How to play
Everyone starts with four tiles: three fish and one old boot. At the start of each round, everyone puts one tile face down in front of them to start a pile.
Then, in turn, each player either adds another tile to their pile or makes a bid: the number of fish they think they can turn over without finding a boot. Once someone has bid, nobody can add tiles. Each player in turn raises the bid or passes, and passing is for the rest of the round.
The last player bidding turns tiles over. Their own pile comes first, all of it. Then they pick tiles off the top of anyone else’s pile until they reach their number. All fish: that’s a catch, and two catches win. Find a boot and they lose one of their tiles for good, picked at random. Lose all four and you’re out; the last player left wins too.
Tips
Your boot is a trap. Put it on your pile and bid high to scare people off, or to tempt them into your pile. But careful: if you win the bid, you have to turn your own pile over first. When turning over, the short piles of people who bid high themselves are usually the safest.
Playing together
Seat three to six players in any mix of people and computer players. On one device, pass it round so each person sees only their own tiles. In Play online (when it’s available) everyone plays on their own phone, and which tile someone loses stays secret.