Renfield

Overview

Renfield is a trick-taking card game for 4-7 players produced by Cheapass Games. Named after the insect-eating character in Dracula, the game is a cross between poker and trick-taking games. Players bid for the right to set suit rankings, then play tricks to win cards. Each won card has a dollar cost that must be paid to the pot and a bug value representing insects “eaten.” The goal is to eat the fewest bugs while still eating at least one, in order to claim the pot.

Components

• 54 Cards in 3 suits (Stones, Tools, Parts), numbered 0-17 per suit
• Poker chips (for dollars/bidding)

Setup

1. Remove the three 0-cards from the deck and set them aside.
2. Shuffle the remaining 51 cards.
3. Each player receives a supply of dollars (poker chips).
4. Each player antes a set amount into the pot.
5. Deal 6 cards to each player.

Turn Structure

Each hand follows this sequence:

1. Bidding Phase: Each player bids a number of dollars. The highest bidder wins the right to set suit rankings.
2. Set Suit Rankings: The winning bidder arranges the three 0-cards in a sequence, indicating which suit ranks highest, middle, and lowest.
3. Trick-Taking Phase: The bidder leads the first trick. Players must follow suit if able. Higher-ranked suits trump lower-ranked suits when unable to follow suit.
4. Resolution: After all tricks are played, count bugs eaten and dollars paid.
5. Pot Distribution: The player who ate the fewest bugs (but at least one) wins the pot.

Actions

• Bid: Wager dollars for the right to set suit rankings. All bid money goes to the pot.
• Lead a Trick: Play the first card of a trick (sets the suit to follow).
• Follow Suit: Play a card matching the led suit. If unable, play any card (higher-ranked suits trump).
• Win a Trick: The highest card (considering suit rank and trumping) wins. The winner takes all cards.
• Pay Dollar Costs: Each card won in a trick has a printed dollar cost; the trick winner must pay that total to the pot.
• Eat Bugs: Each card also has a bug value; the trick winner “eats” that many bugs.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• After all tricks are played, the player who ate the fewest bugs but at least one wins the pot.
• Players who ate zero bugs cannot win the pot.
• The game continues with new hands until a predetermined number of hands are played or a target dollar amount is reached.
• The player with the most dollars at the end of the session wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Zero Bug Rule: You MUST eat at least one bug to be eligible for the pot. Avoiding all tricks means you cannot win.
• Dollar Costs: Winning tricks costs money because you must pay the dollar values on the cards. Winning too many tricks can be very expensive.
• Suit Trumping: When a player cannot follow suit, they play a card from another suit. If that suit outranks the led suit (per the bid winner’s arrangement), it trumps.
• Tied Bug Count: If multiple players tie for fewest bugs (having at least one), the pot is split among them.
• 0-Cards: The three 0-cards are never part of the trick-taking deck; they are only used to indicate suit rankings.

Player Reference

Suit	Examples
Stones	Headstones
Tools	Various tools
Parts	Body parts

Hand Flow: Ante -> Bid for suit ranking -> Arrange 0-cards -> Play tricks -> Pay dollar costs -> Count bugs -> Fewest bugs (min 1) wins pot

Key Tension: Win enough tricks to eat 1+ bug, but as few as possible to minimize cost and bug count