I’ve played and reviewed plenty of trick-taking games over the years. Some flop, while others become regulars at game nights with friends. Trick-taking games always offer a unique twist, whether through a quirky theme or an inventive scoring system that sets them apart.
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It’s hard to put a twist on trick-taking that really feels new. Bottle Imp does this, but in a way that makes us work a little harder than we’d like.
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Aurum is a trick-taking game where players take on the role of alchemists melding base metals into gold. Earn points from gold and correctly bidding on number of tricks you’ll win. The unique trick-taking hook in Aurum is that players must not follow suit!
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Play your cards following almost-standard trick-taking rules, and try to “eat” (score) other players’ animals or kale, in FORK, a family-friendly card game.
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Velonimo is a bicycle-themed game where players race to the top-most summit of a mountain, scoring points by shedding cards from their hand in each round. The prize for winning this grueling race is the coveted Leader of the Pack Jersey!
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A compact game that illustrates the struggle between balance and extremes. Will you be Mr. Hyde and win (or lose) it all? Or Dr. Jekyll, who strives to keep balance in all things?
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Traditional trick taking games are fine in their own way, but they don’t draw me in. Enter Sea Change, a new evolution of trick taking card games.
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There seems to be a planet at the edge of our solar system. Can you and your fellow astronauts complete the missions ahead of you to unlock the mystery of planet nine? The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine blends loose story-telling with truly inventive cooperative trick-taking while limiting players’ ability to communicate. The result is a tense collaborative experience,
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No, not “Chubby Bunny”! Marshmallow Test is a trick-taking game of delayed gratification, loosely themed on the Stanford marshmallow experiment.
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The Goblin Chiefs have ordered their flunkies into the forest to catch Fairies across the four seasons. They want to shake out the Fairy dust to make a wicked winter brew! Herd Fairies into Swarms and use Goblins to trick and trap them. Lure in the mighty Royal Fairies to free their Fairy friends, then catch them too! This review
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We talk about player interaction this week. What games will encourage your family to really connect or collaborate? Andrew (and Anitra) also try Mexican hawthorne pulp, “for science!”
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Pikoko turns traditional trick-taking upside down with feathery flair. Place bets on the tricks that each player will take. The only catch is that you can see their cards but not your own!
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Simon’s Cat Card Game is a simple shedding game with a minor twist. The suits aren’t evenly distributed, and you take a “mess” if you can’t play a card on your turn.
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