Integer Card Game
Zero Out is a game for two to four players about adding positive and negative numbers. Each round, everyone plays three cards from a hand of six, adds them, and scores how far the sum is from zero. After five rounds the lowest total wins.
The best hands cancel out: a 6 needs negatives to pull it back to zero, and the choice of which three cards to play is the arithmetic. Each card shows counters as well as its number, filled for positive and open for negative, so a pair of one of each is easy to see as zero.
Print the PDF: the rules are on the first page, then 40 cards, eight to a sheet, then four record sheets, two to a page.
Frequently asked questions
How do you add positive and negative numbers?
Pair them off. Each positive and negative pair makes zero, and whatever is left over is the sum. 7 + (–4) + (–5) has 7 positives and 9 negatives: seven pairs cancel and two negatives are left, so the sum is –2.
Why is a sum of –3 worth the same as 3?
Points are the distance from zero, which is the absolute value. –3 and 3 are both three steps from zero on the number line, so both score 3 points.
Can Zero Out practise subtracting integers?
Yes. Play two cards and subtract the second from the first. Subtracting a negative adds its opposite, so 3 – (–5) = 3 + 5 = 8, which scores 8 points.