Piranha – a simple, fast card game for 3 to 6 Players

Set up
•	Each player should have:
	6 'Target Cards' – each with a different named / colored fish on one side.
	3 'Action Cards' – 'Attack', 'Follow' and 'Defend' (with an unsuspecting cow.)
	10 'Life Tokens' – pennies, poker chips or (best case) tiny fish-shaped crackers.
•	Each player chooses one of the target cards to represent him / herself.  Display this card like a name-tag.  No two players should be represented by the same target card.  
•	If there are fewer than 6 players, everyone should set aside any target cards that do not represent one of the players.  These will not be used.
•	Each player should then have a hand of cards that consists of the three Action Cards and the Target Cards that represent the other players.

Play
The game is played in rounds which consist of three phases; a target phase, an action phase and a resolution phase.  Discussion and planning is encouraged prior to the Target Phase and the Action Phase.

2+1+1=4
halved = 
2 damage

1) During the Target Phase, each player secretly selects one of the target cards that represents another player and plays it face-down.  When all players are ready, everyone reveals their target at the same time.

A

D

2 damage

2) The Action Phase is played the same way, only with the Action cards.  Each player secretly selects an action card and plays it face down.  When all are ready, everyone reveals the action cards they have played.

3) The Resolution Phase is where damage is assigned. 
•	
F

F

D

Attacking someone will cause that person to suffer two life points of damage.
•	
A

1 damage
defending
Vs. nothing.

Defending reduces any incoming damage to yourself by half, rounding in favor of the attackers. Defending has no relationship to your target card. You only defend yourself and not anyone following you. If you have played 'Defend' and no-one attacked you, then you suffer one damage.
•	
Example Round
Arrows show the players' targets,
A = Attack, F = Follow, D = Defend

Following someone will cause you to do what that targeted player does;
If your target Attacked someone, you also attack that target, adding 1 extra point damage to his target.  
If your target Defended himself, then following him or her was meaningless.
If your target Followed someone, then you are also following that other target. Long chains can be formed this way behind one player's attack, and a player can end up damaging himself by following someone that attacks him!

To Win:  Be the last player (or one of the last two players) to have any life left.

Credits: This is a redesign of SissyFight created at the Game Design Tutorial of GDC 2007 by Egar Almeida, Andy Ashcraft, James Everett, Dave Williams, Jeremy and Allan.  
Illustrations by Andy Ashcraft.