All against one. That is the motto of the card game The Game by Steffen Benndorf. Although the card game has absolutely nothing to do with the great thriller starring Michael Douglas, it's at least as entertaining. I took a closer look at The Game and show you why and for whom a purchase is definitely worthwhile.
The Game - play while you can
First of all, for 7.99 euros you can't go wrong anyway. The card game from the Nürnberger Spielkarten Verlag is not a cheap junk product, but the price just a sign that games with little use of materials can be a lot of fun. In the end, The Game was not put on the list of nominees for the 2015 Game of the Year for no reason.
But one after anonther. What is it actually about The Game?
Somewhat unusual for a card game is at least the fact that it is a purely cooperative discard game. All players play against the game, nobody takes on the role of an evil villain. Nice for everyone who finds it difficult to agree on such roles. The keys to success are good agreements and an absolutely joint approach. The better the cooperation works, the fewer cards are left in the end. A difficult professional variant harbors additional long-term motivation. By the way: The Game can also be played completely alone!
Four rows of cards - two from 100 to 0 and two from 0 to 100 - must be filled. Each player holds six cards with values from 2 to 99 in their hand. The discard location is up to the players and this is exactly where tactics come into play. If the gaps are too big, the chance of being able to put down a suitable card is reduced. Agreements are not only important, they are imperative in order to fill the rows of cards wisely and gradually. If there are less than 10 cards left at the end, the players win. Otherwise, The Game wins and is tacitly happy about the victory.
Understanding the rules only takes a few minutes. The card design does not win any art prizes, but it serves its purpose and is always clear.
