2 Pommes 3 Pains rules: how to play and how to score
Reviewed on 20 October 2026 against the publisher’s rulebook. How we check
2 Pommes 3 Pains (two apples, three breads) plays 2 to 6 players: each player flips a card and calls out the visible apples and breads, without mistakes or hesitation, to end with the fewest cards picked up. Here are the essential rules, setup and scoring, based on the official French rulebook.
- Players
- 2 to 6
- Play time
- About 15 minutes
- Winner
- Fewest cards picked up; ties shared
2 Pommes 3 Pains quick rules
- The goal
- On your turn, you flip a card and call out how many apples and breads you see on the table. If you make a mistake or hesitate, you pick up all the cards in play. At the end, whoever picked up the fewest cards wins.
- The three piles
- The cards form a facedown draw pile in the middle. The first player starts the first pile, the player to their left the second, the next player the third. After that, each flipped card covers a pile, always in order 1, 2, then 3: never a fourth pile.
- The call
- You have 5 seconds. You only count the visible cards, on top of the three piles, and you say apples first, then breads: “2 apples 3 breads.” If one is missing, you say “no apples” or “no bread.” The call must be smooth, with no hesitation or extra words.
- The pine cone
- A pine cone counts as one apple and two breads. One bread and one pine cone showing makes “1 apple 3 breads.”
- There’s a pip!
- Think a call is wrong? Shout “There’s a pip!” before the next card is played. If the call was wrong, the caller picks up the cards from all three piles; if it was right, you do. Whoever picks up keeps the cards in a stack in front of them and immediately starts a new turn.
- Two apples, three breads
- If the visible cards show exactly 2 apples and 3 breads, nobody calls: everyone slaps the draw pile, and the last one to slap picks up the cards from this turn. This rule beats all the others.
- End of the game
- The player who flips the last card of the draw pile makes their call, then the game ends. Everyone counts their penalty stack: the fewest cards wins, and a tie is a shared win.
- Special cards
- Once you know the game, add special cards, no more than three kinds at a time. While they are visible, Lost Bread takes away one bread, Tarte Tatin makes you call breads before apples and Milk Bread makes the whole table shout “Olé!” Candy Apple makes another player call in your place.
How to score 2 Pommes 3 Pains
- Cards picked up
- At the end, everyone counts the cards in their penalty stack. Cards left on the table count for no one.
- Who wins
- The player with the fewest cards. On a tie, the win is shared.
Worked example
At the last card, Emma has picked up 7 cards, Jake 12 and Alex 7. Emma and Alex have the fewest cards: they win together, ahead of Jake.
Common mistakes
- Counting the cards left on the table: they go to no one.
- Breaking a tie between two players: the rules give a shared win.
- Forgetting who picks up after a right call is challenged: the challenger takes the cards.
How to set up 2 Pommes 3 Pains
Setup takes a minute. For your first games, play with the basic cards only.
The cards
- For your first games, keep only the 55 basic cards.The publisher suggests starting the special cards with Lost Bread, Milk Bread and Candy Apple.
- If you add special cards, shuffle them in with the basic cards.Place the aid card of each special card you add next to the play area.
- Shuffle all the cards into a facedown draw pile, in the middle, within everyone’s reach.
Let’s go
- Keep a spot in front of you for your penalty stack.
- The first player flips the first card and starts the first pile, around the draw pile.That’s the last person to have eaten an apple, or anyone who has ever eaten a pine cone.
- Play goes clockwise: the second player starts the second pile, the third player the third.After that, each card covers a pile, in order 1, 2, then 3.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a pine cone worth in 2 Pommes 3 Pains?
One apple and two breads.
What do you do when you see 2 apples and 3 breads?
Everyone slaps the draw pile; the last one to slap picks up the cards from the turn.
Who wins 2 Pommes 3 Pains?
The player who picked up the fewest cards; on a tie, the win is shared.
Ludingo’s 2 Pommes 3 Pains sheet was last reviewed on 20 October 2026, based on: rulebook (PDF), BoardGameGeek.