How to Play Swoop
Swoop is a fast-paced shedding card game where players race to get rid of their cards while avoiding points.
Every turn presents a decision: play lower cards to stay in the round, use a powerful Swoop card to clear the pile, or risk picking up the entire middle stack. With hidden mystery cards and high-value penalty cards, the game can change in an instant.
This guide explains everything you need to know to play Swoop.
Swoop Video Tutorial
Number of Players
Swoop is designed for 3 to 8 players.
If you're playing with 3 or 4 players, use two standard 52-card decks plus the 4 jokers.
If you’re playing with 5 or 6 players, use three standard 52-card decks plus the 6 jokers.
If you’re playing with 7 or 8 players, use four standard 52-card decks plus the 8 jokers.
Objective
The goal of Swoop is to score the fewest points.
Players race to be the first to play all of their cards each round. Everyone else scores points for the cards left in their possession. When a player reaches 500 points or more, the game ends, and the player with the lowest total score wins.
Setup
Shuffle all of the cards together and deal 19 cards to each player.
Before looking at their cards, each player places 4 cards face down in front of them. Then they place 1 card face up on top of each face-down card. These face-down cards are known as mystery cards.
The remaining cards become each player's hand and may now be picked up and viewed.
Card Ranking
Cards are played in descending order.
From highest to lowest, the ranking is:
King
Queen
Jack
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Ace
The 10s and Jokers are special Swoop cards.
Gameplay
The first player may begin by playing one card or multiple cards of the same rank.
Play continues clockwise around the table.
On your turn, you must play:
A card (or matching set) of the same rank, or
A card (or matching set) of a lower rank, or
A Swoop card.
For example, if queens are on top of the pile, the next player may play queens or any lower-ranked cards.
If the top card is a 7, the next player may play another 7 or any card ranked 6 through Ace.
Four of a Kind
Whenever the fourth card of the same rank is played into the middle pile, the entire pile is immediately cleared.
The player who completed the four of a kind starts a brand-new pile by playing any legal card.
Creating four of a kind is often one of the quickest ways to get rid of difficult cards while keeping the middle pile small.
Swoop Cards
The 10s and Jokers are called Swoop cards.
Instead of following the normal ranking rules, a player may play a Swoop card on their turn to immediately clear the entire middle pile.
After clearing the pile, that same player immediately starts a new pile with any card they choose.
Because they erase the pile and give you another turn, Swoop cards are among the most powerful cards in the game. However, they are also worth 50 penalty points if left in your hand at the end of the round.
When You Can't Play
If you cannot play a card of equal or lower rank and do not have a Swoop card available, you must:
Pick up the entire middle pile and add it to your hand.
Start a new middle pile with any card.
Picking up the pile can dramatically increase your score at the end of the round, so avoiding this whenever possible is important.
Mystery Cards
The four face-down mystery cards cannot be used until the face-up card covering each one has been played.
If a played mystery card is legal, play moves to the next player.
However, if a player reveals a mystery card that is higher in rank than the current top card, they must take the entire middle pile into their hand. The mystery card becomes the first card of a new middle pile.
Since players don't know what their mystery cards are until they are revealed, they always introduce an element of luck.
Scoring
The round ends as soon as one player has played all of their cards.
Every other player scores points for the cards still remaining in their hand and mystery cards.
Card values are:
Ace = 1 point
2 through 9 = Face value
Jack, Queen, King = 10 points each
10 = 50 points
Joker = 50 points
Record each player's score after every round.
Continue playing until someone reaches 500 points or more. At that point, the player with the lowest total score wins the game.
Strategy Tips
Save your Swoop cards. A well-timed 10 or Joker can rescue you from picking up a large pile or help you unload difficult cards.
Watch for four of a kind. If you know the remaining copies of a rank are still in play, you may be able to clear the pile without using a Swoop card.
Be careful with mystery cards. Revealing an unknown card can work in your favor or force you to pick up the entire pile.
Avoid ending with high-value cards. A single 10 or Joker is worth as much as five Kings, making them extremely costly if you're caught holding them.
Gather Together with Swoop
Swoop is one of those games that's easy to learn but stays exciting because no two rounds play out the same.
Between clearing the pile with Swoop cards, completing four of a kind, and the suspense of revealing mystery cards, there's always the chance for a dramatic comeback.
Swoop delivers plenty of laughs and memorable moments. Gather together, deal the cards, and see who can keep their score the lowest!