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Official Happy Salmon Rules
Happy Salmon is a fast-paced and energetic card game, perfect for bringing a party atmosphere to your game night! Here's a breakdown of the rules:
Objective
Be the first player to discard all your cards by successfully completing the actions on them.
Setup
1. Setup: Shuffle the deck and deal a face-down pile of cards (usually 12 cards) to each player. Players hold their cards face down.
2. Standing Up (Recommended): It's recommended to play Happy Salmon standing up around a small table. This allows for more movement and adds to the chaotic fun.
Gameplay
Playing a Round: Happy Salmon is all about shouting and quick reactions. Here's what happens:
All Players Shout: Everyone simultaneously shouts the action displayed on the top card of their deck. The goal is to find another player who has the matching action card.
Find Your Match: Once you hear someone shout your card's action, make eye contact and quickly complete the action together! For example, if you have a "High Five" card and hear someone yell "High Five," you would high five each other.
Discard & Repeat: After completing the action, both players discard their used cards face up to a discard pile. Then, immediately draw a new card from your deck and continue shouting your new card's action, searching for another match.
Important Rules:
Multiple Matches: If three or more players have the same action card shouted, only the first two players to make eye contact and complete the action can discard their cards. The remaining players must keep searching for matches with their cards.
Can't Find a Match? If you can't find someone with a matching card after a reasonable amount of shouting, you can choose to:
Move the Card: Place your card face down at the bottom of your deck and draw a new card.
Keep Shouting: You can keep shouting your action in case someone else discards that card and creates a match later in the round.
Winning the Game
The first player to discard all their cards by shouting, completing actions, and discarding their used cards wins the game and is declared the "Happy Salmon!"
Notes/Variations
Happy Salmon is a loud and social game. Don't be afraid to shout and have fun with the silly actions!
The game can be played with a sitting arrangement, but standing up allows for more movement and excitement.
There are variations where players can earn bonus points for completing certain actions, adding a bit of strategy to the chaos.
"Happy Salmon" is a high-energy, laughter-inducing game that encourages players to engage with each other in silly and entertaining ways. Enjoy the excitement and fun of playing together with friends and family!
