Ride the Fire

Game Overview

Ride the Fire combines the guessing rounds of Ride the Bus with the card-based drinking rules of Ring of Fire. Players make guesses about their cards, then compete to match cards in a central pyramid. The twist is that the deck includes both Jokers, which act as wild cards.

What You Need

• A standard deck of playing cards.
• Both Jokers included in the deck.
• A flat surface for laying out the pyramid.
• Drinks of your choice.

Setup

1. Shuffle the deck, including both Jokers.
2. Deal each player four cards face down. Players keep their cards hidden from everyone else.
3. Lay out a pyramid of 15 cards face down, arranged in five rows: one card on top, then two, three, four, and five cards on the bottom.
4. Keep the remaining cards as the draw deck for the guessing rounds.
5. Before starting, agree on the Ring of Fire card rules and how many drinks each pyramid tier is worth.

Part 1: The Guessing Rounds

Players work through four guessing rounds using their four face-down cards. Reveal one card per round and make the required guess, following the rules for that round. Each revealed card also activates its corresponding Ring of Fire card value rule, so the player must resolve that rule in addition to the guessing round's outcome.

1. Red or Black?

Guess whether your first card will be red or black. A correct guess wins the round; a wrong guess means you take the agreed penalty.

2. Higher or Lower?

Guess whether your second card will have a higher or lower value than your first. Aces are high unless your group agrees otherwise. Matching values count as a loss unless your group sets a different rule.

3. Inside or Outside?

Guess whether your third card's value will fall between the first two cards or outside their values. Matching either boundary counts as a loss unless your group agrees otherwise.

4. Guess the Suit

Guess whether your fourth card will be hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades. Correct guesses win; incorrect guesses take the agreed penalty.

For example, if your first card is a Joker, you could declare it to be a King and then guess that your next card will be lower. Once declared for that comparison, the chosen value determines the outcome.

Part 2: The Pyramid

After the guessing rounds, reveal the pyramid one card at a time. Players check their remaining hand cards for a match with the revealed card's value.

1. Start with the bottom row and work upward, or use another order if everyone agrees before the game begins.
2. When a pyramid card is revealed, anyone holding a card of the same value may play it if they choose.
3. The first player to place a matching card at that tier gets to carry out the Ring of Fire rule associated with the revealed card.
4. If multiple players want to play at once, agree on a simple way to determine who placed their card first.
5. The number of drinks assigned to a pyramid tier follows your group's agreed tier values. Higher tiers can carry larger penalties. For our games, we usually do 2 drinks, then 4, 6, 8, and finally 16 drinks for the final card at the top of the pyramid.

Using Ring of Fire Rules

The revealed pyramid card determines which Ring of Fire rule applies. The first player to match it may choose to fulfill that card's rule at that tier.

Use your group's established Ring of Fire card rules to determine what each value does. If your group has customized a card's effect, use the agreed-upon version.

The Joker Rules

During the Guessing Rounds

• A Joker revealed as the answer to a guess automatically makes that guess correct.
• If you hold a Joker when guessing higher/lower or inside/outside, you may assign it any value you choose for that comparison.
• Choose the value before making your guess. The Joker's declared value determines the comparison.

During the Pyramid

• A Joker in your hand may represent any card value when matching a revealed pyramid card.
• Joker revealed + Joker matched: If a Joker is revealed in the pyramid and a player matches it with their Joker, that player gets to give out a shot.
• Joker used as another value: If a player uses their Joker to match a non-Joker pyramid card, it counts as double that normal tier's penalty instead, so on the 8-sip tier of the pyramid, using a joker would allow you to give out 16 sips.

Part 3: Ride the Bus Alone

After the pyramid is complete, the player left with the most cards in their hand must ride the bus alone. This is the final challenge of the game and follows the same rules as the standard Ride the Bus game.

Follow the standard Ride the Bus rules for the final challenge. The player must complete the challenge according to those rules, taking the agreed penalty whenever they guess incorrectly.

Alternate Rules

Traditional Deal

Deal all four cards to each player face down at the beginning. Players reveal them one at a time as they progress through the four guessing rounds.

Alternate Deal

Instead of dealing all four cards immediately, deal each card as its guessing round begins. This keeps future cards unknown until each guess is made.

Both versions use the same Joker rules and pyramid rules. Decide which deal to use before starting.

Orchard House Rules

• Both Jokers stay in the deck for the entire game.
• A Joker can represent any value when used for a comparison or pyramid match.
• The first player to place a matching card on a pyramid card gets to fulfill its Ring of Fire rule, if they choose.
• When a Joker in the pyramid is matched with a player's Joker, the matching player gets to give out a shot.
• Agree on pyramid drink amounts and any modified card rules before play begins.

Play Responsibly

Drinking is optional. You can use water, soda, or other nonalcoholic drinks, and anyone can skip a penalty without pressure. Never drive after drinking, and stop if anyone feels unwell.