Cherry on Top^*

Cherry on Top is a pocket-sized tactical card game from Piatnik for ages 8 and up, playing in 15 to 25 minutes. You add fruit cards to a shared display and must always form a bigger group than the player before you – the first to empty their hand wins. Michael Diechtierow's design gives the familiar climbing mechanic a twist with a growing card layout.

What's it about?

A shared display of fruit cards grows in the middle of the table. You try to place your cards cleverly so that you form larger groups than the previous players, while getting rid of your hand as fast as possible.

How it plays

1. On your turn you either place cards or pass.
2. All cards you play must show the same colour or the same fruit.
3. You place them horizontally or vertically next to cards in the display, or cover cards already there.
4. Your group – adjacent cards of the same colour or fruit – must be at least one card larger than the last group played. Cards already in the display count.
5. If everyone else passes, the last player to place a group starts a new round; the display stays.
6. Whoever places their last card wins immediately.

What makes it special?

Because the display is never cleared and existing cards count toward your group, you don't necessarily have to play more cards than the last player – a clever placement is enough. That turns ladder climbing into a small spatial puzzle.

Who is it for?

Families and card-game groups looking for a compact, quick-to-teach game with a tactical edge.