Who goes first in Spicy?

Rule details

Any player may challenge the top card. The challenge loser draws two cards and starts the next spicy stack; the youngest-player rule selects the opening turn only.

The standard game sets aside the Spice It Up! cards. That variant adds cards to the normal setup: Copy Cat lets a player copy another player's declaration, after which play continues with the player to the copy cat's left. Start It Up! changes allowed number declarations, not who takes the opening turn.

The rulebook's shared victory for tied final scores is an endgame rule, not a tie-break for selecting the youngest player.

If there’s a tie

The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.

Source & edition

• Spicy — HeidelBÄR Games English rules, ©2020HeidelBÄR Games · Setup step 6; Gameplay; Challenge a Card; Trophies; Scoring and Credits; Spice It Up! variant · Checked 2026-09-26

More starting rules

Games with a similar starting rule

• SplendorGive the First Player marker to the youngest player. They take the first turn, and play continues clockwise.
• Stone AgeThe youngest player takes the First player token and starts.
• Super-VampireWhoever most recently met a vampire takes the first turn as the Super-Vampire. If nobody has met a real vampire, the youngest player starts.
• Tales & Games: The Pied PiperChoose the player who last saw rats in a bathtub, or choose the youngest player.
• Tempel des SchreckensWhoever most recently found a gold treasure takes the key card and starts. If nobody has, the rules jokingly say everyone loses immediately, then offer the youngest player as an alternative starter.