FlipToons rules: how to play and how to score

FlipToons quick rules

The goal

You’re a talent agent putting together a cartoon cast. Your actors are cards, called Toons. Each round, you lay six Toons in your grid and they earn you fame, which you spend to hire better Toons or dismiss the weakest. As soon as a player makes 30 fame in one round, you play a Final Flip, which decides the winner.

Your deck and your grid

Everyone starts with six weak cards: two Caterpillars, a Skunk, a Dragonfly, a Bee and a Snail. Your grid is two rows of three cards in front of you. A round has four phases: the flip, the fame, the market, then the cleanup. Fame isn’t kept from one round to the next.

The flip

Everyone plays at the same time. Shuffle your deck face down, then flip the cards one by one into your grid, left to right, top row then bottom row. Read each card as you place it: some abilities act right away. The cards left in your deck don’t play this round.

The fame

Everyone adds up the fame of their grid: each Toon’s base fame, at the bottom left, and often a bonus based on its position or neighbors. The Dragonfly, for example, earns one point for each different Toon next to it. Show your total by laying your Reference card on your Fame card.

The market

In turn, starting with the first player, spend your fame on up to two actions. Hire a Toon from the market, at the price on the Price card above it: it goes on your deck. Or dismiss a visible Toon from your grid, for 5 fame: it leaves your deck forever. Then refill the market to five cards, sorted by rank. Unspent fame is lost.

The cleanup

Everyone puts the cards from their grid back on their deck. With 2 players, also discard the leftmost and rightmost market cards, then refill it. The First Player card passes to the left, and a new round begins.

The end of the game

If a player makes at least 30 fame, finish the round, market included. The player who made the most fame takes the Critic’s Choice card, worth 3 extra fame at the Final Flip; on a tie, nobody takes it. Then everyone does one last flip: the most fame wins. On a tie, the tied players reshuffle and flip again.

Beginner traps

Thinking the player who reaches 30 has won: the Final Flip decides. Trying to dismiss a card from your deck: you can only dismiss visible cards from your grid, and never with fewer than four cards left. Saving fame for later: it’s lost at the end of the market. And remember the Caterpillars only cost 3 fame to dismiss.

How to score FlipToons

Fame at the Final Flip

The fame of your grid at the Final Flip. Fame from earlier rounds doesn’t count.

Critic’s Choice

+3 if you have the card: it goes to the player who made the most fame when the end was triggered; on a tie, nobody gets it.

Fame at the new flip (tie-breaker)

No points: on a tie, the tied players flip again, and the highest fame wins.

Worked example

Emma triggers the end with 32 fame, the best total that round: she takes the Critic’s Choice. At the Final Flip, she makes 27, so 27 + 3 = 30. Jake makes 31: he wins, 31 to 30.

Common mistakes

• Adding up the fame of every round: only the Final Flip counts.
• Giving the game to whoever reached 30: they only take the Critic’s Choice, and the Final Flip decides.
• Giving out the Critic’s Choice on a tie for the most fame: nobody takes it.
• Forgetting the Critic’s Choice’s 3 fame in the final count.
• In solo, looking for a score: you win if you make 30 fame in one phase before the Toon deck runs out; otherwise you lose.

How to set up FlipToons

With several players, follow the first three parts; for solo, also apply the last one. The First Player card goes to the last player who watched a cartoon.