Blog category
How to play
Step-by-step how-to-play guides from the Golden Lab Games team: setup, turns, scoring and the rules people argue about.
-
Uno Rules: Official Rules vs. House Rules (Stacking, +4 Challenges, Jump-Ins)
Uno rules from Mattel's instruction sheets: setup, action cards, the Wild Draw Four challenge, scoring to 500, and which familiar rules are only house rules.
-
How to Play Mastermind and Crack the Code Logically
How to play Mastermind: setup, reading black and white feedback pegs, two worked games solved by elimination, and Knuth's proof that five guesses suffice.
-
How to Play Mahjong for Beginners: American vs. Chinese Mahjong
How to play mahjong as a beginner: how American (NMJL card) and Chinese rules differ, then one full Chinese-style hand played turn by turn, claims included.
-
How to Play Gin Rummy: Rules, Knocking and Scoring
How to play gin rummy: count deadwood, knock at 10 or less, and score knocks, gin and undercuts, shown in three worked hands with a tally to 100 and variants.
-
How to Play Flip 7: Rules, Scoring and When to Stop Flipping
How to play Flip 7: hit or stay, bust on a duplicate, race to 200. Bust odds for every row length, a one-flip check, a worked round and a score grid to copy.
-
How to Play Euchre: Rules, Bowers and Calling Trump
How to play euchre: the 24-card deck, why two jacks beat the ace once trump is named, ordering up, going alone, scoring to 10 and a hand played trick by trick.
-
How to Play Cribbage: A Beginner's Guide to Pegging and Counting 15s
How to play cribbage, taught by counting: five worked hands, pegging toward 31, the crib flush rule, 3- and 4-player deals, and scoring on paper with no board.
-
How to Play Clue and Take Detective Notes That Actually Win
How to play Clue by Hasbro's current rules: setup, suggestions vs. accusations, the official two-player variant, and a notes grid that tracks who showed what.
-
Golf Card Game Rules: 4-, 6- and 9-Card Versions Explained
Golf card game rules for the 4-, 6- and 9-card versions side by side: layouts, card values, column pairs, when a hole ends, plus a nine-hole scorecard to copy.