Nice Games Jam: "Dogpile! (part 2)"

It's our second climb into the scruff as your nice hosts continue development on "Dogpile!" We've updated the rules and did a lot of work toward defining the properties of a full prototype deck, consisting of 100, or 150... or maybe 250 unique cards? However many it ends up being, we're looking forward to part 3!PromptKeep working on "Dogpile!"Game typeCard gamePlayer count2-4SetupShuffle a standard 52-card deck.Deal 5 cards to each player.Set the remaining cards aside; this is the draft deckFor the first round, assign the "player one" indicator to the person who most recently played with a dog.TermsTurn: One player's action.Round: Once around the table (each player takes an action).Draft Deck: The pile of dog cards you draw from each round.Dogpile: This is where the dogs that you're able to recruit into your pack will end up.Pack Leader: The card drawn from the Draft Deck once per Round.Player One: The first player to lay their cards face-down next to the Pack Leader card in each round. The First Player status is indicated with a First Player token that rotates clockwise at the start of each round. Strays: The discard pile.RulesObjective: Get as many dogs into the Dogpile as possible!How to playDraw a card from the draft deck and place it face-up in the center of the table. This is the Pack Leader card.Without talking about what’s in their hands or what cards they’re playing, all players select and number of cards from their hand to lay face-down around the Pack Leader. Each player lays their cards face-down in clockwise order, starting with the First Player.Players can lay down any number of cards up to the full complement of their hand.If a player decides to not lay down any cards (skipping their turn, essentially), then skip to Step 3 below. Remaining players’ turns are forfeit.After all players have put their selected cards face-down, all players reveal their cards at the same time.Once all cards are revealed, determine whether the group of dogs (the Pack) will join the Dogpile or become Strays. For the pack to join the Dogpile, every revealed card on the table (players’ face-up cards and the Pack Leader card) must be physically "connect" to form a single unbroken shape, consisting entirely of legal connections. As of the recording of episode 275, cards can be connected by number or suit.Cards connected horizontally must be 1 number different (up or down) from the connected card. (Numerical values are 1-13 where Ace = 1 and King = 13).Cards connected vertically must be of the same suit.Cards cannot connect diagonally, and if two cards are physically touching, they must legally connect.The two Jokers are "wild" in that they can adopt any suit or number, but like a Scrabble tile, all cards connected to a Joker must connect based on a single, newly adopted value.Clear the table by placing the group of dogs in the Dogpile, in the Strays. Optionally, the pack of Strays may be tossed randomly about the room. Then, begin the next round.At the start of each subsequent round, players refresh their hands up to 5 with newly-drawn cards, and the Player One token is passed clockwise.Continue steps 1-6 above until the timer rings. How many dogs did you get in your Dogpile?