How to play

What is the English Breakfast Game?

Collect Ingredient Cards to make breakfasts and pick up Breakfast Cards. Trade with other players, use Action Cards to improve your chances—and unleash the Pigeon to sabotage your opponents!

Players: 2–6
Ages: 5+
Playing time: Around 20 minutes

See below for the full rules or check out the FAQs

See the FAQS

The Objective

Be the first player to collect six breakfasts across any number of Breakfast Cards.

Watch out: breakfasts on a card covered by a Pigeon do not count towards your total!

Set Up the Game

  1. Remove the Quick Start Menu Cards and give them to players for reference.
  2. Shuffle the Breakfast Cards—the cards with the steel cloche on the back—and place them face down.
  3. Shuffle the Ingredient Cards—the cards with the red gingham back.
  4. Deal five Ingredient Cards face down to each player.
  5. Place the remaining Ingredient Cards face down to create the draw pile.
  6. Choose a starting player. Play will move clockwise.

Taking Your Turn

At the beginning of your turn, draw two Ingredient Cards.

You may then take up to three actions. You do not have to use all three—or take any actions—if you cannot or do not want to.

Your available actions are:

  • Make a breakfast
  • Trade cards with another player
  • Play an Action Card

Once you have finished your actions, end your turn. Play passes clockwise.

Make a Breakfast

Play the following five different Ingredient Cards:

  • Egg
  • Bacon
  • Sausage
  • Grilled Tomato
  • Baked Beans

A Black Pudding can replace any one of these ingredients.

Show the completed breakfast to your opponents, then place the five Ingredient Cards face up in the discard pile. Take one Breakfast Card and place it face down in front of you.

Trade With Other Players

Missing an important ingredient? Trade with another player to get the cards you need.

You may only trade Ingredient Cards – Action Cards cannot be traded.

Remember: each completed trade counts as one of your three actions.

Play an Action Card

Play an Action Card and follow the instructions written on it.

Unless the card says otherwise, place the Action Card in the discard pile after using it.

Action Cards allow you to collect extra ingredients, make breakfasts more easily, steal cards and sabotage your opponents.

Explanation of Action Cards

Grocer

Draw two Ingredient Cards from the draw pile.

Sandwich Maker

Play this card with three different Ingredient Cards to make a breakfast. Collect one Breakfast Card.

A Black Pudding may replace one of the required ingredients.

Waste Collector

Find the last two Ingredient Cards in the discard pile and add them to your hand. Ignore any Action Cards.

Health Inspector

Look at an opponent’s hand. Choose and discard any two Ingredient or Action Cards.

Shoplifter

Each opponent holds out their hand face down. Randomly take one card from each player’s hand.

Late Night Out

Place this card in front of an opponent. They miss their next turn, after which the card is discarded.

Pigeon

Place a Pigeon on an opponent’s face-down Breakfast Card. None of the breakfasts on that card count towards their total until the Pigeon is removed.

Feed the Birds

Move a Pigeon from one Breakfast Card to another, then discard this card.

Cat

Remove a Pigeon from any Breakfast Card. Discard both the Cat and Pigeon Cards after use.

How to Win

The first player to collect six or more breakfasts wins.

Add together the breakfasts shown across all your Breakfast Cards. A Breakfast Card covered by a Pigeon does not count towards your total.

First to six breakfasts wins!