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Slay the Spire: The Board Game
- 1–4 players
- 30–150 min
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- 2024
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- BGG #20,016
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Zar
1981
Rules assistance for Zar
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 30 min
- 6+
- Complexity 1.8/5
Rules assistant for Zar
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zar is a board game released in 1981 for 2–8 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Lynn Dalton.
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About the game
First there was UNO. Well, first there was Crazy Eights, but never mind. Then came Zar which added even more viciousness. The "draw two" card in Zar is a colored Wasp. The trick is, if you play a Wasp in response to being zapped by a wasp, then the opponent to your left must draw 2 cards equal to the numbers of wasp cards in the stack, unless your opponent plays a wasp which would make the next player draw even more cards unless HE also played a wasp, etc. It's not uncommon for players to quickly draw huge handfuls of cards. There is a nice balancing mechanism however. If you can match an identical card that someone just played you can "match" the player by quickly discarding the card. The player who played the original card must draw one card and play passes to the next player from the person who laid the Match. So the more cards you have in your hand, the more matches you can make to get rid of them. Zar has a faster pace than UNO and constantly keeps you on toes to match your opponent's cards. This increases player interaction, excitement, and much more chaos. If even Zar becomes too tame for you check out The Totally Insane Card Game.
Questions and answers
Zar supports 2–8 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Zar is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Zar for ages 6 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Zar has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Zar belongs to these categories: Card Game. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Zar and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Zar are: Lynn Dalton. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Zar as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.