How to play: Le jeu des sept familles

Le Jeu des 7 Familles: Rule Set and Historical Overview

Historical Overview:

Le Jeu des 7 Familles is a classic French card game that originated in the mid-19th century. The earliest known commercial version appeared around 1851, created by the French printer and game publisher Jean-Louis Godard. The game was introduced at the Great Exhibition in London (1851), where it was presented as an educational family pastime designed to teach children social roles, vocabulary, and polite conversational formulas.

The structure of the game reflects 19th-century French family ideals. Each family traditionally includes six members representing a complete household:

• The Father
  
  
• The Mother
  
  
• The Son
  
  
• The Daughter
  
  
• The Grandfather
  
  
• The Grandmother

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the game had become a staple in French homes, schools, and holiday gatherings. Its format profoundly influenced later children’s card games, including modern versions of Go Fish in the English-speaking world. Today, Le Jeu des 7 Familles remains widely played in France. Contemporary decks maintain the original structure but may modernize the families to reflect contemporary society.

1. Components of the Game

A standard Jeu des 7 Familles deck consists of 42 cards divided amongst 3-6 players (4 ideal). There are 7 distinct families that hold 6 cards per family.
Each family is visually themed and includes six roles: father, mother, son, daughter, grandfather, and grandmother. All labeled. The goal is to collect the greatest number of complete families. A family is complete, when a player holds all six cards of that family.The player with the most completed families at the end of the game wins!

2. Setup

1. Shuffle all 42 cards thoroughly.
   
   
2. Deal six cards to each player.
   
   
3. Place the remaining deck face-down to form a draw pile.
   
   
4. Players examine their cards but keep them hidden from others.

3. Structure of a Turn

a.) Choosing a Player: On your turn, you select another player from whom to request a card. When asking for a specific card you must say the role and title and only from a family in which you already possess at least one card.

This rule prevents random guessing and introduces memory and deduction into the game.

b.) If the Requested Player Has the Card: They must give it to you without refusing. You may continue your turn and ask for another card, either from the same player or a different one. Your turn only ends when a player does not have the card you request.

c.) If the Player Does Not Have the Card: Your turn ends immediately. You draw one card from the draw pile. And play proceeds to the next player clockwise.

4. Completing a Family

When you obtain all six cards of a family: Announce the completed family. Then, place all six cards face-up in front of you. Completed families remain visible for the remainder of the game.

5. Ending the Game

The game ends when all families have been completed, or the draw pile is empty and no further requests can be made. Each player counts the number of completed families they have collected. The player with the most completed families is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, multiple winners may be recognized.

Your turn to play!