Waterworks is a

card game A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games (such as poker). A small number of card ...

created by

Parker Brothers Parker Brothers (known by Parker outside of North America) was an American toy and game manufacturer which in 1991 became a brand of Hasbro. More than 1,800 games were published under the Parker Brothers name since 1883. Among its products wer ...

in 1972, named for the space Water Works in the game ''

Monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...

''. The game pieces consist of: a deck of 110

pipe Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to: Objects * Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules ** Piping, the use of pipes in industry * Smoking pipe ** Tobacco pipe * Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circula ...

cards, a bathtub-shaped card tray, and 10 small metal

wrench A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning. In the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealan ...

es. The object is for each player to create a pipeline of a designated length that begins with a

valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...

and ends with a spout. Players race to be the first to complete a continuous, leak-free pipeline that connects their valve card to their spout card, while opposing players try to give them leaks that must be fixed.

Gameplay

Players begin with a hand of five pipe cards and two wrenches. Cards used in play are

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

pipe cards,

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

pipe cards (invulnerable to leaks), and lead pipe cards that are already leaky. The valve card is placed on the table to begin a player's pipeline. The spout card is set aside until it is used by a player who has completed their pipeline, and then immediately the player ends the game by placing the spout aimed down toward the player. A number of different pipe shapes (L-bends, T-pipes, straight, etc.) are represented in the game. Leaky pipes can only be added to the end or over the last piece of another player's pipeline, and players cannot add to their pipeline until leaks are repaired. Leaks are repaired by either placing an intact pipe of the same shape over the leak or placing a wrench on the leak card. Repaired pipes cannot leak again. Play proceeds clockwise and new cards are drawn after cards are played. Players always have the option of exchanging a single card rather than playing a card.

Cards required to win

The minimum length of the pipeline required to win varies by the number of players, as follows:

Other rules

* Each player can do ''one'' of the following items: (1) place a "good" pipe card on your pipeline, (2) place a metal wrench on a leaky pipe in his or her own pipeline, (3) place a "leaky" pipe card on another player's pipeline, or (4) discard a card face up in the "discard" pile. * When a wrench is played to fix a leaky pipe, that wrench can never be moved and this constitutes a complete turn. The player does not pick up or discard a card. * When a player's turn ends he or she should pick a card (unless a wrench was played) and always have five cards in hand. * Cards are always played vertically. No card can be played such that it is oriented 90 degrees, or "sideways," compared to the rest of the pipeline. * No play is allowed which would create more than one leak on a player's pipeline at one time.

Reissued edition

Winning Moves Games has reissued the game as ''Waterworks Classic''.

Reception

Games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

'' magazine included ''Waterworks'' in their "Top 100 Games of 1980", praising it as "a hilarious way to spend 20 minutes". ''

'' magazine included ''Waterworks'' in their "Top 100 Games of 1981", praising it as an "interesting card game".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waterworks (Card Game) Card games introduced in 1972 Dedicated deck card games Parker Brothers games Winning Moves games