Mummy Rummy

In Mummy Rummy, players dig and sift for Egyptian treasures like artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun. As in gin rummy, the object is to form sets of like cards, but the fun of Mummy Rummy is that each card shows a portion of an artifact, so the three-card sets--in black or white groups within five color suits--combine to depict ancient Egyptian treasures (including mummies, of course). A descriptive guide accompanying the 45-card deck shows the 25 possible artifacts and identifies each of the treasures, including cat mummies, coffin lids, and a painted, earthenware canopic jar containing a mummified liver, circa 2000 B.C. This game is an excellent introduction to gin rummy, and children will appreciate the complexity of matching parts of pictures to form a whole image. Players will also enjoy the game's clever mimicking of an archaeological expedition with the dig (draw) and sift (discard) piles.