Multi-layer team tic-tac-toe with cards! With 4 ways to score you'll need all your Wit & Whiskers to come out on top of this dog pile. The game starts by first splitting players into two teams, this should be done using alternating seat positions going around the play area so no two teammates are sitting next to eachother. The game cards are shuffled and 4 are dealt to each player to form their hands. Play starts with the player who most recently pet an animal. The objective of the game is to be the first team to score a total of 15 cards. Cards are scored whenever a scoring pattern, called a Whisker, is formed in the 3 by 3 play area. The player who played the final card to form the Whisker scores all cards used to create that Whisker. There are 4 types of Whiskers: same animal in line of 3, same weapon in line of 3, total 10 in square of 4, or same color in solid area of 5. Players take turns going clockwise around the table, playing one card into the 3 by 3 play area, and then drawing a card from the deck. Players can play their card into any empty space or on top of a card with a different background (e.g. play a day-time card on top of a night-time card). Stacking cards can be strategic, but is also a risk as creatings Whiskers will score the entire pile of cards! -description from designer