Merlin’s Barber Rules
Goal
You are a wizard with a big, weird beard. You are at the barber. Trim your beard off the quickest to win.
To Start
Deal out an equal number of beard cards to all players. Set any remaining cards to the side. Whoever has the most objects in their beard goes first. If it is equal, flip a coin or rock off.
Your Turn
On your turn, do the following in order:
- trim a piece of beard (remove one card from your beard or an opponent’s beard).
- Flip the card and read the back. Follow the instructions.
- Discard the card.
To Win
The winning condition of the game changes. When the game starts, beards are ‘OUT’. This means they are out of fashion and must be trimmed off.
If ‘beards are OUT’, you win when your last beard card is discarded.
If ‘beards are IN’, you win when all other players have lost all beard cards and you still have some beard left.
Note: If you trim the last piece from your beard, but beards become IN, you lose and you leave the barber. You are disqualified.
Rule Clarifications
Email me at aleks.manou @ hotmail.com with any rule questions and I will display popular questions and answers here, in the meantime, feel free to make any house rules.
Q:What if I trim my last card and it says ‘Beards are OUT’? Do I still win?
A:Sorry but beards are out! Your face is out of fashion and you leave the barber shop in a state of melancholy. You are disqualified, but don’t worry, you can start a new game soon.