NUMBER OF PLAYERS 3 to 8Authors is an excellent choice when your children are ready to graduate from Go Fish!. The two games are almost identical. The main differences are that Authors requires more concentration (because cards are exchanged one at a time rather than in sets) and that Authors has no stock pile (instead, all cards are dealt at the start of the game).
Authors has a noble legacy. The game was one of the first widely available card games, published by Parker Brothers in the 1890s. The title comes from the game’s original cards, which featured illustrations of popular authors and philosophers.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS 3 to 8
HOW TO DEAL Start with a fifty-two-card deck, and deal all players cards until none remain. It’s OK if some players have one or two fewer cards.
WINNING The player who collects the most four-of-a-kinds wins the game. In case of a tie, shake hands and congratulate your opponent on a well-played and evenly matched game.
HOW TO PLAY The player to the left of the dealer starts by asking any other player for a single card. The only restriction is that you must already have at least one card of matching rank in your hand. For example, you may ask any player for the 7 of diamonds as long as your hand already contains a 7. You get another turn if your request is successful. Otherwise, the turn moves one player to the left.
If you are the player being asked for cards, you must hand over the matching card. If you don’t (intentionally or not), you lose the game if your error is discovered.
At the start of your turn, play any four-of-a-kinds in your hand. Simply show the set of four to the other players and place the cards face down in front of you.
Once you run out of cards, your turn is skipped in all subsequent rounds. The game ends as soon as all players but one run out of cards.