How to Play


2 min to learn ยท 15 min to play ยท ages 4+
๐Ÿ†First to 4 Grumps wins.

Three card types: Squad cards (your team), Action cards (do what they print), Grumps (the enemies). Draw. Play. Beat Grumps. First to 4 wins.

Watch the 90-second tutorial โ€” coming soon

Setup

Pull the 10 Grumps out first โ€” they crash the party later, but never start in your hand.

1
Don't skip this

Pull the Grumps out

Find all 10 Grump cards (dark border, bomb-flame Grump symbol in the corner). Set them aside face-up. Do this before you shuffle.

2

Shuffle the rest

Mix up the remaining 44 cards (32 Squad cards + 12 Action cards). This is what you'll deal from.

3

Deal 4 to each player

Everyone gets a hand of 4. No Grumps in anyone's hand โ€” that's the whole point of step 1.

4
The clever bit

Shuffle the Grumps back in

Take the 10 Grumps and shuffle them into the remaining face-down stack. Now nobody knows when the Grumps are coming.

5

Place the Draw Deck

Combined deck goes face-down in the middle. Leave a clear space next to it โ€” that's the Zone (where Grumps appear when drawn).

6

Youngest goes first

Play passes left, clockwise.

Example starter hand โ€” one of each habit color:

Big Crunch โ€” Food Squad card with Bonus action Big Crunch ยท Food โšก Soccer Smash โ€” Move Squad card Soccer Smash ยท Move Bubble Wash โ€” Mind Squad card Bubble Wash ยท Mind Book Quest โ€” Learn Squad card Book Quest ยท Learn

The cards

54 cards. Three types. The border tells you which:

32 cards

The Squad

Your team: Lulu, Clover, Dash, Pip. One squirrel per color: Mind ยท Food ยท Move ยท Learn. Match a Grump's weakness color. Beat the Grump. 10 Squad cards wear a yellow โšก Bonus ribbon โ€” play one, do the silly thing.

12 cards

Action cards

Green border. Each card prints exactly what it does. Read it. Do it. Examples: Tag, You're It bounces a Grump to another player. Mystery Lunchbox trades a card. Jumping Jacks = do 5 reps, beat any Grump.

10 cards

Grumps

Dark border, bomb-flame Grump symbol in the corner. The bad habits โ€” Sugar Slime, Couch Potato, Worry Worm and crew. Each one shows its weakness up top: a colored circle (or two). Match it. Beat it.

Your turn

1

Draw 1 card

  • Squad / Action? โ†’ into your hand.
  • Grump? โ†’ slam it in the Zone. Whole table races to slap.
2

Play any cards you want

  • Squad card โ†’ match a Grump's weakness color, beat it.
  • Action card โ†’ do what's printed.
  • โšก Bonus ribbon โ†’ do the silly thing the card calls for.
!

Drew a Grump and can't beat it?

Lose 1 card from your hand as a penalty (your choice โ€” discard face down). The Grump stays in the Zone. Skip the penalty if you redirect it (e.g. Tag, You're It) or shut it down with an action card. Good play has a price; smart play has a way out.

3

End โ€” pass left

Hand cap: 5 cards. Over? Drop one to discard. Pass left.

Beating a Grump

Each Grump shows its weakness up top โ€” one color, or two. Match it. Three flavors:

Single-color ยท Stubborn

๐Ÿง˜

One Squad card. Exact color match. Nothing else.

2 Grumps
Grumpy Gator ยท Grade Reaper

Two-color ยท Either works

๐Ÿ‘Ÿ๐Ÿง˜

One Squad card. Either color works.

5 Grumps
Couch Potato ยท Soda Slurper ยท Screen Spiral ยท Worry Worm ยท Popcorn Punk

Two-color ยท Howl badge Boss

๐Ÿฅ•AND๐Ÿ‘Ÿ

Two Squad cards. Same turn. One of each color. These Grumps wear the Howl Howl badge.

3 Grumps
Sugar Slime ยท Lazoid ยท Distraction Djinn

Played Squad cards โ†’ discard. Beaten Grump โ†’ Trophy in front of you. Anyone can beat Zone Grumps on any turn โ€” leftovers count. 4 trophies wins.

Grumpy Gator โ€” single-color weakness Mind only Grumpy Gator ยท Mind only Soda Slurper โ€” two-color either-works Food or Move Soda Slurper ยท Food OR Move Sugar Slime โ€” Boss Grump with Howl badge requiring Food AND Move Sugar Slime ยท Boss

When a Grump appears

Drama beat. You drew a Grump. Slam it down in the Zone. Now everyone goes:

Slap & yell NOOOO!

Everyone races to slap the Grump and shout "NOOOO!"

Fastest slapper earns a Peek: look at the top 2 Draw Deck cards and rearrange them.

Tied? Clockwise-closer to the active player wins.

False slap (no Grump, or slapping a Squad card): drop 1 card. Flinching counts.

Howl badge โ€” appears in the corner of 3 Boss Grumps

Plus: if it's a Boss Grump โ†’ Howl!

Three of the ten Grumps wear a Howl Howl badge: Sugar Slime, Lazoid, Distraction Djinn.

When one of them flips up: NOOOO Race happens as normal, AND every leftover Grump in the Zone gets shuffled back into the top of the Draw Deck (top 8 cards). The threats you ignored are coming back at you.

Trophies you already grabbed stay yours. Only Zone Grumps reshuffle.

Example: Two Grumps in the Zone. Sugar Slime flips up. NOOOO. Howl fires โ€” both Zone Grumps reshuffle into the top 8. Sugar Slime stays.

โšก Bonus actions

Muscle Mode โ€” Bonus action card with the yellow โšก ribbon

10 Squad cards wear a โšก ribbon. Play one, do the silly thing โ€” flex (Muscle Mode), wiggle hips (Hoop Groove), say something nice to the player on your left (Kind Words). The card still works if you skip the action, but missing the moment is the moment.

Action cards

Tag, You're It action card

Twelve green-bordered cards. Each one prints exactly what it does โ€” read it, do it. Some redirect Grumps (Tag, You're It), some shut them down, some are physical (Jumping Jacks / Squats: 5 reps = beat any Grump).

Variants โ€” two ways to play

Standard is what you just read. Two real variants:

Junior ยท ages 4โ€“6

First-timers ยท short attention spans

Same setup, same goal โ€” easier and faster.

  • Howl is off โ€” Bosses still need two colors, but no reshuffle.
  • No penalty for undefended Grumps and no false-slap drops.
  • Parents may help โ€” point out matches, share cards if needed.
  • Win at 3 trophies instead of 4.
~6 min play Ages 4โ€“6

Solo + Travel mode

One player ยท plane, car, waiting room

Same deck, same setup. Pocket-sized. Works anywhere.

  • No NOOOO race โ€” whisper "noooo" if you must.
  • Howl stays on. Reshuffle still triggers. You vs. the comeback.
  • Penalty stays on: can't beat a Grump โ†’ discard 1.
  • Win: beat 5 Grumps before the Draw Deck runs out.
  • Lose: 3 Grumps stuck in the Zone at once.
~15 min play Solo or with kids

Winning

First to 4 trophies wins. Yell I WIN! and high-five everyone.
If the Draw Deck runs out before anyone hits 4, the game ends and the player with the most trophies wins. Tied on trophies? Whoever has the fewest cards left in hand wins. Still tied? Co-champions โ€” bragging rights split 50/50.
Limited first edition

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Healthy habits become a card game kids ask to play again. Ages 4+. 54 cards. 15 minutes a round.

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