How to play
Stacky Map
X marks the backstab. Learn it in five minutes, master the betrayal over a lifetime.
The goal
Build the most valuable Map at the table. Your Map is the row of cards you stack face-up in front of you, that pile is yours alone, and its total value is your final score. Stack ticket cards, double down, and sabotage everyone else, the highest total when the game ends wins.
Set up
- 1Shuffle the entire Stacky Map deck.
- 2Deal 5 cards to each player as their starting hand.
- 3Place the rest face down in the center as the Draw Pile, with room beside it for the Discard Pile.
- 4Choose who goes first. Play moves clockwise.
Your turn: Pick. Stack. Attack.
Every turn you do two things, in order: first Pick, then Play one card, either a Stack or an Attack.
Draw one card from the Draw Pile into your hand. This is always your first move.
Play a Ticket Card (+1, +2, +3) face-up in front of you to grow your Map.
Or play an Action Card to sabotage, defend or boost. You play exactly one card per turn.
Building your Map
This is how you build your Map. Each Ticket Card is worth +1, +2 or +3. On your turn you play one face-up on the table in front of you, and it joins your Map, growing your own personal pile (there is no shared board). Keep stacking them up: the higher the total value of the cards in front of you, the bigger your score at the end, and the bigger the target on your back.
Action cards
One card per turn can flip the whole table. Here is every action card and exactly what it does.
Holiday Season
- Play it face-up into your own map.
- Your entire map's total value is instantly doubled.
- It stays doubled as you gain or lose tickets, even a Missed Flight.
- Only one Holiday Season can be active in your map.
Visa Issue
- Play it into the Discard Pile on your turn.
- Choose any 1 ticket from another player's map.
- That ticket is removed and sent to the Discard Pile.
Blockable with Travel Insurance.
Ticket Snatch
- Play it into the Discard Pile on your turn.
- Choose any 1 ticket from another player's map.
- Move it into your own map. It now counts toward your score.
Blockable with Travel Insurance.
Missed Flight
- Play it directly into any player's map.
- It stays there and permanently cuts their score by 2.
Travel Insurance cancels it to the Discard Pile.
Travel Ban
- Play it into the Discard Pile on your turn.
- Choose any 1 player's map. Every card in it is wiped to the Discard Pile, including Missed Flight and Holiday Season.
- That map becomes completely empty (score 0).
Blockable with Travel Insurance. 2 Travel Insurances reverse it back onto you, and it can keep bouncing until someone runs out.
Route Change
- Play it into the Discard Pile on your turn.
- Choose any one player and swap entire hands with them.
- Both players continue with their new cards.
Blockable with Travel Insurance.
Revisit
- Play it into the Discard Pile on your turn.
- Take any 1 card, ticket or action, from the Discard Pile into your hand.
Cannot be blocked, it does not target another player.
Travel Rush
- Play it into the Discard Pile on your turn.
- Everyone flips the top Draw Pile card, starting with you. Only tickets count, actions are 0.
- Highest flipped ticket wins, keeps any 1 flipped card, and takes the next turn. The rest shuffle back.
Travel Insurance
- Play it at any time, even during someone else's turn.
- Blocks any attack: Missed Flight, Visa Issue, Ticket Snatch, Route Change or Travel Ban. The attack is cancelled to the Discard Pile.
- Block wars: a Travel Insurance can block another Travel Insurance, back and forth, until someone runs out or gives up.
How to win
- The game ends the moment the Draw Pile runs out, or any player empties their hand.
- Everyone adds up the value of their Map: Ticket Cards plus any Action Cards that score.
- Highest total wins. Tie-breaker: whoever has the most +3 cards.
Easy to play. Impossible to predict.