Last Updated on April 14, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Snarkas is a fast-paced, competitive card game where players battle to collect powerful gems from the chaotic Snarkaverse. Match cards, pull off surprise combos, and use devastating ZAPs — but if you clear the board without one, yell “SNARKAS!” and claim the biggest prize of all.

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How to Play Snarkas

Setup

Place all Snarkas Gems and Bonus Scoring Cards off to the side.
Choose a dealer, who will shuffle and deal the game cards face down as follows:
- 2 players: Each player is dealt 6 cards.
- 3 players: Each player is dealt 4 cards.
- 4 players: Each player is dealt 6 cards, and players sitting across from each other play as partners.
The dealer flips the top four cards from the deck face up in the center of the table — this is called “the Flop.” Important: If any ZAP cards appear in the Flop, shuffle them back into the deck and replace each with a new game card.
Set the remaining game cards aside to be used in later rounds.
The player to the left of the dealer takes the first turn.

How to Play

On your turn, you must play one card from your hand. You can either:

Add a card to the Flop, or
Use your card to collect cards from the Flop by:
- Matching a number directly, or
- Forming a combination of cards from the Flop that add up to the value of the card you played.

Examples

Play a 2 from your hand to match the 2 on the table → collect both 2s.
Play a 5 from your hand to match two 5s on the table → collect all three 5s.
Play a 10 to match a 10 on the table, and if other cards add up to 10 (e.g., 7 + 3 or 6 + 4), collect them too. Clearing the entire table by matching combinations to 10 earns you a Snarkas Gem!

Continuing the Game

Once all players have played their cards, the dealer deals out a new hand (6 cards for 2- and 4-player games, 4 cards for 3-player games).

The Flop is not refreshed — even if the table is empty after the last round.

Gameplay continues until the deck is empty and all cards have been played. Any cards remaining on the table go to the last player who collected during the round.

Scoring

At the end of the round:

Players total their collected cards and gems.
Bonus Cards are awarded:
- Most Cards: 3 gems to the player/team with the most game cards. (No bonus if tied.)
- Aster Bonus: 4 gems for collecting all four Asters.
- Jolt Bonus: 4 gems for collecting all four Jolts.
Add all gems, including:
- Gems shown on ZAP cards and some numbered cards.
- Any Snarkas Gems and Bonus Scoring Cards.

If no player or team has reached 50 gems, play another round. Continue until one player or team reaches 50 gems.

The player or team with the most gems at the end wins the game!

Winning the Game

After one or more rounds, the first player or team to reach 50 gems wins the game!
Want a longer game? Feel free to set a higher goal — 75, 100, or even 150 gems for extended play.

Special Cards and Actions

ZAP Cards

ZAP cards are the most powerful cards in the game. When you play a ZAP card, you clear the entire table and collect all the cards on it.

Note: Clearing the table with a ZAP does not earn a Snarkas Gem.

After a ZAP is played, the next player must play a card onto the empty table, often setting someone up for a SNARKAS!
If you play a ZAP onto an empty table (because someone cleared it right before you), your ZAP remains on the table until another ZAP is played. ZAP cards used to clear an empty table still don’t earn Snarkas Gems.

The Snarkas Play

If you manage to clear the entire table without using a ZAP, shout “SNARKAS!“
You earn a Snarkas Gem, worth 10 gems — the biggest gem grab in the game!
Place your Snarkas Gem next to your collection pile to show it off with pride.

Aster and Jolt Cards

Asters and Jolts are legendary robot squads from the mysterious Snarkaverse.

There are 4 Aster cards and 4 Jolt cards in the deck.
These cards don’t have numerical values and can only be collected by matching the same card type (Aster with Aster, Jolt with Jolt).
On their own, they’re worth nothing — but collect all four of either squad and you’ll earn a bonus worth 4 gems!

The Snarkaverse Story

After the Great Sneezle Upheaval, powerful gems were scattered across the galaxy. The once-mighty robot clans vanished into hiding, and peace fell over the land… for a time.

Now, in this fast-paced, competitive card game, players battle for gems — using clever tactics, surprise ZAPs, and triumphant SNARKAS plays to climb their way to victory and rule the Snarkaverse.

Tips to Rule the Snarkaverse

One card per turn. You may use your card to collect multiple table cards (if their total matches your card’s value), but you can’t play multiple cards from your hand to make a match.
Think ahead. If you’re forced to play on an empty table, try to reduce your opponent’s chances of landing a SNARKAS.
ZAP wisely. It’s often best to use a ZAP while players still have plenty of cards in hand — the empty table that follows could lead directly to your next Snarkas Gem!
Hold your power. If you have a matching card, you don’t need to play it right away. Wait for the right moment.
Make your own rules. Want a longer battle? Choose a higher gem goal and let the showdown continue.