Photo: BCD Jeux, partner shopCard games
IPSO
GigamicAlexandre Droit2026
- players
- 2–6
- minutes
- 15
- years
- 7+
In the box
90 cards numbered 1 to 90, in five colours of 18 · 6 star cards
Box details
- Designer
- Alexandre Droit
- Publisher
- Gigamic
- Mechanics
- OrderingSet Collection
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Each player lays out a pyramid of fourteen face-down cards in four rows, where only ascending rows will score points. On your turn, take one of the two cards in the centre and swap it for a card of your pyramid that is still face down, which joins the centre face up. Once every card is revealed, keep your star card or give it up for one last turn, then the highest total wins.
Checked against the official rules · October 2026
The rules, step by step
Setup
14 cards in a pyramid, Star card at the top, 2 cards in the centre
- 96 cards: 90 cards numbered 1 to 90, in five colours of 18 cards, and 6 star cards.
- Each player receives 14 numbered cards face down and lays out a pyramid of four rows of 2, 3, 4 and 5 cards.
- A star card goes at the top of the pyramid: it will be used at the end.
- The first two cards of the draw pile are placed face up in the centre; the rest of the pile is set aside.
- Two to six players, ages 7 and up, about fifteen minutes.
How to play
Take from the centre, For a face-down card
- The youngest player starts, then play goes clockwise.
- On your turn, take one of the two cards in the centre and swap it for a card of your pyramid that is still face down.
- The replaced card is turned face up and joins the other card in the centre: the next player will choose between the two.
- You only replace face-down cards, and a card added to the pyramid never moves again.
- Play continues until all 14 cards of every pyramid are revealed.
Scoring
Ascending rows, 1 each, 2 if one colour, Star kept: 3
- Only ascending rows score: first discard every row that is not ascending.
- An ascending row of mixed colours scores 1 point per card.
- An ascending row of a single colour scores 2 points per card.
- Each star printed on a card scores 1 extra point.
- The star card at the top, if you kept it, is worth 3 points.
End of the game
14 cards revealed, Star or bonus turn, Highest total
- Once all 14 cards are revealed, the two cards in the centre go back under the draw pile and everyone chooses: stop there and keep their star card, or discard it to play one last bonus turn.
- That last turn lets you draw a card and replace a face-up card of your layout. Even if you do not use it, the star card is lost.
- The highest total wins. In a tie, the most stars breaks it; if it is still a tie, play another game.
House rules and pitfalls
Tournament mode: four rounds, changing the direction of play each round, and add up the points.
- Tournament mode: four rounds, changing the direction of play each round, and add up the points.
- Even or odd row variant: a row made only of even cards, or only of odd cards, scores 1 extra point per card.
Going further
Variants · Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Variants
Format
One pyramid
Tournament mode (4 rounds)
Four rounds, changing the direction of play each time, then add them up.
Even or odd rows
Without
With the bonus
A row made only of even cards, or only of odd cards, scores 1 extra point per card.
choose them when you start a game: the scorer adapts
Frequently asked questions
What is an ascending row?
A row whose numbers increase from left to right. The gap between them does not matter: 4, 37, 81 is ascending. A row that is not ascending scores nothing at all.
Can you replace a card that is already face up?
No. You only replace cards that are still face down, and a card once placed never moves. That is the whole dilemma: you choose a spot before knowing what will come next. The one exception is the final bonus turn: by giving up your star card, you may replace a face-up card.
Should you keep the star card or play the bonus turn?
The star card is a safe 3 points. The bonus turn allows one last swap, which can save a whole row — or bring nothing, and the star is lost either way.
Do colours matter during the game?
Only for scoring: an ascending row of a single colour is worth double. That is what tempts you to take a card in a worse position but of the right colour.
How many points does a good pyramid score?
Between twenty and thirty. The rules give a full example worth 26 points, with one row discarded.