Power Hungry Pets: How to Play & Win

Quick answer

Power Hungry Pets is a vicious card game where you only hold two cards at a time and choose which to play to torment others—the highest card wins, but the trick is knowing when to strike.

How to play and win Power Hungry Pets

1. 1. Deal two cards to each player: Shuffle the deck and give everyone two cards face down. Look at your cards but keep them hidden. Common mistake: peeking at others' cards early—don't; the bluffing element matters later. Check that all players have exactly two cards before starting.
2. 2. Choose which card to keep and which to play: On your turn, select one card to play (the action card) and one to keep (the power card). The action card's text tells you what you do to another player—backstab, steal, or obliterate. The kept card's number stays with you for scoring. Common mistake: always keeping the highest number; sometimes the action card's effect is more valuable than a single point. Read both cards' effects before deciding—the action text is often the real game-changer.
3. 3. Resolve the action card: Follow the text on the action card exactly. For example, if it says 'Steal the highest card from the player to your right,' do that immediately. Common mistake: forgetting to apply the effect before the next player's turn—resolve it right away. Announce the action clearly so everyone knows what happened.
4. 4. Compare remaining cards to find the winner: After all players have taken a turn, everyone reveals their kept card. The player with the highest number (after all steals and obliterations) wins the round. Common mistake: counting cards that were stolen or discarded—only the card in front of you at the end counts. The person left with the highest number wins, not the person who started with it.
5. 5. Play multiple rounds for a full game: Shuffle all cards back into the deck and deal two new cards to each player. Play until someone wins a set number of rounds (e.g., first to 3 wins). Common mistake: losing track of round scores—use a notepad or a simple tally. Agree on the winning condition before the first round.

Product facts

• Power Hungry Pets: Every card has a number and a way to torment other players. The higher the number, the more vicious the card. This means you must balance raw power (high numbers) with the special torment effects, because a low card with a nasty ability can be more valuable than a high one.