Frequently Asked Questions

When does my order ship?

We'll ship within 1-2 business days after your order. Your order should arrive within a week, if you're within the United States. For international orders, it should arrive within a month. Unfortunately, for international orders, there may be unexpected delays.

Where do you ship?

We ship around the world! 

What is your return policy?

We strive for 100% satisfaction with Crabs in a Bucket, and we believe you'll love the game. While all sales are final, we know that incidental damages sometimes occur. If your game arrives damaged, or is misplaced by our shipping provider, please reach out to us at service@bluerondogames.com and we will work to replace your order.

My order is incomplete or damaged, what should I do? 

Reach out to us at service@bluerondogames.com with an image of the damage, and we'll work to replace your copy.

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a crowd-funding site that helps bring creative projects to life. Crabs in a Bucket was originally funded on Kickstarter! Thanks to the help of 548 amazing backers, Crabs in a Bucket is now available for purchase worldwide.

Crabs How-to-Play FAQs

When I match a card, does the value of the card that I play need to be higher?

No! The first card you play during your turn simply has to match the top card of the discard pile--either on suit or value. For instance, if the top card is the King of Spades, you may play any spade or any king.

Once you've played, you may trigger the Ascending Run Effect, which all Aces and numbered cards possess. This allows you to subsequently discard any higher value cards of the same suit as the first card you played.

If I play a Jack, Queen, or King, do I take a penalty?

No! Fortunately, if you play a Jack, Queen, or King, you actually become The Penalizer. This means that, if the Jack, Queen, or King you played remains on top of the discard pile, the players after you must take a Penalty if they fail to cover the card.

Ex. 1 You play a Queen of Spades. The next player must cover this card on their turn. If they cannot, they must draw a card from your hand, since you are The Penalizer.

Ex 2. You play a Jack of Spades. The next player must cover this card on their turn. If they cannot, they must draw a card from the deck. 

If I Discard a Jack, Queen, or King, am I still the Penalizer?

Yes! If you happen to discard a Jack, Queen, or King, that card counts as yours, and you become The Penalizer. For instance, if you discard a King of Spades after playing a Joker Crab that allows you to discard cards, you become The Penalizer, and the player after you must cover the King or draw two cards.

If the Dealer flips over a Jack, Queen, or King, who is the Penalizer?

The dealer becomes The Penalizer! This means, when it becomes the dealer's turn again, they may call for Crabolution! Or, if the card happens to be a Queen, players who fail to cover it must draw from the dealer's hand.

If I play a Jack, Queen, or King on top of another Jack, Queen, or King, do I become The Penalizer?

Yes! If you manage to cover an opponent's Jack, Queen, or King with one of your own, you immediately become the new Penalizer.

For Jacks and Kings, how many cards must I draw as a penalty?

If you are unable to cover an opponent's Jack card, you must draw 1 extra card at the end of your turn. If you are unable to cover an opponent's King card, you must draw 2 extra cards at the end of the turn. Note that you still must follow turn order and draw 1 card before taking the penalty. This means that you 1) Draw a card--if it's playable, play it and avoid the punishment, 2) Take the punishment if the first card you drew is not playable.

This should leave you with 2 additional cards total if you fail to cover a Jack and 3 additional cards total if you fail to cover a King.

Can I play a Joker Crab and a Suited Card in the same turn?

No! Only one card can ever be played at a time. So, you choose to either play on the Discard Pile or the Joker Pile. Once you have played your card, it may trigger an effect that allows you discard others. However, you cannot begin a turn by playing more than one card. 

If a Joker Crab is my last card, do I trigger its effect?

No! If the last card in your hand is a Joker Crab, you may play it without triggering its effect, immediately winning the game.

What if we run out of cards to draw from the deck?

In longer games, this happens! Simply set aside the top cards on the Discard Pile and Joker Pile and reshuffle the remaining cards, creating a new deck to draw from. You may then continue the current turn.