How to Play Cambio

Cambio is a memory game: finish with the lowest score. Most of your cards stay face down the whole game, so every peek, swap, and guess counts.

Quick Start

Goal End with the lowest total card score.
Memory At the start, memorize your bottom two cards.
Turns Draw, swap or discard, then use any card ability.
  1. Each player starts with face-down cards in a two-row grid and briefly memorizes the bottom row.
  2. On your turn, draw from the deck or take the top of the discard pile.
  3. Drew from the deck? Swap it into your hand, or discard it and use its ability if it has one.
  4. Drew from the discard pile? You must swap it into your hand - no ability, no discarding it back.
  5. Think a face-down card matches the top discard's rank? Eliminate it - on anyone's turn, including your own.
  6. When you think your hand is the lowest, call Cambio at the start of your turn to trigger the final round.

Example Hand

Your cards stay in fixed slots. Eliminated cards leave empty spaces instead of sliding the hand around.

?
?
7♥
K♣

At game start, only the bottom row is briefly revealed so you can memorize it — the top row stays face down the whole game unless you peek at it with a card ability.

Special Cards

Card Ability
7 or 8 Peek at one of your own cards.
9 or 10 Peek at one card belonging to any opponent.
Jack or Queen Swap any two cards, yours or an opponent's, without seeing either one first.
Black King Look at any two cards, then decide whether to swap them.

FAQ

How do eliminations work?

If you think a face-down card matches the top discard's rank, click it - on any turn, even someone else's. Guess right and that card is eliminated. Eliminate an opponent's card and you must give them one of your own cards as a replacement.

What happens if I guess wrong?

You draw a penalty card and, if it was your turn, your turn ends.

When should I call Cambio?

Call Cambio at the start of your turn, before drawing, when you think your total is lower than everyone else's. Every other player then gets one last turn before scores are counted, and your own hand is locked in and can no longer be swapped or eliminated.