BLEAK is a card game which was originally based around playing Go Fish with tarot cards, but which has since spiralled wildly out of control. Playing this game may take multiple hours, and is usually extremely stupid. Recommended to be played with 3+ players, and with a tally system of some kind for point totals.Bleak is also known as Go Wizard, PVP Go Fish, or Terrible Go Fish.

SETUPThe game begins by shuffling the main deck. Each player then draws one (1) card from the deck. Tarot cards are split into four Minor Arcana suits, plus the Major Arcana; whichever suit you draw will determine your aspect, which affects how you can play the game. see here for aspectsYou can choose to play without acknowledging aspects if you want.Once aspects have been drawn, each player may draw five (5) more cards, for a total of six (6) in a hand. The turn order rotates around the circle to the left (or you can make your own turn order up, but it’s recommended to keep it simple).GAMEPLAYThe overall goal of Bleak is to collect points. Points can be gained by forming a spell, which is a collection of four Minor Arcana cards which share a number. Major Arcana cards and train tickets cannot be used to form spells. (example: a 4 of cups, a 4 of swords, a 4 of wands and a 4 of pentacles can form 1 spell, which grants 1 point. The same is true of aces, pages, knights, queens and kings.)Once a spell is formed, all the cards within it must be discarded, and the player who got the point may record it as a tally if they want to. Tally systems are recommended due to the possibility of Minor Arcana cards being added back to the main deck mid-game, leading to potential confusion.There are 14 cards per Minor Arcana suit, and 22 in the Major Arcana suit. see here for Major Arcana card effectsThe winner is the player with the most points when the game ends. Bleak is, however, known to go on for an extremely long time, potentially indefinitely if you play the right cards, so sometimes the game just ends when everyone mutually agrees it should end. (Or when you get kicked out of the place you're sitting in. Oops!)However, if you would like to play a shorter game, or one with a more set end point, you could make it so the winner is the first player to reach a set number of points (a 7 point game may still last over an hour; 3 points may work for a short game if everyone breezes through their turns). Alternatively, you could have it be that if the main deck is empty at any point, that automatically ends the game. Neither of these options are the 'original' state of the game, but they are perfectly fine to do, especially if you have a time limit.

  • The MAIN DECK is the stack of cards generally kept in the middle of the playing space, and is the one that players draw from each turn.

  • The DISCARD PILES are where cards go when they are discarded/removed from play. There are two discard piles, one for the Major Arcana and one for the Minor Arcana.

  • An ASPECT is something which determines any abilities a player may have. They are determined by the very first card you draw. Aspects are an optional gameplay mechanic and can be ignored if you want.

  • A TRAIN TICKET is a catchall term for an item which has been added to the deck by someone with a cups aspect. There may already be a train ticket in a deck if it has been added prior to the game. The term ‘train ticket' is not literal; they can be anything that’s vaguely card shaped.

  • A SPELL is a collection of four Minor Arcana cards which share a number (includes aces, pages, knights, queens and kings). Forming a spell grants a player one point.

ASPECTS are an optional game mechanic which determines some extra abilities that players can have. Aspects are determined by the first card you draw:If you draw a Major Arcana card, you have the Major Arcana aspect: you have the ability to draw an additional card every time you play a Major Arcana card.If you draw a pentacles Minor Arcana card, you have the pentacles aspect: you have the ability to draw a from the discard piles instead of the main deck, IF you also discard a pentacles card.If you draw a cups Minor Arcana card, you have the cups aspect: you have the ability to add any vaguely card shaped item to the deck during your turn. "Train Ticket" cards such as these have no effects and cannot be made into spells, but can be held in a hand and traded like any other card.If you draw a wands Minor Arcana card, you have the wands aspect: you have the ability to give a card to someone else once per turn, if you want to.If you draw a swords Minor Arcana card, you have the swords aspect: you have the ability to choose one rival, and then lie to your rival about what cards you have when asked.Aspects can be ignored for a slightly less complicated game experience.

The Major Arcana(click images to see card effects)

THE FOOLGive another player of your choice a card from your hand. If they play it on their turn, immediately draw another card

THE MAGICIANReturn all major arcana cards from the discard pile to the main deck, as well as The Magician, and then shuffle the main deck.

THE HIGH PRIESTESSSearch the top six cards of the deck, drawing one of your choice, and then shuffle the deck.

THE EMPRESSAttach this to another major arcana card. That major arcana card can be used twice. Upon the second use, that card and The Empress are both discarded (or reshuffled if that is the case).

THE EMPERORPlace this card face-up on either the discard pile or deck; until it is removed, no cards can be added to that source. When on the discard pile, any cards that would be discarded instead stay where they are. This also prevents the casting of spells (collection of points).

THE HIEROPHANTPlay this card to forcibly discard a major arcana card from play that you know the location of.

THE LOVERSBind together one major arcana card from your hand, and one from another player’s hand. If either is used, the other is used simultaneously.
If you know about a specific major arcana card, you can bind it to that; otherwise, your targeted player may choose which card to bind to yours.

THE CHARIOTGive this card to someone else. The chariot attaches to the next card they draw, and then both return to you. The chariot is then discarded.

STRENGTHWhile in your hand, you may redirect the effect of a Major Arcana card cast on you to another player of your choice.

THE HERMITTemporarily place a selection of cards off to the side. Then, reshuffle the hermit into the main deck. The set aside cards remain out of play until the hermit is drawn again, at which point the set aside cards go to whoever drew it.

WHEEL OF FORTUNEYou may draw a card from the deck. If it is a Major Arcana card, keep it, and give the wheel of fortune to another player. If it is a numbered card, draw additional cards equal to the number on that card (ace = 1, page = 11, knight = 12, queen = 13, king = 14), and then discard the wheel of fortune.

JUSTICEForce another player to shuffle 3 of their cards into the deck, and then draw 3 cards.

THE HANGED MANForce the recipient to reshuffle all of their cards into the main deck, and then miss a turn. Reshuffle this card into the main deck after use rather than discarding it.

DEATHPlay this card to swap your entire hand with someone else’s. Reshuffle this card into the main deck after use instead of discarding it.

TEMPERANCEWhile in your hand, upon being affected by a Major Arcana card, you may immediately use a Major Arcana card of your own.

THE DEVILWhen you use the devil on someone, compare your number of Major Arcana cards with theirs. If they have more, they must discard their entire hand. If you have more (including this card), you must discard your entire hand. Reshuffle this card into the main deck after use instead of discarding it.

THE TOWERReshuffle all your cards into the main deck. Another player of your choice must then do the same. Reshuffle this card into the main deck after use instead of discarding it.

THE STARAttach this card to another Major Arcana card in your hand, and then pass both cards to another player. That player may choose to attach another Major Arcana card and then pass the bundle on, or discard it. This repeats until the star is forcibly discarded or played. Everyone who attached a major arcana may immediately draw a card.When the star is discarded or played, all of the attached Major Arcana cards activate at once. Whoever discarded or played the star is treated as the recipient of all Major Arcana effects; the player with the next turn in the current order is treated as the one playing all of the cards attached to the star.

THE MOONPlay another card on another player’s behalf.

THE SUNIf someone tries to play a Major Arcana card, you can use this card to nullify its effects. The sun and the other card are then both discarded.
This card can be played during another player's turn.

JUDGEMENTPlay this card against someone to force them to use all of their major arcana cards in one turn. They have to use the cards in whatever order they currently appear in their hand; the target of each card follows the turn order.

THE WORLDPlay this card to bring all discarded Minor Arcana cards back into play.

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