Gather

Stack Rush

A card game about laying cards in the right order: everyone builds the same four piles from 1 to 12, but each of you only wants to empty your own stock. The fun is in long turns where one card frees up the next.

  • 2–6 players
  • 20–40 min
  • ages 7+
  • works without a TV
  • vs. computer

Be the first to empty your stock pile.

How it works

  1. Everyone has a stock pile (top card face up), up to 5 hand cards and 4 personal discard piles.
  2. In the middle are 4 building piles that go from 1 to 12. A card fits if it's exactly one higher.
  3. Jokers always fit. When a pile reaches 12, it's cleared.
  4. Play as many cards as you like from your hand, stock or discard piles.
  5. Your turn ends when you put a hand card on one of your discard piles. At the start of each turn you refill to 5 cards.

Good to know

  • Keep your discard piles in descending order so you can play whole runs later.
  • Your top stock card matters most – only it brings you closer to winning.

On the TV and on your phone

What you see and tap, where and when – step by step:

  1. Choose Stack Rush
  2. Join and get ready
  3. Pick a card
  4. Play it on a build pile

How to play Stack Rush with Gather

What makes Stack Rush work

  • A good turn can run five or six cards in a row – and it feels great.
  • Your own discard piles reward a bit of order and planning without getting complicated.
  • The computer fills empty seats, and you can play without a TV.

Pick Stack Rush when two to six people want a relaxed card game with something to puzzle over.

Skip it when you only have a quarter of an hour – a game runs until someone empties their stock.

Frequently asked questions

How many cards are in the stock pile in Stack Rush?

30 cards with two to four players, 20 with five or six. Only the top card is face up, and the first player to empty their stock wins on the spot.

Do my discard piles have to follow any order?

No, you can put any hand card on any of your four discard piles. You can only ever play the top card of a discard pile, though – which is why sorting them high to low pays off.

What happens if I play all my hand cards in the middle of a turn?

You immediately draw five new cards and keep playing. Your turn only ends when you put a hand card on one of your discard piles.

How many jokers are there in Stack Rush?

18 out of 162 cards; on top of that, every number from 1 to 12 appears twelve times. A joker fits on any building pile that hasn’t reached 12 yet.

What happens to a building pile that reaches 12?

It’s cleared, and its cards are shuffled into the bottom of the draw pile. The spot is free right away for a new 1 or a joker.

Can I play Stack Rush alone against the computer?

Yes, you then play against one computer opponent. With friends you play with two to six people and no computer, even without a TV.

Variants and house rules

Gather plays by the rules above. Anything you can set in the app is marked – the rest are agreements you make at the table.

With computer players setting in Gather

If there are only two of you, the computer can fill more seats. With more players the building piles grow faster and you have to rethink more often. Choose the mode with computer opponents when you start.

Series over several games table agreement

The winner scores a point for every card still left in the others’ stocks. After three games, the highest total wins. Gather shows the stock sizes at the end – you write down the points yourselves.

Think out loud for beginners table agreement

In the first game, everyone says their move out loud and the others can give tips. Newcomers quickly see why discard piles in descending order help. The app plays as usual; it’s just a table agreement.

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