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How to play
2-8 Player game
Objective
To get rid of all of your cards by playing matching cards into the play pile. The first player to get rid of all the cards in their hand and draw pile is the winner.
Set up
Twist open the top half anti-clockwise and the bottom half clockwise until no longer possible.
Pull the top half away from the bottom half.
Open the pear as shown and remove the cards.
Place the pear on a hard surface within equal distance from all players.
Shuffle the cards and deal the following number of cards to each player, which is split between their hand (all cards face up), and their own draw pile (face down).
2 players: 18 cards, 6 in their hand (maximum), 12 in their draw pile
3-4 players: 15 cards, 5 in their hand (maximum), 10 in their draw pile
5-6 players: 12 cards, 4 in their hand (maximum), 8 in their draw pile
7-8 players: 9 cards, 3 in their hand (maximum), 6 in their draw pile
Hand
DRAW pile
pears rock faster on different surfaces, so tilt the pear less to get a more intense game!
how to play
One player starts by wobbling the pear timer, tilting it to one side and letting go, so it rocks from side to side.
Change how far you tilt the pear when you start rocking to vary the length of each round!
The amount of time the pear rocks for will also depend on your table’s surface.
They take a draw card from their draw pile and place it face up in the center to create a play pile.
Whilst the pear is rocking, all players must try and match their cards with the card showing face up on the play pile, by either colour, item or number.
There is no turn order, so try to be quick! Anyone can call out and place a matching card from their hand onto the play pile, and anyone can play multiple cards in a row. For example, if the top play pile card shows avocados and a player has an avocado card in their hand, they would say “avocados!” and place their card on top of the play pile.
Player shouts “avocados!” and places their card on top of the play pile.
Once the card has been placed, the following match must be different to the previous match. For example, if ‘avocados’ is called and played, the following card can only match by color (e.g. blue) or number (e.g. five).
play pile
hand
If a player can’t play a card, they can take extra cards from their draw pile and add them into their hand, as long as they don’t exceed the maximum in their hand. If they have the maximum number of cards in their hand and still can’t play, they can swap one card from their hand with another card from their draw pile, one by one, until they can play.
Pear Shaped!
If a player matches identical cards, they, or any other player who is first to identify the identical cards, shout “Pear Shaped!” instead of color, item or number.
Player shouts “pearshaped!” and places their card on top of the play pile.
When someone calls “Pear Shaped!”, all players try to grab the rocking pear.
Whoever successfully grabs the pear shuffles the play pile and roughly divides the cards equally between all the other players, starting with the player on their left.
The player then starts the timer and takes a card from their draw pile to create a new play pile.
time out
If the pear stops rocking at any time, all players point at the pear and stand up wobbling from side to side ‘Doing the Shakes Pear’. The player that’s last to point at the pear collects all of the cards in the play pile.
However, if at any time during the game, anyone points at the pear while it’s rocking by mistake, they collect all of the cards from the play pile.
winner
Once a player gets rid of all of their cards from their hand and draw pile, they grab the Pear and ‘Do the Shakes Pear’, rocking side to side in triumph!
mistakes
If a player makes a mistake like calling out the same match twice in a row or playing a card that doesn’t match the previous card, they take the wrong card back and play continues.
younger players
For a simpler version of the game, the Time Out rule can be removed. This, and the one player game, are useful for practice.
1 player game
objective
To get rid of all your cards by playing matching cards into the play pile before the pear timer stops rocking.
how to play
Shuffle the cards, place them in the center to create a draw pile and take 8 cards from the draw pile.
Start by wobbling the timer, tilting it to one side and letting go so it rocks from side to side.
Take another card from the draw pile and place it face up in the center to create a play pile.
Turn over the 8 cards in your hand so they are face up and try to match the card on the play pile by either color, number or item.
The following match must be different to the previous match. So if ‘three’ is called and played, the following card can only match by item or color.
If you can’t play, you can take extra cards from your draw pile and add them into your hand, there is no maximum number of cards you can have in your hand.
Pear Shaped!
If at any time you play two identical cards one after the other, or if you only have two identical cards left in your hand, it’s ‘gone Pear Shaped’ and the game is over.
time out
If the pear stops rocking before you’ve played all of the cards in your hand onto the play pile, the game is over.
winning the game
If you place all of your cards onto the play pile before the timer stops rocking, grab the Pear. You win the game! ‘Do the Shakes Pear’ and rock side to side in triumph!
How about starting with more cards in your hand (e.g. 10, 12 or more)? What’s the maximum you can play before time runs out?