Trickarus Rules Explained: How to Play the Trick-Taking Card Game

Quick answer

Trickarus is a must-follow trick-taking card game where winning tricks sends you higher into the sky, and winning too much can send you crashing down. Set up by dealing the deck to all players, then play tricks in turn order while following the led suit. Score as tricks resolve, but watch your altitude: the player who soars too close to the sun risks losing everything. Read your rulebook for exact card counts and end-game triggers.

Trickarus looks like a friendly trick-taking game until you realize that winning is the trap. The legendary Icarus and his friends have built handmade wings and taken to the skies, and every trick you win lifts you higher. Fly too close to the sun, though, and the crash costs you the game.

This guide walks through the Trickarus rules in play order, from setup to the final scoring, and calls out the mistakes that trip up new players. If you already know trick-taking games, the twist here is that you must follow suit and manage how many tricks you take, not just grab as many as possible.

What you need before you deal

Trickarus is a card game for players who already understand basic trick-taking, so the teach is short. You need the Trickarus deck, a flat play area, and a way to track scores. The catalog describes it as a must-follow trick-taking game, which means the suit-following rule is central to every decision you make.

Check your specific edition's rulebook for the exact player count and hand size, because those numbers can vary by printing. Do not assume a standard 52-card setup. The rulebook is the authority on how many cards each player receives and when the round ends.

• Common mistake: dealing before reading the player-count table in the rulebook. Hand size changes how fast players climb.
• Checkpoint: everyone should know the follow-suit rule before the first card hits the table.

Step 1: Deal and set the starting altitude

Shuffle the deck and deal the number of cards your rulebook specifies for your player count. Place the remaining cards aside if the rules call for a stock or discard pile. Each player should have a clear space in front of them for their personal altitude or score marker.

Before the first trick, confirm how altitude is tracked. In Trickarus, winning tricks moves you higher, so you need a visible way to see who is climbing fastest. A simple paper scorepad works, but tokens or a dial make the tension obvious.

• Common mistake: tracking altitude only in your head. You will lose track of who is closest to the sun.
• Checkpoint: every player can point to their current altitude before play begins.

Step 2: Play a trick and follow suit

The first player leads any card. Going clockwise, each player must follow suit if they can. If you cannot follow, you may play any card, including a card that could win the trick. The highest card of the led suit, or the winning card according to the rulebook's trump or special rules, takes the trick.

The winner of a trick leads the next one. This is where Trickarus differs from casual trick-taking: every trick you win pushes you higher into the sky. You are not just collecting points, you are managing altitude, and the leader role gives you control over what suit gets played next.

• Common mistake: forgetting that you must follow suit even when you would rather dump a dangerous card.
• Checkpoint: after each trick, announce the new altitude before the next lead.

Step 3: Score the trick and watch your altitude

After the trick resolves, update the winner's altitude. The rulebook defines how much each trick is worth and whether certain cards carry bonuses or penalties. Because winning too much can send you crashing down, the scoring is not a simple race to the highest total.

Read the scoring table carefully. Some editions reward precise altitude bands rather than raw trick counts, which changes whether you want to win the next trick or duck it. If the rulebook lists a crash threshold, note it now so you can see it coming.

• Common mistake: assuming more tricks always means a better score. In Trickarus, overreaching is the whole danger.
• Checkpoint: know the crash threshold before the round ends.

Step 4: End the round and compare flights

The round ends when the rulebook's condition is met, usually when hands are empty or a specific card is played. Then players compare their final altitude and any crash penalties. The player who managed the best flight, not necessarily the most tricks, wins the round.

If you play multiple rounds, reset altitude between rounds and shuffle thoroughly. The game's tension comes from the arc of each flight, so a clean reset keeps every round meaningful.

• Common mistake: carrying altitude over between rounds when the rules say to reset.
• Checkpoint: confirm the winner before shuffling for the next round.

Beginner strategy that actually helps

Your first instinct in a trick-taking game is to win everything. In Trickarus, fight that instinct. Count how many tricks you have already taken and compare it to the crash threshold. Sometimes the smartest play is to follow suit with a low card and let someone else climb.

Pay attention to who leads. The trick winner controls the next lead, so giving up a trick can hand that control to a rival who is already flying high. Track the suits that have been played, especially if the deck has special cards. If you are new, play one round with open hands to see how altitude moves.

• Tip: before each trick, ask whether winning helps you or pushes you toward the sun.
• Tip: when you cannot follow suit, dump your highest dangerous card if losing the trick is safer.

Trickarus setup and play order

1. Read the player-count table: Open the rulebook and find how many cards each player gets at your player count. Do not deal until you know the hand size. Checkpoint: hand size set before the first shuffle.
2. Deal and place altitude markers: Deal the correct number of cards to each player and give everyone a visible way to track their altitude. Checkpoint: everyone can see who is highest.
3. Play tricks following suit: Lead any card, follow suit if you can, and let the rulebook decide the winner. The winner leads the next trick. Checkpoint: no one plays out of suit when they could follow.
4. Score altitude after each trick: Update the trick winner's altitude immediately and note any crash threshold from the rulebook. Checkpoint: altitude is current before the next lead.
5. End the round and reset: Stop when the rulebook's end condition is met, compare final altitudes, then reset for the next round. Checkpoint: winner confirmed and altitude cleared.

Trickarus at a glance

• Trickarus: Trickarus is a clever, high-flying card game where winning too much can send you crashing down, and winning tricks sends you ever higher into the sky. This is the core rule twist: you are managing altitude, not just collecting tricks, so every win is a risk.
• Trickarus: The legendary Icarus and his friends have crafted handmade wings and taken to the skies, and flying too close to the sun can bring disaster. The theme explains the scoring pressure. If you ignore the sun, you will crash even with a strong hand.

Trickarus rewards players who can win just enough and no more. Learn the setup, follow suit, and keep one eye on the sun. Once you have played a round, the altitude tension becomes obvious, and you will start seeing why the crash is always one trick away.