THE Next big thing is here.

Gumball™ is a strategic word card game where every turn can change the game. Spell words, play action cards, and trigger powerful bonuses as you race to empty your hand!

INSTRUCTIONS

GAME DETAILS

Age: 8+ | Players: 2-6 | Time: 15-20 minutes

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

112 cards total, including:

  1. 100 Letter Cards across 5 colors: Blue, Red, Orange, Green, and Yellow.

  2. 6 Wildcards that can represent any letter and any color.

  3. 6 Give and Take Cards in three strengths: 2 one-for-one, 2 two-for-two, 2 three-for-three

OBJECT

Be the first player to either:

  1. Empty your hand by playing a valid, minimum 3-letter word, or

  2. Spell “GUMBALL” on your turn. 

SET UP

  1. Shuffle the deck thoroughly and deal 10 cards face-down to each player. Keep your cards hidden from opponents.

  2. Place the remaining deck face-down in the center of the table to form the Draw Pile. 

  3. Leave space next to it for a face-up Discard Pile.

  4. The player to the left of the dealer goes first. Play moves clockwise.

LET’s PLAY GUMBALL!

Start your turn by drawing 1 card.

Then, take 1 of 3 actions:

1. Play a valid word (minimum 3 letters)

  • Place a valid English word face-up in front of you.

  • Valid Gumball Word Rules:

    • Words must be at least 3 letters long.

    • Words must be standard English words or recognizable proper nouns.

    • Proper nouns can include places, brands, teams, titles, and characters.

    • Individual people’s names are not allowed, especially the names of those playing.

    • No acronyms, prefixes, suffixes, abbreviations, slang, curse words, sound effects, or non-English words.

    • No guessing words. If you do not know whether it is a real word, you cannot play it.

    • You cannot look up, test, or verify a word before playing it.

  • If a word is disputed, players may use any valid dictionary to confirm whether the word is playable.

  • If you play a misspelled or invalid word, you must take the word back and draw 1 penalty card, ending your turn.

  • Words may include 1 or more Wildcards.

  • Always check to see if your word triggers a Color Bonus (explained below).

2. Draw a card (if you do not play a word)

  • If you cannot or choose not to play a word, draw 1 additional card. Your turn then ends.

3. Give and Take (if you have a matching card in your hand)

  • Play a “Give and Take” card face-up into the Discard Pile. “Give and Take” cards come in three strengths (the number on the card tells you how many cards are exchanged in each direction):

    • 1-for-1: Blindly pull 1 card from your target opponent's hand. Hand them 1 card from your own hand in return.

    • 2-for-2: Blindly pull 2 cards from your target opponent's hand. Hand them 2 cards from your own hand in return.

    • 3-for-3: Blindly pull 3 cards from your target opponent's hand. Hand them 3 cards from your own hand in return.

  • You can only play a Give & Take card if you have enough other cards to give. For example, to play Give & Take 3, you must have at least 3 other cards in your hand.

  • In all cases:

    • Announce your target opponent before pulling any cards.

    • Pulls are always blind. You may not look at the cards before choosing.

    • Hand sizes always remain exactly the same after a Trade.

COLOR BOOSTS

Pay close attention to the colors of the letters you use. Spelling words with specific color combinations triggers penalties for your opponents.

  • One-Color Word: If you spell a word of 3 or more letters using entirely one color, every other player at the table must immediately draw 1 penalty cards from the Draw Pile.

  • Five-Color Word: If you spell a word of 5 or more letters using all 5 colors (Blue, Red, Orange, Green, and Yellow), every other player at the table must immediately draw 2 penalty cards from the Draw Pile.

WINNING

There are two ways to win:

  • Play GUMBALL: If at any point on your turn you can spell the word GUMBALL using cards from your hand, you may play it and immediately declare victory, regardless of how many or what cards you have remaining and regardless of the colors used. Wildcards may be used to substitute for any missing letters.

  • Empty Your Hand: Play a valid word of at least 3 letters using all remaining cards in your hand. The moment your hand reaches zero, you win.

  • Note: A winning hand cannot include “Give and Take” cards (unless you win by spelling “GUMBALL”), so be strategic and play them as you go!

LOW CARD COUNTS

If you finish your turn with fewer than 3 letter cards (needed to play a valid word), your next turn is used to recover back to the minimum hand size.

  • If you have 2 cards, draw 1 at the start of your next turn to return to 3, then continue your turn as normal.

  • If you have 1 card, draw 1 at the start of your next turn (bringing you to 2), but since you still cannot form a valid word, you must draw 1 more card. Your turn ends, and you begin your following turn with 3 cards.

FOR COLORBLIND PLAYERS

Special graphic symbols have been added to each card to help identify the color(s) on that card. This will allow players with ANY form of color blindness to easily play!

Blue

Orange

Green

Red

Yellow

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Gumball is a fast, strategic word card game where players race to empty their hands by spelling words, using action cards, and triggering bonus effects.

  • Most games take about 10 to 15 minutes, making Gumball™ easy to bring out for a quick round or multiple back-to-back games.

  • Gumball™ is designed for ages 8 and up. The rules are easy to learn, but the gameplay stays fun and competitive for teens and adults too.

  • Gumball™ is currently in early access signup. Join the list now, and you’ll be among the first to hear when the first copies are available.

  • Early access means you’re signing up to show interest before the official launch. You’ll receive updates and a priority opportunity to purchase Gumball before the wider public release.

  • No. Joining early access is free. Just enter your information to get launch updates and be among the first to know when Gumball™ becomes available.