the pass; then a new pass starts.
• Round ends when Stables and Corral are empty.
• Corral is a fixed 5-card Draw pool (does not refill from the Herd).
• Bucked does nothing in 1v1 (skip only matters with 3+).

Three or more players

• Each player sits one card per pass. Follow gait when you can; Lead Breed and Thoroughbred are always legal.
• Optional Draw from the fixed 5-card Corral or Take from Pasture once before you play, then discard a different card than the one you drew.
• Empty Stable → you pass (no Draw to re-enter).
• Round ends when every Stable is empty.

Action cards

• Horse Thief — steal (when the effect applies)
• Wild Stallion — change gait
• Bareback — recall the last pass card; that card can’t be replayed until another card is played or the pass clears
• Bucked — skip the next player (3+ only)

Scoring (end of round)

Cards claimed into your Tack Room:

• Ranks 1–6 → 6 pts
• Ranks 7–12 → 12 pts
• Thoroughbred → 24 pts
• Action cards in Tack Room → 12 pts

Action cards left in your Stable at round end → −20 each.

First to the target score wins the game.