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Zero Down

Zero Down

1998·Reiner Knizia

2 - 5 players
20 min
Light weight: Learn it in minutes

From BoardGameGeek

How low can you go? In Zero, you want to score as few points as possible, but to do that you need to collect the right cards in hand. The deck consists of 56 cards, with cards numbered 1-8 in seven colors. Each player starts with nine cards in hand, and five, seven or nine cards start face-up on the table depending on the number of players. On a turn, you either knock on the table to pass or you swap one card in hand for one card on the table. After the second knock, whether from the same player or a different one, all players other than the second knocker have one final chance to swap, after which they reveal and score their hands. If you have five or more cards of the same color or number in hand, then those cards score 0 points. For each other number you have, no matter how many copies, you score points equal to that card's value. Thus, having one to four 7s in hand is worth 7 points. If, however, you manage to collect both five cards of a color and five cards of a number in hand (with one card fitting in both sets), then you can declare "Zero!" and end the round immediately, with everyone else scoring points as usual. After a number of rounds equal to the number of players, whoever has the lowest score wins!

Zero Down

Watch first

Learn to play

Cat Ass Trophy | Reiner Knizia | Card Game | Outset Media | A great filler game for 2-5 players9:36

Cat Ass Trophy | Reiner Knizia | Card Game | Outset Media | A great filler game for 2-5 players

Fun With Boxes

Fun With Boxes

Review

CGG: Zero Down9:11

CGG: Zero Down

Calvin's got game

Calvin's got game

Which Zero Down video should I watch?

Zero Down has 2 videos from 2 creators: 1 review and 1 how-to-play guide. They date from 2024 to June 2025.

To learn the rules, start with "Cat Ass Trophy | Reiner Knizia | Card Game | Outset Media | A great filler game for 2-5 players" by Fun With Boxes, which runs 10 min.

For an opinion before you buy, start with "CGG: Zero Down" by Calvin's got game.

If you like it, try Ra, Rebirth, The Quest for El Dorado and My City, also by Reiner Knizia.

All videos

Cat Ass Trophy | Reiner Knizia | Card Game | Outset Media | A great filler game for 2-5 playersHow to play9:36

Cat Ass Trophy | Reiner Knizia | Card Game | Outset Media | A great filler game for 2-5 players

Fun With Boxes

Fun With Boxes

CGG: Zero DownReview9:11

CGG: Zero Down

Calvin's got game

Calvin's got game

Creators who cover this

All channels
Calvin's got game
Calvin's got game
1 video of this game
Fun With Boxes
Fun With Boxes
1 video of this game

Games like this

All games

Ra

1999·Reiner Knizia

Videos
124
Creators
84
Mainly reviews

2 - 5 players·45 - 60 min·Medium weight

Rebirth

2024·Reiner Knizia

Videos
93
Creators
70
Some reviews

2 - 4 players·45 - 60 min·Light weight

The Quest for El Dorado

2017·Reiner Knizia

Videos
81
Creators
61
Mainly reviews

2 - 4 players·30 - 60 min·Light weight

My City

2020·Reiner Knizia

Videos
75
Creators
59
Mainly reviews

2 - 4 players·30 min·Medium weight

About Zero Down

From BoardGameGeek:

How low can you go? In Zero, you want to score as few points as possible, but to do that you need to collect the right cards in hand. The deck consists of 56 cards, with cards numbered 1-8 in seven colors. Each player starts with nine cards in hand, and five, seven or nine cards start face-up on the table depending on the number of players. On a turn, you either knock on the table to pass or you swap one card in hand for one card on the table. After the second knock, whether from the same player or a different one, all players other than the second knocker have one final chance to swap, after which they reveal and score their hands. If you have five or more cards of the same color or number in hand, then those cards score 0 points. For each other number you have, no matter how many copies, you score points equal to that card's value. Thus, having one to four 7s in hand is worth 7 points. If, however, you manage to collect both five cards of a color and five cards of a number in hand (with one card fitting in both sets), then you can declare "Zero!" and end the round immediately, with everyone else scoring points as usual. After a number of rounds equal to the number of players, whoever has the lowest score wins!

Designer

Reiner Knizia

Artist

Vincent Burger

Publisher

ASYNCRON games

Categories

Card Game

Mechanics

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