Cup the Crab (EN)

On a quiet beach littered with discarded cups and bottles, a strange race for shelter is on. The hermit crabs and octopuses living nearby had the same idea: recycle this trash into the fanciest home on the shore. Cup the Crab is a fast card game with a mischievous streak, where every player has to read the table, pick the right moment to act, and never let a tempting stack of cups slip away.

Each round, you pick three cards from what is left in your hand and play them one at a time onto shared cup stacks. A Crab card or an Octopus card lets you claim a stack right away for your collection, while a Bottle card blocks a stack so that only an Octopus can free it again. Seven rounds later, whoever grabbed the most valuable stacks wins the game. Easy to explain, yet every card you play is a real timing puzzle.

You will probably love Cup the Crab if you are after a party game that hits the table in five minutes, rewards paying attention more than luck, and leaves enough room for bluffing that the same faces keep getting caught off guard game after game. It is also a great pick for mixing up family game night without breaking out something heavier.

This small card game keeps its promise of simplicity all the way through: no board, no tokens, just cards and tight decisions every turn, which makes it an ideal companion for last-minute game nights or trips.

The game is designed by Michael Feldkötter, a familiar name in efficient family games who also created Iquazú and Via Appia. Illustrator Keanu Chong brings this lively beach of crabs and octopuses to life with a bright, colorful style that sets the mood right away.

BOX CONTENTS
70 Cup cards
15 Crab cards
10 Octopus cards
10 Bottle cards
1 First Player card

Number of players: 3 to 5
Playing time: 10 to 30 minutes
Age: 8 and up