SPICY
Designer: Zoltan Gyori | Artist: Jimin Kim
Some of us wasted much of our studying time at school playing card games. This reviewer’s preference was a game we termed Cheat. Play your cards face down and make a claim about what they are, and opponents challenge. It’s a completely lawless game that provides its fun in the ‘getting away with it’ aspect.
Spicy is a version of Cheat, but it might be the nicest looking version you could possibly own. The cards have gold foil effect on their backs, the art of various tigers enjoying different levels of spiciness from chillies, pepper and wasabi. It’s all very pleasing to look at and hold.
It’s been slightly civilised with the laying of only one card a turn, and the challenger having to be clear about what is wrong about the card which was laid. Is the spice wrong, or the number? Players play cards higher than the last, or a one, two or three on a ten.
If you empty you hand unchallenged you take the played pile and that counts toward your score at the end, and a bonus card. The box includes six variant cards that add a new rule to the game, sixes that can be played as nines, the ability to change suits on a one, two or three, and so on. It’s nice to have the option to include some rules and not others as it can become chaotic when everything is in play.
The game also has an ingenious way of limiting play time too, simply placing the ‘world’s end’ card beside the deck and slipping it in at the point marked with the number of players. Once you see this card the game is over and the scores counted.
It’s light, fun and has some well thought-out constraints that turn it from the festival of lying which is Cheat to something a little more refined. It won’t blow your socks off, but it’ll provide a nice bit of heat.
CHRISTOPHER JOHN EGGETT
Lisez l'article complet et bien d'autres dans ce numéro de
The Best Games Of…
Options d'achat ci-dessous
Si le problème vous appartient,
Connexion pour lire l'article complet maintenant.
Numéro unique numérique
The Best Games of 2020
Ce numéro et d'autres anciens numéros ne sont pas inclus dans une nouvelle version de l'article
abonnement. Les abonnements comprennent le dernier numéro régulier et les nouveaux numéros publiés pendant votre abonnement. The Best Games Of…