52 cards, 17 sets of three plus the Noah card. A player offers his face down hand to the player on his left. Now that player may lay down a set, if he has one. A set comprises of three cards, Mr Hippo, Mrs Hippo and Baby Hippo, for example, and once played that family is said to have boarded the Ark. However the player might choose to lay down only two cards (which must be the mother and father) and place them into the Ark without their Baby. The Baby is now unable to join his parents in the Ark. The player holding the Noah card may 'drown' babies in his hand if the parents have entered the Ark. Drowned babies are kept in front of the player who drowned them as they score bonus points at the end. The Noah card might move to several players during the game as part of the random draw from each player each turn. So different players might get the chance to drown the babies. The game ends when all the parents have entered the Ark. Each card has a points value once placed in the Ark. Drowned babies score 5 points for each one you have in front of you. Undrowned babies in your hand at the end score -10 points which is added to the player who holds Noah at the end.