Who doesn't like cloud spotting? In THE NEXT THING, playing stones represent clouds. Players take turns adding them to the board, and try to match the resulting combination to one of the displayed patterns. As a player realizes that one of the patterns is going to be matched soon, they can bet on it. When a pattern is completed, the bets are revealed and those who predicted it first get a reward. The game is over when all 7 stones from the prize pile have been taken or when one of the players runs out of stones. The player with the greatest number of stones wins the game. In THE NEXT THING you will need to use both your social and pattern recognition skills to guess what other players are betting on, and your wits to outsmart them. It is a fun, fast-paced game with a very simple rule set yet surprisingly complex strategies, suitable for both kids and adults. -description from designer