User:Topbomber

Safari Pals is a range of card games that have similarities to both Top Trumps and traditional Playing Cards. Like traditional playing cards or Quartets (card game), the cards are arranged into sets of 4. Like Top Trump packs, each card describes a particular entity with numberical data. Safari Pals games are wildlife related so in this case each card describes a different animal and the sets are normally based a characteristic of the four animals in the set, such as Water-wings or Furry.

Two pack types have been published to date, a 52 card variant called Classic, and a 32 card variant called Junior. There are also Wildcard extension packs which add an additional 5 cards to a pack. The odd number of cards this creates, means a game can be played which is similar to Old Maid where the losing player is left with the odd card at the end of the game.

Game Play
The numerical data on each card and the fact that they are arranged into sets of 4 means lots of different games can be played with these packs.

Trump type games can be played where players challenge each other using the data on their cards. Two variations are played, the first is a standard game as played with Top Trumps or Ace Trumps. A second variaty is similar to Knock-out Whist except that the rounds are won by the highest scoring card in the category selected by the first player in the round. For example a round starts with the first player laying down their chosen card and selecting a data item for the round (say weight). The other players each play a card from their hand and the winner of the round is the player who played the card with the highest value of that data item (the highest weight).

Set Building Games - Go Fish or Happy Families type games can be played but using the set names or individual animal card names. The player whose turn it is might ask 'Bill, have you got any Furry animals'. If Bill holds any cards from the Furry group in his hand he hands one over. If he doesn't he says 'Looto', an African word for 'I've seen nothing'.

Rummy games - A variant of Rummy is played where the sets of matching cards with form melds are based on animal behavour or characteristics. For example a Meld may be constructed using cards of animals which are all carnivors or all live in fresh water.