How to Play Rat A Tat Tat

Rat a tat tat card game rules are pretty simple and straightforward with a couple cards having unique abilities. Rat a tat tat is a memory card game for anyone, including kids and families. Rat a tat tat is also referred to as rat a tat cat.

Rat A Tat Tat Rules

| Players: 2-4 | Type: Memory | Supplies: 1 Deck |

Objective

The objective of the game is to have the lowest value between your four cards when all players cards are flipped up at the end.

Setup

Players are dealt four cards, one card at a time. Players do not look at their cards. Each player’s cards are lined up in a row, in front of them, face down. The remaining deck is placed into the middle, and the top card of the deck is flipped up and placed next to the deck to start the discard pile.

Card Value

King: 0 points
Ace: 1 point
2-10: Face value
Jack/Queen: 11 points

Game Play

Before play begins, each player is able to look at their two outside cards, and then puts them back facedown. Players will want to remember the cards for the game.

The player left of the dealer is first to play. Each player has the option to draw the top card of the deck, or the top card of the discard pile.

If the top card of the discard pile is drawn, the player will swap it with one of their four cards. The card that was swapped is placed face up on the discard pile.

If the top card of the deck is drawn, the player decides to either swap it with one of their cards or put the drawn card in the discard pile. Cards remain face down after a card swap.

When a player thinks their cards have a low value, they will knock and announce rat-a-tat-tat after taking a turn. This means each other player gets one more turn. Once each player has taken their last turn, all the cards are revealed, and the game is over.

Special Cards

If a jack is drawn, a player is able to look at one of their cards. The jack is then discarded.

If a queen is drawn, a player is able to switch one of their cards with a card from any player. The cards remain face down during the switch. The queen is then discarded.

Additional Rules

-A jack or queen can only be used when either is drawn from the deck. If a jack or queen is discarded from a card swap, the next player has to draw from the deck.
-If the middle deck of cards runs out before a player has announced rat-a-tat-tat, the game is over. All players flip up their cards and count their value.

Winner

Once the cards are revealed, the player with the lowest value of cards wins the game.