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Description
Loosely based on/inspired by the original BSG card game of the same name. The big differences between the original and mine is the original was three suits of 18 cards plus 1 wild card called 'the capstone,' and my version is six suits of 12, with a capstone for each suit and nothing wild, and a pool of cards the players can use during the reveal called The Quarry. I made this version for a fantasy RPG I've been running. Shown is the Gold Suit of cards, but I have done all six suits plus a card back.

The rules:

Pyramid is a popular card game throughout Vindalund and Westron. It is played with a deck of 72 hexagonal cards arranged into six suits in descending order of precedence: gold, silver, bronze, sapphire, emerald, and ruby of twelve cards each. In each suit there will be one Capstone (I) card, three Riser (II) cards, six Foundation (III) cards, and two Cornerstone (III) cards. The object of the game is to construct the most perfect pyramid possible with six cards. The best pyramid hand possible consists of 1 Capstone , 2 Risers , 1 Foundation, and 2 Cornerstones, all of the same suit.

Play begins with each of up to six players contributing an ante to the pot to signify to the dealer that they are playing in this hand. Each player receives seven cards from the dealer upon their ante. Each player may then Build or Fold. To Fold on the first round means to resign from the hand, and the player's cards are returned to the bottom of the dealer's deck to be re-dealt. (This is a common cheating strategy between players cooperating with the dealer, and must be watched closely.) To Build means you are committed to a round of wagering, starting with the winner of the last hand, or the player to the dealer's right if this is the first hand of play, and continuing to the right.

After the first round of wagering, players may discard up to three cards from their hand (which do not go back into the dealer's deck), and receive three new cards from the dealer in their place. Once all players have discarded as desired, they declare their intent to Pass Right, Check, or Fold. Players who Fold after the Build round forfeit their wagers and place their hand face down into the discard pile. Players who Check place an ante bet atop their hand, which is laid face down on the table before them. Players who Pass Right will pass one card from their hand to the first player on their right who has not declared a Check. If there is no one to pass to, the Passing player keeps their card, but does not have to pay the Check bet ante. Once everyone has passed or checked, Check bets are placed into the pot.

A second round of wagering now takes place, with the highest betting player from the first round starting off, and which may be at whatever level of bet is permitted at the table. Players then declare Pass Left, Check, or Fold. Passing players match the second round bet to the pot and pass a card to their left this time. Checking players also pass the second round bet to the pot in addition to another ante level Check bet they place on their face down hand. Once everyone has passed or checked as before, all players submit one card face down to the Quarry in front of the dealer, and a final round of wagering takes place, until players either Fold or Call.

If all players but one Fold, the last remaining player is the winner and collects the pot. They are under no obligation to reveal their pyramid. If a Call is made, the dealer turns the cards in the Quarry face up, and the players all reveal their pyramids. A player may make use of one card in the Quarry at the expense of one of the cards in their pyramid, and multiple players may make use of the same Quarry card. (Thus, one must be careful what one sends to the Quarry in the final round.) The hands are judged by the best pyramid a player can construct, in this ascending order of precedence:

1 Capstone. = Cap Pyramid
1 Riser, 2 Foundation, all same suit. = Rough Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers = Small Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, all same suit. = Perfect Small Pyramid
2 Risers, 3 Foundation = Ziggurat
2 Risers, 2 Foundation, 1 Cornerstone = Squared Ziggurat
2 Risers, 3 Foundation, all same suit = Perfect Ziggurat
2 Risers, 2 Foundation, 1 Cornerstone, all same suit = Perfect Squared Ziggurat
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 3 Foundation = Large Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 2 Foundation, 1 Cornerstone = Squared Large Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 3 Foundation, all same suit = Perfect Large Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 2 Foundation, 1 Cornerstone, all same suit = Perfect Squared Large Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 1 Foundation, 2 Cornerstones = Grand Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 1 Foundation, 2 Cornerstones, all same suit = Perfect Grand Pyramid

A Gold Perfect Grand Pyramid is thus the best possible pyramid a player can construct.

Description
Loosely based on/inspired by the original BSG card game of the same name. The big differences between the original and mine is the original was three suits of 18 cards plus 1 wild card called 'the capstone,' and my version is six suits of 12, with a capstone for each suit and nothing wild, and a pool of cards the players can use during the reveal called The Quarry. I made this version for a fantasy RPG I've been running. Shown is the Gold Suit of cards, but I have done all six suits plus a card back.

The rules:

Pyramid is a popular card game throughout Vindalund and Westron. It is played with a deck of 72 hexagonal cards arranged into six suits in descending order of precedence: gold, silver, bronze, sapphire, emerald, and ruby of twelve cards each. In each suit there will be one Capstone (I) card, three Riser (II) cards, six Foundation (III) cards, and two Cornerstone (III) cards. The object of the game is to construct the most perfect pyramid possible with six cards. The best pyramid hand possible consists of 1 Capstone , 2 Risers , 1 Foundation, and 2 Cornerstones, all of the same suit.

Play begins with each of up to six players contributing an ante to the pot to signify to the dealer that they are playing in this hand. Each player receives seven cards from the dealer upon their ante. Each player may then Build or Fold. To Fold on the first round means to resign from the hand, and the player's cards are returned to the bottom of the dealer's deck to be re-dealt. (This is a common cheating strategy between players cooperating with the dealer, and must be watched closely.) To Build means you are committed to a round of wagering, starting with the winner of the last hand, or the player to the dealer's right if this is the first hand of play, and continuing to the right.

After the first round of wagering, players may discard up to three cards from their hand (which do not go back into the dealer's deck), and receive three new cards from the dealer in their place. Once all players have discarded as desired, they declare their intent to Pass Right, Check, or Fold. Players who Fold after the Build round forfeit their wagers and place their hand face down into the discard pile. Players who Check place an ante bet atop their hand, which is laid face down on the table before them. Players who Pass Right will pass one card from their hand to the first player on their right who has not declared a Check. If there is no one to pass to, the Passing player keeps their card, but does not have to pay the Check bet ante. Once everyone has passed or checked, Check bets are placed into the pot.

A second round of wagering now takes place, with the highest betting player from the first round starting off, and which may be at whatever level of bet is permitted at the table. Players then declare Pass Left, Check, or Fold. Passing players match the second round bet to the pot and pass a card to their left this time. Checking players also pass the second round bet to the pot in addition to another ante level Check bet they place on their face down hand. Once everyone has passed or checked as before, all players submit one card face down to the Quarry in front of the dealer, and a final round of wagering takes place, until players either Fold or Call.

If all players but one Fold, the last remaining player is the winner and collects the pot. They are under no obligation to reveal their pyramid. If a Call is made, the dealer turns the cards in the Quarry face up, and the players all reveal their pyramids. A player may make use of one card in the Quarry at the expense of one of the cards in their pyramid, and multiple players may make use of the same Quarry card. (Thus, one must be careful what one sends to the Quarry in the final round.) The hands are judged by the best pyramid a player can construct, in this ascending order of precedence:

1 Capstone. = Cap Pyramid
1 Riser, 2 Foundation, all same suit. = Rough Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers = Small Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, all same suit. = Perfect Small Pyramid
2 Risers, 3 Foundation = Ziggurat
2 Risers, 2 Foundation, 1 Cornerstone = Squared Ziggurat
2 Risers, 3 Foundation, all same suit = Perfect Ziggurat
2 Risers, 2 Foundation, 1 Cornerstone, all same suit = Perfect Squared Ziggurat
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 3 Foundation = Large Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 2 Foundation, 1 Cornerstone = Squared Large Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 3 Foundation, all same suit = Perfect Large Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 2 Foundation, 1 Cornerstone, all same suit = Perfect Squared Large Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 1 Foundation, 2 Cornerstones = Grand Pyramid
1 Capstone, 2 Risers, 1 Foundation, 2 Cornerstones, all same suit = Perfect Grand Pyramid

A Gold Perfect Grand Pyramid is thus the best possible pyramid a player can construct.