To any other game in the house … you are now demoted, because Ratuki (ra-too-kee) is now the current favorite game of our family. There are a lot of things to like about this game, foremost the fact that, regardless of the age range of the box, our 5- and 7-year-olds LOVED it. It is one of those games that plays very simple, but you can use a bit of strategy, as well.
So to start, you need to separate the cards so that they are in decks of single colors. There are five different colors of cards, so the maximum number of players is five (each player will choose one of the decks). You shuffle it up, and then put it down in front of you and take three cards from the deck for your hand. There are no turns in Ratuki, so once everyone has their three cards you can get started.
If you have a 1 or a Ratuki (wild) card you put it down, and that will start the piles you will play on. Now you can have as many of these community piles or “Center Stacks” as you have players, so in a game with three players you will have three of these Center Stacks to play off of. You can put a card that is higher or lower onto the stack unless there is a 1. So that means if you have a hand of 2,3,2 and there is a 1 in the Center Stack you could get rid of those cards very quickly. Now, remember, everyone is playing at the same time, so this game goes fast, and everyone works off of any of the Center Stacks. Many shouts of “I was there first” will be heard, but whatever card got there first is the one that gets played.
What is also very nice about Ratuki is that the cards do not just have regular numbers of them. Each card can be the written number, the number itself, a hand with fingers held up to simulate the number, a number of lines, or a dice representation of the number. It makes your brain work a bit harder during the chaos to know exactly what numbers you have in your hand. Now, if you do not have a number to play, you can put one of your cards in your hand down and draw one from your draw pile, but that discarded card will be counted against you after play is over. That is always a tough decision, to wait or to discard and draw; if you have a bunch of people that like to wait, it is helpful to take the initiative to discard and draw again, because if you are the first one out, anything the other players have left in their draw pile is also counted against them.
You can play to 100, but we also have fun just playing a quick hand here and there. Remember to remind your kids (any maybe some adults) that you can only use ONE HAND to lay cards–no going right-hand, left-hand on one of the Center Stacks.
My wife referred to Ratuki as a polished game of “Spit,” and I can agree; it ups the ante on a classic card game. With the younger family members we have also adopted a house rule that makes it a bit easier and less hectic for them–we play where you can only play from 1 to 5 in order, you cannot put down a lower card to make the center stacks bigger. This allows them a bit more time to think.
With just our older boy, we play with the regular rule set, and it is a whirlwind of cards, counting, and fun. It can get pretty intense with the three of us all in full competition mode! A great game that is absolutely perfect to take on vacation or for a quick activity before lunch or dinner. My kids would play a million times a day if they had the time, and as a parent I also give it the thumbs up as a family game or a game for a bunch of adults.
It’s easy to play, fun to win and totally addictive! Build piles of cards from 1 to 5, but watch out: it’s a card-slamming frenzy! Be the first to slam a 5 on the top of the deck, shout “Ratuki!” and the cards are yours. Get slamming and get winning!
Includes 170 cards, 5 reminder cards and instructions.
For 2 to 5 players.
Ages 8 and up.
Note: Ratuki provided for review by Hasbro
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