Seers Catalog

• Designer: Taylor Reiner
• Publisher: Bezier Games
• Players: 2 – 5
• Ages: 15 and Up
• Time: 45 Minutes
• Times Played: > 5

Editor’s Note: In the interest of fair disclosure, the description here was written by Chris Wray, and I have blatantly copied and pasted that part. Chris designed (Xylotar) which was published by Bezier Games earlier this year. Additionally, the designer of this game (Taylor Reiner) is a member of The Opinionated Gamers.

In spring 2016, I co-wrote an article for now-defunct Counter Magazine on the history of climbing and shedding games. The article walked through dozens of titles, everything from the public domain classics to newer designer games, and it was an attempt to provide a short (but nonetheless semi-comprehensive) overview of leading titles. Each game had its own twists, but in reading the article, it became apparent that most climbers/shedders are entirely too similar. Sure, there were a few groundbreaking outliers back then — Taiki Shinzawa’s Maskmen comes to mind — but whether it be Chimera, Gang of Four, Tichu, or the numerous similar titles, the primary variance was small shifts in either the deck or the melds permitted.

While there has been significant innovation in trick-taking the past few years, there has not been as much innovating in the climbing/shedding game space. But that seems to be changing in the past year or so. This week is Trick Taking Week here on the Opinionated Gamers. This is our second annual event, and I’ve commandeered the calendar to spotlight innovators in trick taking and trick-taking adjacent games.

Today, I want to highlight the most innovative shedding game I’ve ever played. I predict Seers Catalog will do more than any other game in recent years to move climbers and shedders forward.

The twist is that this is almost a game where you want to be the first to run out of cards. With a few subtle changes, Taylor Reiner has turned this beloved genre on its head, and the result is a fascinating game that is easily one of my most-anticipated titles of 2024.

Background on the Game & Gameplay

The designer of Seers Catalog, Taylor Reiner, is perhaps best known as the host of the comical yet informative Youtube channel Taylor’s Trick Taking Table. He previously published a simplified version of this as Of What’s Left. He’s an accomplished trick-taking designer and developer, having released the also-excellent Short Zoot Suit and having worked on a couple of Allplay titles including Sail and Mori.

In Seer’s Catalog, players will be dealt a hand of cards, receive one wild card (which can count as any rank 1-13 of any suit), and two special power cards. Their goal is to score the most points at the end of the round, which happens when one player runs out of cards.

As with many climbing/shedding games, there are valid melds that can be played or overplayed on a player’s turn. But the list is simpler here than in most games: singles, doubles, triples and suited runs (of two or more cards) are generally the only allowed melds, though special powers can override that. Players follow into the trick clockwise, trying to play the same number of cards, but of a higher rank. If they pass, they are out of that trick. The winner of the trick (which happens when everybody passes) sweeps the cards aside and leads the next trick.

Things start to get more interesting once a player has fewer than six cards. At that point, they can no longer voluntarily pass, which is one of the interesting breaks from past climbing/shedding games. (There is a marker on the table to remind them of this.) They must play, even if it means breaking up a meld they were hoping to play.

Here, I’m forced to play on this pair of 4s. I can either play a pair of 8s or a pair of 9s.

This continues until one player goes out. At that point, scoring occurs. Each player loses one point for each card. But, if a player has fewer than six cards (i.e. if they’re in the bonus), they get as positive points the face value of their lowest card. (Wild cards and special powers generally count as a “0” for this purpose, so players try to get rid of them.) Thus, players actually tend to get higher scores if they didn’t get rid of their whole hand. The game lasts four hands.

The game as I just described it is basically “Of What’s Left.” The big twist with Seers Catalog is that each player now also has two special power cards. There are a wide variety of them in the box, but they range from the classic cards everybody would expect (like the card that is the highest single, to the card that is a 1/2 point higher than the previous card) to others that make shedding easier (such as the cards that can change suit color or allow unusual types of melds)

My Thoughts on the Game

I’ve been in love with Of What’s Left for more than a year, since I played it at a trick-taking convention in January 2023.

As I said at the time, climbing games are all about the rhythm, and Seers Catalog plays with that in fun ways. I’ve taught Seers Catalog to five different groups, and there’s a joy that spreads across players’ faces when they realize just how much of this game is about timing. You rarely want to be the first to go out — you just get zero points if you do — but rather usually want to hold back just a little bit. That said, sometimes you can rush out and stick your opponents with negative hands.

The result is a fun and intense puzzle where players are trying to assess the best way to play their hands while also trying to deduce what other players still have.

And the scoring ramps up that delightful tension: the temptation is to hold just a couple of high cards, but those are the cards you’re most likely to be forced to play. The dream is to hold a single 13 (the highest card) and get your opponents to go out before you, but it is trickier than it looks.

The special powers are a delightful add to the game. The necessarily few meld types in Of What’s Left means that there’s less room for clever play than in other climbing/shedding games. The special powers of Seers Catalog add that back and, at least to me, contribute to replayability. I love the endless puzzles posed by the special cards, since they can be both a blessing and a curse. One of them, for instance, lets you lead the next trick: that’s great if you’re trying to get rid of cards, but of course, you aren’t always trying to do that. But either way, you’re definitely trying to get rid of that card, since special powers count as holding a zero for purposes of end game scoring.

The art and theme are delightful. I’m in my late 30s, and I’ve been joking that people just a few years younger than me will not remember the title’s inspiration. That’s proven true, and a delightful aspect of bringing this to the table with a new group is the nostalgia it brings back for the elder millennials and those older than us.

The artwork is attractive and hilarious. The box cover is funnier the longer you look at it. And the cards definitely have witty callbacks to the Ultimate Werewolf universe. I’m a fan of that universe, and the easter eggs add fun to the game.

The game works well at all player counts I’ve played, though I can’t speak to the two-player rules. It is easy to teach; I taught a group this weekend that hadn’t played climbing games and they picked it up and enjoyed it. I thought the rulebook was well laid out.

In sum, I’m highly impressed, and Seer’s Catalog is one of my most anticipated games of 2024. Every group I’ve taught it to has loved it. It is easily one of my top 5 climbing/shedding games, and at this point, it actually might have actually dethroned Bacon or Tichu to become my favorite.

What makes it so special? The extremely clever gameplay. But also how deeply innovative it is. Climbing/shedding games have often rested on a couple of key assumptions — that you want to go out early, that you can voluntarily pass, etc. — and Taylor Reiner chose to play with those assumptions here in a delightful and playful way. The audacity paid off: Seers Catalog is exceptional. And this game has forged a new path for climbing/shedding games.

Thoughts from other Opinionated Gamers

Dale Y: I somehow missed the prototype version of this game (despite being at the very same con where Chris Wray played it and fell in love with it). Shedding games sometimes feel all same-y – but man, this one definitely stands out from the crowd. The power cards add a bit of intrigue to every hand, and you’ll definitely want to plan your strategy around which cards you are dealt. Further, there is a bit of cat-and-mouse around hitting the six card threshold. Normally in shedding games, you sometimes play coyly, trying to rid yourself of losing cards and setting yourself up to have a successful string of winning plays. This means that you might often pass on a play where you *could* play – in order to get in position for the grand finale. Here – the game forces you to play if able once you get under 6; and this can actually really screw up your plans. So, you either have to play differently and try to account for a rogue single that could mess up your plans; or you really need to make sure that you are where you want to be when you hit 6. But, then, the next twist hits you in the face. You don’t want to go out first. You actually want someone else to go out. And, of course, the game is forcing you to play each time you are able once your hand is small enough. You only score if your hand is under 6 in size, so you’re still motivated to get to that point. It’s a fine line to tread, and one that is quite difficult to figure out. After a dozen games or so, I am still not entirely sure how is the best way to approach a hand in Seers Catalog – and that is amazing. It’s what keeps me coming back to the game again and again.

Larry:  This was a game I really wanted to like, if only because I think the name is so clever.  And given Chris and Dale’s enthusiasm, there’s probably some nuances I’m missing.  But while the central concept of almost going out is pretty interesting, I found it was overwhelmed by the chaos introduced by the power cards.  And I’m just not a fan of chaos, least of all in a trick taking or climbing game.  I probably need to play this some more, but as of now, my rating is…Neutral.

Erik Arneson: I’ve played 5+ times, and Seers Catalog – which I enjoyed a great deal on the first play – continues to impress me more each time. I certainly don’t mind a little unpredictability in games (Betrayal Legacy is the greatest game ever published), but I’ve had a different experience than Larry with the artifact (power) cards. I think they give this trick-taking game, which might otherwise feel a little dry, just the right amount of variety. I expect Seers Catalog will remain among my favorite trick-taking games for many years.

Ratings from the Opinionated Gamers

• I love it! Chris Wray, Dale Y, Erik Arneson
• I like it.  
• Neutral. Larry
• Not for me…