How to Play

A shedding card game like Crazy Eights where the winner of each round invents a new rule, creating escalating chaos and hilarity.

Bartok (also spelled Bartog) is a 3-to-8-player shedding card game in the Crazy Eights family with one revolutionary twist: the winner of each round invents a new rule that applies for the REST of the session. As rounds accumulate, the rule list grows (knocking before face cards, silence on red cards, standing up on a Queen) and new players face an increasingly dense mix of table conventions. Bartok is a close cousin of Mao and is a staple college and summer-camp party game; it is explicitly a social, creativity-first experience rather than a skill game.

Players

3 to 8 players, each for themselves. The game scales well; 4 to 6 is the sweet spot because everyone has enough rounds to invent a rule. With 7+ players, shuffle two 52-card decks together. Turn order is clockwise (unless an invented rule changes it). A full session typically runs 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on how many rounds the group plays and how chaotic the ruleset gets.

Card Deck

• One standard 52-card pack for up to 5 players; two decks for 6-8 players.
• No jokers in the base game (groups may add them as super-wilds).
• Suits and ranks matter only for the base matching rule; invented rules can layer on top.
• Keep a pen and paper (or a phone note) for the accumulating rule list once it grows past about 5 rules.

Objective

Be the first player to shed all your cards each round. The round's winner then invents a NEW rule that applies for every subsequent round of the session. Across a session, the player who wins the most rounds is the overall champion. Secondary goal: make sure the rules you invent are memorable and advantage you (because you remember them best).

Setup and Deal

1. Shuffle the deck. Choose the first dealer by any method (youngest player is traditional).
2. Deal 7 cards face-down to each player, one at a time clockwise.
3. Place the remaining deck face-down in the centre as the stock (draw pile).
4. Flip the top card of the stock face-up next to it to start the discard pile.
5. For round 1 ONLY: the game uses standard Crazy Eights rules (see Gameplay) with no invented rules yet. From round 2 onward, every invented rule is in force.
6. The player to the dealer's left plays first. After each round, the dealer role rotates clockwise.

Gameplay

1. Base rule (always active): on your turn, play a card that matches the top of the discard pile by RANK or by SUIT. If you cannot play, draw one card from the stock; if that card is playable, you may play it immediately. Pass if you still cannot play.
2. Wild card (house rule): in many groups, the 8 is a Crazy-Eights-style wild card; in others, any card works and only the layered invented rules add complexity. Agree on day one.
3. Going out: when you play your last card, you must perform the 'finishing' act required by the ruleset (commonly 'announce that you are out'; invented rules often add 'you must knock twice'). First player to shed wins the round.
4. Rule invention (the core twist): the round winner announces a NEW rule that applies for all future rounds. The rule must be clearly stated, unambiguous, consistently enforceable by any player, and not outright contradictory to existing rules.
5. Rule enforcement: any player may call a rule violation. The penalty is normally 'draw 1 card from stock', though invented rules can set different penalties. The caller must state WHICH rule was violated.
6. Forgetting rules: if you forget an old rule and break it, you draw the penalty. There is no excuse for forgetting; remembering is part of the challenge.
7. Stock exhausted: if the stock runs out, shuffle all but the top of the discard pile to form a new stock.

Scoring

• Round scoring: 1 point to the player who shed first. No secondary points; no hand-value penalties (unlike Crazy Eights).
• Rule reward: the round winner also gains the right to invent a new rule; this is its own non-numerical reward.
• Session scoring: after an agreed number of rounds (typically 10 or 15), the player with the most round wins is the session champion.
• Tie-break: if two players tie on round wins, play one extra round with all active rules still in force.

Winning

Each ROUND is won the moment a player sheds their final card (while satisfying all active rules, including the invented ones). The SESSION ends at an agreed number of rounds; the player with the most round wins is the overall winner. Sessions sometimes end earlier by unanimous fatigue when the rule list becomes too large (typically around 15-20 rules), in which case the session champion is declared at that point.

Example Rules Players Might Invent

• Knock rule: You must knock on the table before playing a face card, or draw a penalty card.
• Silence rule: You may not speak while a red card is on top of the discard pile.
• Name rule: When playing a 7, you must say the name of another player. That player draws a card.
• Direction rule: Playing a Jack reverses the direction of play for the next turn.
• Thank you rule: You must say 'thank you' after drawing a card, or draw another.
• Stand on Queen: Any player must stand up when a Queen is played and sit down when the next card lands.
• Colour call: When the current discard is an Ace, the next player must declare 'red' or 'black' before playing (any violation draws 2).
• Last card announcement: When you play a card that leaves you with one card, you must say 'last card!' or draw 2 as penalty.

Common Variations

• Mao: the most famous close cousin. Rules are never explained to new players, who must learn them purely by receiving penalties. Highly divisive: some players adore it, others find it cruel.
• Secret Bartok: the round winner does not ANNOUNCE the new rule; opponents must deduce it from penalty calls. Shorter and more hostile.
• Cooperative Bartok: the group votes on each new rule (simple majority) instead of the winner deciding alone. Produces a more balanced rule-set.
• Rule limit: cap the total active rules at 10; to add an 11th, one existing rule must be explicitly removed. Keeps the game playable indefinitely.
• Themed sessions: all invented rules must involve sounds (or names, or dance moves, or song lyrics). Hilariously narrow.
• One-rule-per-player: every player may invent only ONE rule per session; once they have, future wins earn only round points with no new rules.
• Base-game swap: use the base game of Crazy Eights, Switch, or even Uno as the substrate; the rule-invention layer works on any shedding base.

Tips and Strategy

• Create rules YOU can easily remember rather than rules specifically designed to punish others; the game is a memory test and the inventor has a natural edge.
• Keep invented rules simple. A rule with more than one condition ('knock on face cards UNLESS the previous card was a red two') becomes unenforceable chaos.
• Avoid contradictory rules. If 'silent on red' already exists, do not add 'must announce your card on every turn'; pick the combination carefully.
• Write the rules down. Once the list exceeds 5 rules, the table needs a shared list; otherwise everyone penalises differently.
• Play conservative rules early, silly rules late. Early silly rules make the game less strategic; save 'speak in rhyme' for round 10 when everyone already knows how to play.
• Learn through observation. A new player joining a session is best served by watching the first round before playing, noting which moves cause penalties.
• Game over when the fun ends. A good host calls the session after 10-15 rules, rather than letting it collapse under its own weight.

Glossary

• Shedding game: any card game where the goal is to play all cards from your hand; Bartok is in the Crazy Eights family.
• Invented rule: a new rule added by the round winner that applies to all future rounds of the session.
• Penalty draw: the default consequence for breaking any rule; usually 1 card from stock.
• Base game: the underlying shedding mechanic (Crazy Eights by default) before invented rules are layered on top.
• Active rule list: all invented rules currently in force; keep it written down once it grows past about 5.
• Mao: a close cousin in which rules are NEVER explained; purely inferred by watching penalties.
• Session: the multi-round sitting in which invented rules accumulate; separate sessions start with a clean slate.