Playing Botswana is simplicity itself. Play a numbered card from your hand. There are five different “suits” (lions, giraffes, hippos, meerkats, and elephants) each numbered from 0 to 5. Then take any one of the corresponding animal figures—even one that doesn’t match the card you played.

The topmost face-up number is the current value of that animal’s pieces. If the lion pile has a 3 on the top, then each lion piece will be worth 3 points at the end of the round.