Jack and the Beanstalk

We all know the story of Jack, who got hustled out of a cow for "magic beans" that indeed turned out to have more magic than Jack's surly parents suspected. The beans they tossed out the window grew a stalk that climbed to the sky, and Jack soon climbed that beanstalk to find out what might be found among the clouds (and to escape further punishment from his lame close-minded parents).

In the card game Jack and the Beanstalk, players collectively build three beanstalks that will reach for the sky. At the start of the game, three differently-colored root cards showing five potential stalks are placed on the table and each player receives three cards in hand. Each card has a value, with difficult-to-play cards having a higher value.

On a turn, a player must play one card to extend the beanstalk of the proper color, if possible; the stalks on the card being played must line up with at least one existing stalk. Whether the player can play a card or not, she ends her turn by drawing a card.

The card deck includes stalk cards with icons that give the player a special action – forcing the next player to skip his turn or use a particular color, taking an extra turn, swapping cards with opponents, and landing a golden hen on top of the stalk which prohibits its further growth. The deck also includes one axe card that can be used to cut a stalk back to its roots, removing all growth from the game.

The game ends either when all players pass in turn (being unable to play and the deck being empty) or when the 16th card is played on any stalk. In both cases, the player with the lowest sum of cards in hand wins the game.