GUBS: PIXEL EDITION | OFFICIAL RULES | FLASH TUTORIAL | FAQ | TIPS AND STRATEGIES
Play GUBS for free.
Thanks to the talented Matt Griffin it is now possible to play GUBS for free against 2 random computer opponents! Just download the executable below and start playing!
If you’ve never played before, this computer version is a great way to learn the game and experience some of how it plays. Keep in mind, however, that playing against friends and family members is a lot more fun than playing against your computer. Also, don’t switch on the Expert AI until you have a very good grasp of the game - its hard! We almost made it too smart!
Features:
- Play “GUBS: A Game of Wit and Luck” against 2 computer opponents!
- Watch and learn from the highly intelligent computer AI, with 2 levels of difficulty: ‘Standard’ or ‘Expert’!
- Simple drag-and-drop interface simulates the real card game!
- Try the game before you buy!
Controls
Click and drag cards onto the play area or onto other cards to play them. Once you pick up a card (by clicking on it and holding it) the area where it can be played will light up. If you have Tool Tips turned on in the Options, notes will pop up to help you.
Click the deck on your turn to draw a card. To discard cards from your hand, drag them from your hand to the discard pile next to the deck.
Pause the game during the computer’s turn by pressing SPACEBAR.
Hover over any card in your hand or in play to display a larger readable version to the right of the playing area.
PLEASE NOTE: Mac is not supported because this version was created using Game Maker, which doesn’t support Mac.
Here is the NEW and IMPROVED rule sheet for GUBS!
Official Rules:
Click one of the three images below to download the OLD rules in either English, Spanish, or Chinese. There are only slight differences to gameplay between these old versions and the new one, but they make a difference.
Special thanks to Fernando Abad for the Spanish translation. Check out his website to see his fan-made GUBS deck with his unique drawings and card layouts. Special thanks also goes to Byron Roberts and Angel at Kanga Games in Taiwan for their translation of the GUBS rules into Chinese.
** You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open these files.**
Old Rules:
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NEW Tiebreaker rules
1. Smallest Hand: In a tie, the tied player who has the Esteemed Elder is the winner. If no tied player has the Esteemed Elder, then who ever has the least cards in their hand wins. If the tie still stands, players share the victory. Shuffle the cards and play another game!
Old Tiebreaker rules
1. Quick and Easy: Deal up the remainder of the deck between the players who have tied. The first players to receive a Gub is the winner. If you run out of cards from the deck, shuffle the discard and deal from there until a Gub is revealed and a winner decided.
2. Sudden Death GUBS: Players who are tied for the lead immediately discard all Gubs from their hands. They then continue to play. Which ever player “pulls ahead” that is to say gains a Gub on their side, frees one of their trapped Gubs, or knocks the other tied players out of the running by removing one of their Gubs, is the immediate winner. (This variant was suggested by Carlos Robledo.)
Lots of people have questions when they learn a new game. If you’ve got one, check here first. This is a list of the most commonly asked questions about GUBs.
1. Do I have to play a Gub when I draw one?
No, the only cards that must be played immediately when they are drawn are the Event Cards. Keeping Gubs in your hand can be a valuable strategy, but don’t forget that your hand is not safe! Certain cards can cause you to loose it.
2. Can I continue to play cards on my turn after drawing an Event Card?
Yes. The only obvious exception is if the game is ended.
3. Can the Esteemed elder hide under a Barricade? Can he be retrieved from the discard pile with the Age-Old Cure?
No. When in play, the Elder is immune to all cards in the deck, except for the Lightning or the Cricket Song played as Lightning. Therefore, he cannot use a Barricade… nor can he be retrieved from the discard pile with the Age Old Cure.
4. If I use a Spear to destroy a Sud Spout in play trapping an opponent’s Gub, does that Gub come to my side?
No, the Gub stays wherever it currently sits, but it is now considered Free. Only Rings release their freed Gubs onto the side of the player who freed them.
5. What exactly does Dangerous Alchemy destroy?
All cards in play on your side, except for the Esteemed Elder. All Gubs, Barricades, and Traps in play in front of you are gathered up and put into the discard pile.
6. Can the Flop Boat be played to put a Letter Card back into the deck, even if it is the final Letter Card (which ends the game)?
Yes, because the Flop Boat is an Interrupt Tool which can be played the moment an Event Card is drawn but before that Event takes affect. This is a powerful card.
7. Do Omen Beetles eat my Mushrooms in play as well as my opponents?
ALL Mushrooms in play are consumed, even your own.
8. What happens when a Gub is stolen out from under a Sud Spout using the Smahl Thief?
The Sud Spout is discarded.
9. How do I play a Lure?
Discard a regular green Lure to take a Free Gub from play on your opponent’s side and put it into play on your side (just drag it across the table and orient it so it faces you.)
10. How do I use the Cricket Song?
This card confuses new players because they are not yet familiar with how the different types of cards are played. Basically, this is a Wild Card that can be used as any Tool or Hazard that leaves play immediately. Therefore, it cannot be an Event Card, Gub, Barricade or Trap because these all remain in play.
11. Does Rumor of Wasps affect all players?
Yes. All Toad Riders in play are affected.
12. How do I save my hand from being shuffled back into the deck when the Gargok Plague is drawn?
If you have an Age-Old Cure card, discard this card and keep your hand.
13. What is the use of the Retreat card?
Essentially it allows you to reorganize and reinforce your colony by taking all cards in play on your side (even those played by your opponents) back into your hand and replaying them for your benefit. Just remember the eight card limit at the end of your turn!
14. How many cards can I play during my turn?
As many as you are capable of playing.
Here’s some tips and strategies to help you be a better GUBs player.
Card combos are the most effective moves. Consider this: player A, on their turn, might play a Mushroom to destroy an opponent’s Mushroom and make the Gub beneath it Free, Lure the Gub over to their side, play another Mushroom on it to Barricade it, and then play Lightning to make their opponent discard their hand. Many different options are available, be sure to consider the best use of your cards as they work together.
Don’t horde Gubs in your hand. It’s ok to keep them here for a while, but waiting to use them at the end of the game is not always a good strategy. There are several cards which can make you lose your hand, plus if the game ends they do not count for points. While it is true there are many cards which steal Gubs that are in play, you at least know that players will attempt to keep them in play (and thus giving you an opportunity to steal them back.)
When 2 out of the 3 Letter Cards are out on the table, start playing more aggressively. The game could end with any draw at this point. Also, don’t forget you have the option of passing on your draw phase. You can still play cards without drawing a card, but you cannot draw after playing cards on your turn.
Don’t forget that Barricades can sometimes be used to destroy other Barricades in play.
Sometimes it can be to your advantage to play Hazards against yourself… consider the Sud Spout. If you play a Sud Spout on your own Gub, he is immune to many other Hazards because they are mostly played against Free Gubs. But don’t forget you’ll need a Spear card to get the Gub out of the Sud Spout to make it count for points again.
Remember to tell the next person when it is their turn. The game should move fairly quickly, and sometimes you’ll draw a card but play nothing. Timing is important, don’t feel like you always have to do something every turn.