Dog Hat Donut

Players: 2-6      Time: 5-15 mins

Objective: 

By way of deception, bluff and clever guess work, be the only player remaining with lives left.

Contents:

12 unique cards, each featuring:

A number from 1 to 12

An Animal (one unique animal per card)

A Donut or a blank space

Setup:

Shuffle the deck of 12 cards.

Place the deck face down.

Each player starts with 3 lives (use coins, tokens, or keep count).

Each player draws a card without showing their opponent.

Choose the play style: Number Bluff, Clothing Bluff or Animal Bluff.

You can alternate each round or pick one for the full game.

Gameplay:

1. Make a Statement

The active player whose turn it is must say either:

Number Bluff: A number (any 1–12) 

Clothing Bluff: Whether their animal has Glasses, a Hat or a Bowtie

Animal Bluff: Name an animal, claiming it’s the one on the card in their hand.

(e.g. “It’s the crocodile”)

They can tell the truth or lie, but every statement is claiming that the information they have said is on their card in their hand.

2. The Opponent to their left then Responds

The other player must say:

Number Bluff: Whether the number they have said is Higher, Lower or the same as the card in their hand.

Clothing Bluff: Claim whether the opponent's statement is True or if it’s a Lie.

Animal Bluff: Claim whether the opponent's statement is True or if it’s a Lie.

Then, the card is revealed.

3. Resolve

If the opponent guesses correctly, the player who drew the card loses a life.

If the opponent guesses wrong, they lose a life.

If that is their last life they are out of the game if not the active player discards their card and draws another from the deck. (reshuffle when the deck has run out).

The player to their left then takes a turn.

Donut Round (Final Bluff) (Optional)

When a player is down to 1 life at the start of their turn, they may declare a “Donut Round” at the start of their turn 

How It Works

Make a Statment about their card in hand like so:

“This card has a [nothing/donut].”

The opponent guesses “truth” or “lie.”

If they guess wrong, the bluffing player wins the game immediately, even if they were losing.

If they guess correctly, the bluffing player is out of the game and play continues.

Winning

Last player with lives remaining wins.

Optional Rules:

Open Season: For a more ruthless game anyone can make a response in the resolution phase not just the player to the left.

The Judge: As soon as a player is eliminated they become The Judge. From now on that player always takes part during the resolution phase as well as the player to the left.

Once both responses have been made the active player resolves. The Judge can neither lose lives or win the game. 

Animal Activity: Players have to make the sound or an action of the animal they last played when they reveal their card. If they forget or get the sound wrong they lose a life. No player is allowed to look through the discard deck. 

If a player thinks another person has made the wrong sound they can look through the discards. If they are correct the active player loses a life. If the challenging player is incorrect they lose a life instead.