The Elevator is a trick-taking card game where you must announce exactly how many tricks you're going to win — no more, no less — while the number of cards dealt goes up and then back down each round. One standard 52-card deck, 3 to 7 friends around the table, and you're in for a game that lasts between 30 and 60 minutes depending on how much you're bluffing. Also known as Rikiki, Grimpette, or Galouze depending on where you're from, the Elevator is one of those games that takes two minutes to explain but creates absolute tension by round three. Here's everything you need to know to get a game going tonight.
- What you need to play Elevator
- The goal: announce right, not win the most
- Elevator rules step by step
- How to score in Elevator
- House rules to spice things up
- Who's Elevator for?
- Time to play
- FAQ
? What You Need to Play Elevator
Good news: Elevator doesn't need much. No board, no dice, no figurines. Just what you need to play anywhere, anytime.
The basics
- One standard 52-card deck (no jokers)
- A pencil and paper to keep score each round
- 3 to 7 players — the sweet spot is 4 to 6 for well-paced games
Adjust the number of cards based on player count
Here's the key: the maximum number of cards dealt to each player depends on how many people are playing. With 4 players, you can go up to 13 cards each (52 ÷ 4 = 13). With more players, you need to remove some cards so the numbers work out. Here's the breakdown:
| Number of players | Cards to remove | Max rounds (going up) | Total rounds (up + down) | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 players | Remove one 2 (51 cards) | 17 rounds | 33 rounds | ~60 min |
| 4 players | Nothing to remove | 13 rounds | 25 rounds | ~45 min |
| 5 players | Remove two 2s (50 cards) | 10 rounds | 19 rounds | ~40 min |
| 6 players | Remove all four 2s (48 cards) | 8 rounds | 15 rounds | ~35 min |
| 7 players | Remove all four 2s + two 3s (46 cards) | 6 rounds | 11 rounds | ~30 min |
Note: "going up" means the rounds where card count increases (1, 2, 3…). "Going down" reverses back to 1 card. The max round is only played once.
Set up your scoresheet
On your paper, draw one column per player and one row per round. Each round, write down what each player announced, then their actual result. It's simple, but if you forget to write down the announcements before playing, it always ends in an argument. Spoiler: someone will have "forgotten" what they said.
? The Goal: Announce Right, Not Win the Most
This is where Elevator stands out from most trick-taking games. In games like Hearts or Spades, the goal is usually to win as many tricks as possible. Here, it's the opposite: what matters is accuracy, not quantity.
Before each round, every player announces how many tricks they think they'll win with their cards. If you announce 2 and you take 2 → perfect, you score points. If you take 3 or 1 → you lose points. Even if you took more than planned, you still lose. That's what makes the game as stressful as it is satisfying.
"I had an ace and a king, I announced 2. My mate played trump on the first trick, I took nothing and lost 2 points. Since then, I always announce 0 when I've got a rubbish hand."
This contract mechanic creates constant tension: you want to take exactly what you announced, no more, no less. And since the other players are trying to do the same, there are moments where you'll deliberately lose a trick you could have won just to stay on target. That's Elevator.
The overall goal of the game is to rack up the most points across all the rounds. Whoever manages their announcements best over time wins.
? Elevator Rules Step by Step
Let's walk through a complete turn, from dealing to scoring. Read this once and you'll be able to explain the game to your mates in two minutes flat.
Step 1 — Dealing the cards
The dealer hands out cards one by one, clockwise. In the first round, each player gets 1 card. In the second round, 2 cards. And so on until the maximum round (see table above). Then you go back down: the round after max, each player gets max-1 cards, then max-2… until you're back to 1 card. That's where the name comes from: the Elevator goes up, then it comes down.
The dealer role rotates each round, going clockwise.
Step 2 — Reveal the trump card
Once cards are dealt, the dealer flips the next card from the deck face-up in the centre of the table. The suit of this card is the trump suit for the round. Trump cards beat all other suits, regardless of their value.
Important exception: in the round with the maximum number of cards, there's no card left to flip (all cards are dealt). This round is played with no trump. It's often the most unpredictable round of the game!
Step 3 — The announcement phase
Each player looks at their cards and announces out loud how many tricks they think they'll win. Announcements go in order, starting with the player to the dealer's left. The dealer announces last.
And this is where the most important rule of the game kicks in:
The dealer's rule: the dealer can't pick a number that would make the total of all announcements equal the number of tricks available in the round. In other words, at least one player must fail their contract every round. There's no perfect solution for everyone.
Example: in a 4-card round with 4 players, there are 4 tricks to win. If the first three players announce 1, 1, and 1 (total = 3), the dealer can't announce 1 (that would make 4 = number of tricks). They can announce 0 or 2.
Step 4 — Playing the tricks
The player to the dealer's left plays the first card. Other players take turns playing a card from their hand. Standard trick-taking rules apply:
- You must follow the suit led if you have it.
- If you don't have the suit led, you can play any card (trump or another suit).
- The trick is won by the highest trump, or, if no trump is played, by the highest card in the suit led.
- The trick winner plays the first card of the next trick.
Step 5 — End of round and scoring
Once all tricks are played, compare announcements to results. Record scores (see next section), deal cards for the next round, and pass the dealer role to the next player.
? How to Score in Elevator
There are different scoring systems depending on where you're from. The key: agree on the system before the first round. Here are the two most common.
The standard scoring (most common)
- Contract made: you score the number of tricks announced + 1 bonus point. Example: you announce 3, you take 3 → you score 4 points.
- Contract failed: you lose the difference (absolute value) between your announcement and your result. Example: you announce 3, you take 1 → you lose 2 points. You announce 0, you take 2 → you lose 2 points.
- Announce 0 and make it: you score 1 bonus point (some variants give a special 5-point bonus for a "made zero" — decide as a group).
The 10-point scoring (popular variant)
- Contract made: 10 points + 1 point per trick announced. Example: you announce 3, you take 3 → 13 points.
- Contract failed: 0 points, minus the difference. Example: you announce 3, you take 1 → -2 points.
This 10-point system rewards made contracts more and makes scores easier to read on the sheet. It's often the favourite for groups playing for the first time.
Scoresheet tips
Always write the announcement in brackets right next to the round score. That stops the "but I said 2, not 3!" arguments at the end. And if you want to speed things up, pick a "scorekeeper" to write for everyone while the others play.
? House Rules to Spice Things Up
Basic Elevator is already pretty fun. But if you want to turn up the heat or mix things up with mates who already know the game, here are some variants that really change the dynamic.
Simultaneous announcement (the fingers)
Instead of announcing in turn (which gives an advantage to those who hear others' announcements), everyone announces at the same time. How? Everyone makes a fist, and on the signal, everyone holds up the number of fingers matching their announcement. Zero = closed fist. This variant removes the dealer's information advantage and makes announcements way riskier and funnier.
Card on your forehead (1-card round)
This is the most famous and most hilarious variant. On 1-card rounds (the first and last), instead of looking at your card, you put it on your forehead facing outward. You see everyone else's cards except your own. You have to announce 0 or 1 trick based only on what you see from the others. Result: completely random announcements and guaranteed laughs.
No-trump round
Some groups play every round with no trump, or decide certain specific rounds (like odd-numbered ones) have no trump. It completely changes the strategy: without trump, aces and kings get their full value back, and small cards become basically useless.
Drinking variant ?
The party version of Elevator: if you fail your contract, you take a sip for each point of difference between your announcement and your result. Example: you announce 3, you take 1 → 2 sips. Simple, effective, and it really motivates you to announce right. Obviously, this variant works just as well with soft drinks, juice, or soda — the pressure of the contract is the same no matter what's in your glass. For 18+, drink responsibly.
Wild Joker
Some versions bring a joker back into the deck. The joker beats every card, including the highest trump. But if you play the joker, you have to follow the suit led (you pick which suit). That adds an extra bluffing element and can completely flip a round.
? Who's Elevator For?
Elevator isn't for everyone in the sense that it needs a bit of focus and memory. But it's still very accessible. Here are the people who'll really love it.
Trick-taking game fans
If you love Hearts, Spades, or Whist, Elevator will speak to you straight away. The trick-taking mechanic is the same, but the constraint of announcing exactly adds a strategic layer these games don't always have. It's a great intro game to get people into trick-taking without drowning them in complex rules.
Groups who want strategy without the headache
Elevator is the sweet spot between pure luck (like Crazy Eights) and ultra-strategic (like Bridge). You have to think, but a game doesn't take three hours and you don't need to memorise 50 rules. Perfect for nights when everyone wants to play something real without overthinking it.
Groups with just a deck of cards
This is one of Elevator's biggest strengths: it only needs a standard 52-card deck. On holiday, at a mate's place, at an impromptu happy hour — if you've got cards, you've got a game. And if you want even more card games without having to look up the rules every time, the Traknard app has classics like Pyramid, The Bus, or 99 right on your phone.
The ideal setup
- 4 to 6 players: the absolute sweet spot. Games are balanced, dynamic, and not too long.
- 3 players: playable but games are long (up to 17 cards per round) and the dealer constraint weighs more.
- 7 players: works, but rounds are short and the game gets very random — less room for strategy.
And if you're looking for other card games to mix things up, check out The Dealer or The Palmist on Traknard — classic games with a twist that always hit.
? Time to Play
Elevator is a deck of cards, some mates, and the art of announcing right. No fancy equipment needed, no need to be an expert — just the ability to read your cards, anticipate the others, and stick to your contract round after round. It's simple to explain, hard to master, and addictive by the second game.
If you want to discover more card games without having to Google the rules every time, the Traknard app brings together dozens of classics — must-haves like Pyramid, The Bus, or 99 — with rules built in and modes suited to your group. Handy when you've dragged 5 mates over last minute and nobody knows what to suggest.
The Recap
For equipment:
→ A 52-card deck, a scoresheet, 3 to 7 players. Remove a few cards depending on player count.
For the goal:
→ Announce exactly how many tricks you'll take — no more, no less. Accuracy beats quantity.
For the rules:
→ Increasing then decreasing card distribution, trump card flipped, announcements with dealer constraint, then standard trick-playing.
For scoring:
→ Contract made = tricks announced + 1 bonus. Contract failed = lose the difference. Agree on the system before you start.
To level up:
→ Try the "card on forehead" variant or simultaneous announcement to refresh the game with mates who already know Elevator.
The real question isn't whether you've got good cards. It's whether you've got the guts to announce zero when you've got a rubbish hand. ?
❓ FAQ — All Your Elevator Questions
How many players for Elevator?
Answer: Elevator works with 3 to 7 players, but the sweet spot is 4 to 6. At 4-6, games are well balanced: enough players to keep announcements unpredictable, not so many that rounds lose their pace. At 3 players, games can run an hour and rounds are really long. At 7, the game gets more random because max rounds are short and strategy has less room to breathe.
What's the dealer rule in Elevator?
Answer: The dealer announces last and can't pick a number that would make the total announcements equal the number of tricks available in the round. In other words, it's forbidden for everyone to make their contract at the same time — at least one player must fail. This rule only applies to the dealer, who has to adjust their announcement based on what others said before them. It's often the most uncomfortable position at the table.
How do you calculate points in Elevator?
Answer: With standard scoring: if you make exactly your contract, you score the tricks announced + 1 bonus point (e.g., announce 3, result 3 → 4 points). If you fail, you lose the absolute difference between your announcement and result (e.g., announce 3, result 1 → -2 points). There's also a 10-point fixed system for made contracts, which is more generous and often preferred by beginners. The key: agree on the system before the first round!
What happens when there's no card left to flip for trump?
Answer: That's the round with the maximum number of cards dealt. Since all deck cards are in players' hands, there's none left to flip for trump. The round is played with no trump. It's often the most unpredictable round of the game: without trump, small cards can get stuck and big aces don't always win the trick you expected. Some variants play every round with no trump.
What's the difference between Elevator and Rikiki?
Answer: None — it's exactly the same game! Rikiki (sometimes spelled Kirikiki), Grimpette, Galouze, or even Up-Down are just regional or family names for Elevator depending on where you're from in France, Belgium, or Switzerland. The base rules are identical, with maybe slight local tweaks to scoring or the dealer rule. If someone says "fancy a game of Rikiki?", you already know how to play.
Can you play Elevator as a drinking game?
Answer: Yeah, the most common party version is to take a sip for each point of difference between your announcement and result when you fail your contract. Example: you announce 3, you take 1 → 2 sips. The good news is this variant works perfectly with soft drinks, juice, or soda — the pressure of the contract is the same no matter what's in your glass. If you're playing with alcohol: 18+, drink responsibly.
What's the "card on forehead" variant in Elevator?
Answer: On 1-card rounds (the first and/or last round), instead of looking at your card, you put it on your forehead facing outward. So you see all your opponents' cards but not your own. You still have to announce 0 or 1 trick based only on what you observe from the others. Result: dodgy deductions, sometimes completely off-the-wall announcements, and guaranteed laughs. It's often the favourite round for players.
How long does an Elevator game take?
Answer: Between 30 and 60 minutes on average, depending on player count and how fast your group plays. Games with 3 players are longest (up to 33 rounds total), while 5-6 player games are shorter and snappier. Speed also depends on how long players take to think about their announcements — with experienced players, it moves fast. With newcomers discovering the game, plan for about 60 minutes for the first game.
