The English tuckbox editionPhoto: Oink Games / Target
Build a stronger hand without rearranging the cardsPhoto: Oink Games / Target
Cards replace the chips in this editionPhoto: Oink Games / Target
Tuckbox packaging and game informationPhoto: Oink Games / Target
Video

Card game

SCOUT

A circus card game where you can never rearrange your hand

2–5players · best with 4-5
15–30 minplaying time
9+recommended age
Learning curve
Easy2 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Luck and skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
Medium
Set-up
About 2 min
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Families who enjoy rummy-style runs and sets and want a fresh twist

Think twice if A bad deal annoys you; the cards you start with matter a lot

How we rate it

Learning curve. The turn is simple, but learning which plays beat which and when to scout takes a game or two; reviewers call it light but not mindless.

Luck & skill. The deal matters a lot, but choosing which way up to hold your hand, when to scout and when to show decides most rounds.

Interaction. You beat other players' shows and take cards from them, and you score when they scout from you.

Set-up. Remove cards for your player count, shuffle, deal everything out and hand each player a Scout & Show card.

Reading. Only numbers on the cards.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

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Is SCOUT right for you?

Great if

  • Families who enjoy rummy-style runs and sets and want a fresh twist
  • Groups of 3 to 5 who want a short game with real decisions
  • Couples, using Oink's separate two-player rules
  • Carrying along on trips; it comes in Oink's small box

Skip it if

  • A bad deal annoys you; the cards you start with matter a lot
  • Your players are younger than about 8
  • You want a game with a strong theme or story

A place on the honours list

Good company to be in.

Recognition from beyond our table.

Spiel des Jahres, 2022 (Nominee)

How SCOUT plays

Set-up: every card shows two different numbers from 1 to 10, one at each end. Shuffle and deal the whole deck: with 5 players use all 45 cards (9 each), with 4 take out the 9/10 card (11 each), and with 3 take out the nine cards that show a 10 (12 each). Everyone takes a Scout & Show card. Before play starts, look at your hand and decide which way up to hold it: you may turn the whole hand upside down once, but you can never change the order of your cards.

  • Time to teach: about 10 minutes.
  • Reading and language: The cards show only numbers. The rules leaflet comes in English, Spanish, German and French, with no Hindi, but the game is easy to explain in any language once one person has read it.

How to play SCOUT card game (official rules, instructions and gameplay) | SPIELREGELN TV x OINK GAME · SPIELREGELN TV

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A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Show

    Play one card, or neighbouring cards from your hand forming a set or a run, that beats the cards on the table; the beaten cards become your points.

  2. 2
    Scout

    Or take a card from either end of the table's cards and slot it anywhere in your hand; its owner gets a point card.

  3. 3
    Combo

    Once per round, use your Scout & Show card to scout a card and then show straight away.

  4. 4
    Win

    Score won cards and Scout cards, minus cards left in hand; after one round per player, the highest total wins.

Read the official rulesSCOUT - How to Play (Oink Games game page) · English
The full explanation: how a game of SCOUT goes

A turn: either Show or Scout. To Show, play one card or several cards that sit next to each other in your hand and form a set (all the same number) or a run (consecutive numbers), and it must beat the cards on the table: more cards win, a set beats a run of the same length, and otherwise the higher numbers win. The cards you beat go face down in front of you as points.

To Scout, take one card from either end of the cards on the table and slip it anywhere into your hand, either way up; the player who played those cards gets a Scout card as a point. Once per round you can use your Scout & Show card to scout a card and then show straight away, which is how big combinations are built.

How you win: a round ends when someone plays their last card, or when everyone else has scouted instead of beating a Show. Score 1 point for each card you won and each Scout card, and lose 1 point for each card still in your hand (the player whose Show could not be beaten loses nothing). Play as many rounds as there are players; the highest total wins.

Two players: Oink's two-player rules take out the 9/10 card and deal 11 each, keeping the other 22 for the second round. Each player gets three Scout cards per round, scouting costs you a Scout card and you keep your turn, there is no Scout & Show, and the game lasts two rounds.

What's in the box

Build a stronger hand without rearranging the cards · Photo: Oink Games / Target
  • 45Number cards
    Two different numbers on each card, one at either end
  • 23Scout cards
    Used instead of the original edition’s Scout chips
  • 5Scout & Show cards
    One per player for the once-per-round combined action
  • 1English instructions
    Tuckbox edition

This is the English tuckbox edition. It replaces the rigid box and chips with a card-based set. Keep a pen and paper handy for scores between rounds; no separate score chips are listed.

Where to buy

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How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

The linked Oink Games tuckbox is an import. We have not identified an India-made edition or an Indian manufacturing partner for this pack.

Before you choose

  • Look for Oink Games as the publisher and SCOUT as the title.
  • The linked tuckbox version contains number cards plus Scout and Scout & Show cards.
  • Check that the listing is the complete game, rather than the separate designer-notes booklet.

What reviewers and players say

SCOUT was nominated for the 2022 Spiel des Jahres, and reviewers describe it as a small box with a big hook: you can never rearrange your hand, so every card you scout and every show you beat matters. The jury and reviewers praise how quickly it teaches and how the short rounds make people want another game, and one reviewer calls it a regular travel companion. The main complaints are the luck of the deal, a circus theme that hardly matters, and three-player games that can feel uneven when one player scouts a lot. Oink's two-player rules turn it into a tense race, according to one reviewer. These reviews and the 2022 award refer to SCOUT’s gameplay and earlier Oink edition, not a separate review or award for the later tuckbox.

What people love

  • Simple rules with a clever twist: you can't rearrange your hand
  • Short rounds that make people ask for another game
  • Only numbers on the cards, so children who know their numbers can join in

Common complaints

  • A strong or weak deal makes a big difference
  • The circus theme is mostly decoration
  • With three players, heavy scouting can make the game feel uneven
Based on 4 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Why consider itThis game

A circus card game where you can never rearrange your hand

A different fit

A quick numbered-card game for 3 to 6 that teaches in minutes

A different fit

Also about runs and sets of numbers, played with tiles

A different fit

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Players2–53–62–42–6
Best with4-54-63-43-5
Play time15–30 min15–20 min20–60 min45–90 min
Age9+8+7+7+
RulesMediumEasyEasyEasy
Indian editionImportedImportedAvailableAvailable
On this pageExplore Trio Explore Rummikub Explore Phase 10

Questions people ask about SCOUT

Can SCOUT be played with two players?

Yes. Oink has separate two-player rules: take out the 9/10 card, deal 11 each and keep the rest for a second round, and give each player three Scout cards. Scouting costs a chip, there is no Scout & Show, and the game lasts two rounds.

Can you rearrange your cards in SCOUT?

No, and that is the heart of the game. After the deal you may turn your whole hand upside down once to use the other numbers, but you can't change the order. Cards you scout can be slipped in anywhere, which is how you build better runs and sets.

What age is SCOUT suitable for?

Oink says 9 and up. Only numbers appear on the cards, and one reviewer's seven-year-old learned it with help, but judging which combinations beat others is easier for older children.

Is SCOUT available in India?

Yes. The Amazon button links to Oink Games’ English tuckbox edition, sold as an import. It uses Scout and Scout & Show cards instead of chips.

How long does a game of SCOUT take?

About 20 minutes. You play as many short rounds as there are players, so a five-player game takes a little longer than a three-player one.

Game facts

Designed by
Kei Kajino
Publisher
Oink Games (Oink Games Inc., Japan)
First published
2021
Players
2–5
Language
No reading – The cards show only numbers. The rules leaflet comes in English, Spanish, German and French, with no Hindi, but the game is easy to explain in any language once one person has read it.
Awards
Spiel des Jahres, 2022 (Nominee)
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.