Loot the Loop rules

Rules taken from the Isaludo solo collection

Components

• A standard 52-card deck with one joker.
• Aces are jewels you're trying to loot. Number cards (2-10) are minor trinkets in the temple. Face cards are traps you must avoid, while the Joker is the temple exit.

Setup

1. Cut the deck in 3 equal face-down piles, flip over the top 2 cards for each pile, and stack the piles back in your chosen order. Hold this deck in your hand.
2. Leave space on the table for 3 cards (your notes) and a score pile.

Gameplay

The game is played over a series of turns. Each turn, you must perform exactly one of the following four actions. What actions are allowed depends on the top or top two cards of the deck.

Look Around

Turn the top two cards of the deck face up, careful to maintain their order. If the second card of the deck is already face up, just flip the top card and leave the second one as is.

You may ONLY perform this action if the top card of the deck is face down.

Explore

If either or both of the top two cards in the deck are face-up number cards (trinkets), choose one of those cards' values. Count exactly that many cards from the top of the deck and move them to the bottom, maintaining their order. Include the aforementioned top two cards in the count.

If there is only one face-up number card among the top two cards of the deck, you may only travel by that count. If neither of the two top cards of the deck are face up number cards, you may not use the explore action at all.

Each time you explore, after you move the required cards to the back, take note of the new top card of your deck. This is the room you land in.

• If it is a face-down card, nothing happens.
• If it is a face-up face card (trap), you lose the game.
• If it is a face-up ace (jewel) or trinket (number card), you nab it! You must move that card to your score pile.
• If it is a face-up joker (exit) and you have all four aces in your score pile, you exit the temple and end the game. Otherwise, nothing happens.

Mark a Path

If the top card of the deck is a number card (trinket), remove that card from the deck and place that card face up in front of you on the table in your notes. You can mark a maximum of three paths at any one time.

Remember that treasures you land on are removed from the temple, so the longer you stay the greater the density of traps!

Return to a Previously Marked Path

Return a path card of your choice from your notes to the top of the deck, face up.

Marking paths and returning to paths changes the top cards of your deck, and is the primary way to manipulate movement options when trying to land on specific cards.

Remember that marking and returning are separate actions. If your notes are already full, you can't "swap" a saved note and the top card of the deck.

Game End

Continue exploring the temple and hunting for the jewels (aces) and exit (joker). If you get stuck in the temple and can't move, or all movement choices you have will land you on a trap, you lose the game.

If you land on the face-up exit after an explore action, check your score pile. If you already have all four jewels, you immediately escape the temple and win the game.

Your score is the total number of cards in your score pile, including trinkets.

Other notes

• Even with all aces and joker face-up, it can be interesting to stay in the temple to gather more trinkets.
• You are free to look through the deck and all its face up cards at any time. You may even count cards to plan routes. You may not look at any face down cards, however.
• When traveling, it’s helpful to first count off the total number of cards to move with your thumb, then transfer the whole block of cards to the back. It's easier than doing it one by one.