Dale Yu: Review of Get On Board New York and London

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Dale Yu

Get On Board New York and London

  • Designer: Saashi
  • Publisher: IELLO
  • Players: 2-5
  • Age: 8+
  • Time: 20-30 minutes
  • Played with review copy provided by Flat River Group (distributor)

“Ah, here’s the bus! Hurry, grab a seat, and get out of the rain! Just like every trip, you’re fascinated by all the other passengers on board: tourists, professionals, students… They’re all traveling together, though they each have different destinations. This bus line is truly special, but will it be able to transport everyone safe and sound?”

Get On Board: New York and London is a new reprint of an old favorite, Let’s Make a Bus Route.  In the game, you have twelve rounds in which to build the best bus line in town. Each round reveals a new card that shows each player the route shape they must complete. Place your bus accordingly on the central board. Take the passengers where they want to go by connecting them and their destination to your bus line, avoid traffic, and gain as many victory points as possible!

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Tricks and Trumps #2: Variations on the Classics (1967-1990)

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Chris Wray

Tricks and Trumps #2: Variations on the Classics (1967-1990)

This is our second entry in a thirteen-part series featuring trick taking games.  You can find the first entry here and the series introduction here. This entry will focus on trick taking games from the mid-1960s to the early 1990s, which tended to closely resemble the classic, public-domain trick taking games.  Games included in this entry are Sextet, Coup d’etat, Ninety Nine, Black Spy, Wizard, and Where’s Bob’s Hat?.

As we explained in our first entry, we put an enormous number of trick taking games into a ratings spreadsheet, giving each Opinionated Gamer the chance to offer their rating.  We decided to write about any game that was (a) rated by more than five people, and (b) had an “average” rating at least as high as the midpoint between our “like it” and “neutral” rating.  I’ve also added a few games that are historically significant.  The games are ranged roughly by the year of origin.  

This post concludes trick-taking week here at The Opinionated Gamers, but this Tricks & Trumps series will continue, with the remaining eleven parts being published over the course of the rest of this year.  

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What makes trick-taking so enduring? And is it the most popular game mechanic on the planet? Eight trick-taking designers weigh in!

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Chris Wray

Trick-taking is one of the oldest card game mechanics: the first entry in our Tricks & Trumps series was Pitch, which dates to around 1600. I also have a theory that trick-taking is the most popular game mechanic on the planet: trick takers and their climbing/shedding descendants are widely played in Asia, Europe, and North & South America.

I asked several noteworthy trick-taking designers what makes trick-taking so enduring. Their responses are below. These are some busy members of the gaming community, so an enormous thank you for them taking the time to weigh in. Their answers are fascinating! A few disagreed with my premise that it is the most popular game mechanic, but even they thought it was popular.

Responses are in approximately the same order I received them. Links are to a game or two designed by each designer, so check them out! And I did not show each designer the others’ responses.

Here is the precise question I asked:

I have a theory that trick taking is the most popular game mechanic. I think more people play Hearts, Spades, Bridge, Euchre, or any number of classic trick taking games than play many of the games frequently talked about in board game media. And the mechanic has been around for centuries! What do you think it is about trick taking games that makes them so enduring? What draws gamers to them?

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Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition (Game Review by Chris Wray)

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Chris Wray
  • Designer:  Muneyuki Yokouchi (横内宗幸)
  • Publisher:  Hobby Japan, Distributed in the U.S. by Bezier Games
  • Players:  2-5
  • Ages:  13 and Up
  • Time:  20-40 Minutes
  • Times Played: > 5 (With additional plays on the original Cat in the Box.)

Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition is the latest mega-hit on the trick-taking scene. It was arguably the hottest game at Gen Con 2022, and it has been wildly popular in the months since then. Nearly 5,000 people report owning the game on BoardGameGeek, and since most gamers don’t log their collection (or aren’t even BGG members), that means sales are already in the tens of thousands, if not higher. 

Nonetheless, Cat in the Box is not exactly a new trick-taking game. It was released in 2020 by Ayatsurare Ningyoukan, and in fact, it won the Trick-Taking Guild’s award for that year. The game already feels like a trick-taking classic, and its new mechanism — allowing players to basically pick the suit of each card — will doubtlessly inspire numerous other games. 

This review is of the Deluxe Edition, which is what was released last year. It adds components for a fifth player, and it features nicer components. To my knowledge, the Deluxe Edition is also the only available edition: the first version is out of print.  

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Five Three Five (Game Review by Chris Wray)

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Chris Wray
  • Designer:  Kenichi Kabuki
  • Publisher:  Portland Game Collective
  • Players:  2-6
  • Ages:  8 and Up
  • Time:  15-30 Minutes
  • Times Played: > 6

Five Three Five is a new climbing/shedding game from Portland Game Collective. Five Three Five was originally published in Japan in 2020 by Game Nowa. The game was a massive hit at the trick-taking convention back in January (even though it is technically not a trick taking game), and from my vantage point, was probably the most played game there.

There’s a simple reason why it was so popular: it is devilishly clever! This is simply one of the best climbing/shedding games I’ve played.

The big twist to traditional climbing shedding games is that, in addition to overplaying a meld, you can also add to the one on the table.  Don’t have a pair higher than 12s on the table? Just add a 12 to the meld. It is a fun new way to get rid of cards. But as explained below, it is not the only new addition to the game.  

Five Three Five was on Kickstarter a few months ago, but copies are being shipped now, and copies are available on the PGC site. 

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Trick-taking Week: The Artwork of Sai Beppu (Article by Chris Wray)

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Chris Wray

This week is about celebrating trick taking games, and today, we’re celebrating a leading artist of trick taking games, Sai Beppu!

Historically, the trick taking game mechanic was packed with dull and drab art, but that has changed in recent years. Today, trick takers are getting the full artistic treatment they deserve. Publishers are investing more in production, which is contributing to the growth in popularity of trick takers.  

Sai Beppu is, by far, the most prolific artist in trick taking games. And not only is she prolific: her artwork is astoundingly good. She has replaced muted colors with vibrant ones. She has excelled at making functional cards. And her covers have made trick taking games the showpiece of game shelves. So as we celebrate trick taking week, I wanted to turn the spotlight on another role in the production of tricksters: the artist and graphic designer, and in particular one exceptional illustrator in particular, Sai Beppu!  

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