Unstable Unicorns: Why This Game Ruins Friendships (and Why We Love It)

You’re one card away. Your Stable has six majestic unicorns. The finish line is right there, practically glowing. Then your best friend—the person who helped you move last weekend—smirks and drops a "Neigh" card. Just like that, your hopes are dead.

Unstable Unicorns isn’t just a card game about cute mythical creatures. It’s a psychological battlefield disguised in pastel colors and glitter. If you’ve played it, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven't, you're in for a chaotic ride that feels like a mix of Magic: The Gathering and a fever dream at a petting zoo.

Released by Unstable Games (formerly TeeTurtle) after a massive Kickstarter success in 2017, this game has become a staple on every board game shelf. But honestly? Most people play it wrong, or at least they don't realize the sheer level of cruelty required to actually win.

How Unstable Unicorns Actually Works

The premise is deceptively simple. You want to be the first person with seven unicorns in your Stable (or six, if you're playing a larger group). You start with a pathetic Baby Unicorn. From there, it's a race to draw, play, and sabotage.

Each turn follows a rigid but fast rhythm:

1. Beginning of Turn phase: If any cards in your Stable have "at the beginning of your turn" effects, they trigger now. This is where people usually mess up and forget their advantages.
2. Draw phase: Grab a card. Simple.
3. Action phase: Play a card from your hand or draw another one.
4. End of Turn phase: Discard down to the hand limit (seven cards).

But the cards aren't just unicorns. You’ve got Upgrades that protect your stable, Downgrades that you foist onto your enemies to cripple them, and Magic cards that cause one-time chaos. Then there are the Instant cards, specifically the infamous "Neigh."

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A "Neigh" card stops any other player from playing a card. It’s the ultimate "No." And since you can Neigh a Neigh (creating a "Super Neigh" chain), the table can devolve into screaming matches within seconds. It's beautiful.

The Strategy Nobody Tells You About

Most beginners try to build their Stable as fast as possible. They play every unicorn they get. This is a mistake. Why? Because you're painting a massive target on your back.

In a game of Unstable Unicorns, the person in the lead is the person everyone else collaborates to destroy. If you have five unicorns and everyone else has two, you are going to get hit with every Downgrade in the deck. You’ll find yourself with a "Tiny Hooves" card that prevents you from playing any more unicorns, and suddenly, you’re stuck.

Real pros play the "long game." You want to look weak. You want to hoard a hand full of "Neigh" cards and "Magic" cards while keeping maybe three or four unassuming unicorns in your Stable. You wait. You wait until you can drop a card like "Unicorn Swap" or "Blatant Thievery" to jump from four unicorns to seven in a single turn.

The Power of the Downgrade

Let’s talk about the Downgrade cards. These are arguably more important than the unicorns themselves. Playing a "Pandamonium" card on an opponent is a pro-level move. It turns all of their unicorns into Pandas.

Why does that matter?

Because most winning conditions require Unicorns. If your opponent has seven creatures but they’re all technically Pandas, they don't win. They just sit there, sad and black-and-white, while you gallop past them to victory. It’s cold-blooded.

Why This Game Hit It Big on Kickstarter

Back in 2017, Ramy Badie and his team asked for $10,000 on Kickstarter. They ended up with over $1.8 million. That doesn't happen by accident.

It tapped into a specific aesthetic—the "Adorkable" trend. It arrived right as games like Exploding Kittens proved there was a massive market for high-interaction, "take-that" style card games that looked cute but felt mean.

The artwork is a huge factor. You’ve got the "Llama Corn," the "Extremely Fertile Unicorn," and the "Zombie Unicorn." Each card has a distinct personality. It’s collectible in spirit even though it’s a self-contained box. They’ve since expanded into NSFW versions, Dragon expansions, and even a "Nightmares" expansion. They know their audience likes a bit of edge with their sugar.

Common Rule Disputes (The "Umm, Actually" Section)

If you play this game, you will argue about the rules. It’s inevitable. Here are the big ones that usually cause the most friction:

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• The "Neigh" Chain: You can Neigh a card as it's being played. You cannot Neigh a card that is already on the table. Once the card is in the Stable, it’s there until an effect removes it.
• The "Beginning of Turn" Miss: If you draw your card for the turn, you have officially passed the "Beginning of Turn" phase. You cannot go back and use a special ability. This is the source of 90% of tabletop pouting.
• Sacrifice vs. Destroy: "Sacrifice" is something you do to your own cards. "Destroy" is something you do to others. Some cards only trigger on one or the other. Read the fine print. Seriously.

Is It Actually a "Good" Game?

Depends on what you like. If you want a deep, strategic Euro-game where you manage resources for three hours, you will hate this. It’s high-variance. You can lose because you had bad luck.

But if you want a game that creates stories? It's top-tier. You’ll remember the time you used a "Seduction" card to steal your brother's last unicorn for the win. You’ll remember the 10-minute "Neigh" war that ended with everyone having zero cards in hand.

It’s a social experience. It’s meant to be played with a drink in hand and friends who don't take things too seriously.

Variations and Expansions

The base game is just the start. If you find the original getting a bit stale, the expansions change the math significantly:

1. Rainbow Apocalypse: Adds more destructive elements. It feels a bit more "end times."
2. Adventures: Introduces quest-like mechanics.
3. NSFW Edition: Exactly what it sounds like. Keep it away from the kids. The humor is... specific.
4. Dragons: Honestly, it just adds more power. Dragons are beefy.

Each expansion doesn't just add cards; it shifts the meta. The "Dragons" pack, for instance, makes the game much more aggressive, while "Rainbow Apocalypse" focuses on clearing the board entirely.

How to Win Your Next Game

Stop being nice.

That is the single best piece of advice for Unstable Unicorns. If you see someone getting close to winning, destroy them. Don't feel bad. If you don't do it, they will win, and they won't feel bad for you.

Watch the discard pile. There are plenty of cards that let you pull things back from the "Scrap Heap." If a powerful unicorn gets destroyed early, keep an eye on who has the "Necromancy" card.

Also, manage your hand size. Being forced to discard a "Super Neigh" because you have eight cards in hand is a tragedy you can avoid with a little planning.

Final Actionable Steps for Players

To get the most out of your next session, try these three things:

• Sleeve your cards. The amount of frantic grabbing and card-flipping in this game leads to wear and tear fast. Plus, it makes shuffling much easier.
• House Rule the "Baby" Unicorns. If the game is moving too slowly, try starting with two Babies instead of one. It speeds up the early game "ticking" phase.
• Check the official Wiki. Ramy and the team have updated the "Unstable Games" wiki with specific card interactions. If you have a weird "If this then that" scenario, the answer is likely already there.

Unstable Unicorns is a game of beautiful, glittery betrayal. Embrace the chaos, hold onto your Neigh cards, and never trust anyone who says they "only need one more." They’re lying. Probably.

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Next Steps for Your Game Night:

• Check the bottom of your box for the expansion icon to ensure you aren't mixing up decks accidentally.
• Designate a "Rule Lawyer" who keeps the official wiki open on their phone to prevent 20-minute arguments.
• If you're playing with more than six people, consider buying a second base deck or the "Party Pack" to keep the draw pile from running dry too early.