Go Fish
Collect books: all four cards of one rank. Ask the computer players for the cards you need, and when they say “Go fish”, draw from the pond.
How to play Go Fish
How to play
On your turn, tap a card in your hand to ask for its rank, then tap the player you want to ask. You may only ask for a rank you already hold. If they have any, they hand over all of them and you ask again. If not, they say “Go fish” and you draw a card from the pond. If it is the rank you asked for, you go again; otherwise the turn passes.
Books and the end
Four cards of the same rank make a book, which is laid down straight away. If your hand runs out, you draw five new cards from the pond, or all that are left. The game ends when all 13 books are down, and the player with the most books wins. Equal most is a draw.
Players and levels
Choose two, three or four players before your first ask: seven cards each with two players, five each with more. Easy computer players forget everything, Medium ones remember the last few rounds, and Hard ones remember every ask and answer since the deal. The daily game deals everyone the same cards, against two Medium computer players.
Controls
With one opponent, a click on a card asks straight away; on a touch screen, tap a card to lift it and tap it again. With a keyboard, use the arrow keys and Enter to choose a rank, then the arrow keys and Enter (or 1, 2 or 3) to choose who to ask, and Enter to fish.
Questions
How do you play Go Fish?
Each player tries to collect books, sets of all four cards of one rank. On your turn you ask another player for a rank you already hold. If they have it, they give you every card of that rank and you ask again; if not, they say “Go fish” and you draw from the pond.
What is a book in Go Fish?
A book is all four cards of one rank, such as four 7s. You lay it down as soon as you have it, even straight from the deal. A deck holds 13 books, so with two players there is always a winner, while with three or four players a draw is possible.
How many cards does each player get in Go Fish?
Seven each with two players and five each with three or four. The rest of the deck becomes the pond to fish from. If your hand runs out during the game, you take five new cards from the pond.
Is there a strategy to Go Fish?
Yes: remember what the others ask for. A player may only ask for a rank they hold, so if Robin asked for 9s and hasn't handed any over since, Robin still has at least one. Hard computer players remember every ask like this, and the Hint button points out the same clues. Nobody sees your cards: the computers know only their own hands and what was said at the table.
Is there a daily Go Fish game?
Yes. Every day everyone gets the same deal against two Medium computer players, and the computers answer the same moves with the same choices. A daily won on the day counts towards your streak on My desk.