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Top 25 Trick-Taking Games (Better Card Games 1) — Transcript

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0:00Welcome to Board Game Animal and welcome
0:02specifically to better card games part
0:05one. My name is Justin. What exactly is
0:08this series going to be? Well, in short,
0:11a huge part of my love for the hobby is
0:13in small card games, and it always
0:16amuses me at the tremendous amount of
0:18variety that's out there compared to the
0:20wildly small world of card games that
0:22folks are aware of. Last year, I made a
0:25video called better card games than most
0:27people will ever play. And it focused on
0:30some niche trick- taking games, climbing
0:32and shedding games, and this started a
0:33little bit of a snowball for me. It
0:35shifted my focus as to what I was going
0:37to talk about probably most often on the
0:40channel. And I made a few more videos in
0:42this vein all the way until it
0:44snowballed into 101 card games better
0:46than Uno. And now here we are around a
0:50year later starting an actual bonafide
0:52series all about those better card games
0:55that people can discover. And hopefully
0:57it'll be really informative to folks
0:59maybe new to the hobby, not in the
1:00hobby, or for folks who are already fans
1:02of this specific genre. Hopefully we can
1:04offer a hefty variety of suggestions and
1:06commentary on games that it'll be
1:08informative and helpful to folks. So, in
1:10this series, we're going to be talking
1:11about trick- taking games, climbing and
1:13shedding games, rummy games, and other
1:15genres. As time goes on, looking at
1:18games that hopefully, if you like these
1:19mechanisms, maybe you'll discover some
1:21gems that you hadn't already been aware
1:23of. Each one of these videos will focus
1:25on a certain subset or category like
1:28tricktaking that's good for newcomers or
1:30climbing and shedding games for those
1:31who are real sickos, and so on. And this
1:34is where I'd like to coin a term that's
1:35going to be used throughout this series,
1:37and that is cat. You've heard of dogs,
1:40domino obsessed gamers. Well, I would
1:43like to add into the conversation cat.
1:46Someone who is a climber or trick taker
1:48or even to be more general, it could
1:49stand for cards and trick taking. So,
1:51what my intention is here is that if
1:53you're into those smallbox card games,
1:55right? If you're one of those sicko who
1:57seeks out the traditional depths of
1:59pagot, the indie game scene, Tokyo game
2:01market, etc. for your trick-taking,
2:03climbing, shedding, rummyish, or
2:05pokerish games. and you're not just a
2:08cat, but you're a cool one at that.
2:10Today, to kick this series off in a bit
2:12of a celebratory fashion, we're going to
2:13be talking specifically about my
2:15favorite trick taking games. And first
2:17of all, there's just kind of three quick
2:19points on these. Firstly, you may know
2:21that I have been big into dominoes
2:22lately, and a lot of the domino games
2:24that I play or have talked about are
2:26indeed trick- taking, climbing,
2:27shedding, so on and so forth. But as I
2:29go through these better card games
2:31videos, I'm going to keep dominoes
2:32separate in their own category. So, even
2:34the ones that say are trick- taking
2:36games I enjoy, they'll be in domino
2:37lists, not general trick- taking lists,
2:39just kind of for my own sanity to keep
2:41these lists straight. The second note is
2:43that the games that are featured here on
2:44my favorites list and on future
2:46favorites lists will also appear again
2:47in the series when we talk about that
2:49specific category that any given game
2:52applies to. And thirdly, the thing is is
2:54this is such a delicate list. It was one
2:56of the hardest things I've ever had to
2:58curate. I actually found this more
3:00difficult to finally settle in the
3:01rankings than I did my top 100 Rener
3:04Cania games video because in all reality
3:07the rankings constantly changing. Things
3:08are always a little bit in flux and the
3:11little subtle differences of where the
3:12games will place on the list could
3:14change from one day to another. So I did
3:16my very best to order these in an
3:18accurate and proper fashion because boy
3:21did I realize that I like a lot of trick
3:24taking games. For complete transparency,
3:26once I sat down to actually make this
3:27list, I realized that certain games that
3:29I casually in conversation will say,
3:31"This is one of my favorite trick-
3:33taking games
3:34this list of top 25." So, yeah, there
3:38would be a lot of honorable mentions I
3:40can't take the time to super get into.
3:41Certain games that I've barely dipped my
3:43toes into yet that I really enjoy and
3:45could see climbing up the list. Like,
3:47for instance, the game Boast or Nothing.
3:49I have barely touched this game. Uh,
3:52it's one that I've only played online,
3:54never played in real life, and if I did,
3:55it probably would climb up. I know that
3:57getting it to the table would be a big
3:59difference, hence why I'm super excited
4:00that it will be available as best of
4:02Neapolitan coming from PGC. So, in the
4:05future, when I inevitably have to make a
4:06top 100 tricktaking games of all time
4:08list, maybe you'll see it. Oh, and
4:11another point. You're probably familiar
4:12with this meme. This is going to apply
4:14to a lot of games on this list because
4:16there are quite a few uh that are either
4:18out of print or are getting new versions
4:20very shortly that I wish I had in time
4:22to make this video. And this is how I
4:25feel talking about some of them. You'll
4:26see. And to that point, originally this
4:29was going to be a top 10, then it was
4:30going to be a top 20. And here we are as
4:33the top 25 trick taking games of all
4:35time for me. I adore this genre and all
4:38the games in this list are the cream of
4:39the crop for me personally. and I could
4:41talk about them a lot, but to save time,
4:43the first few on this list we will talk
4:44about briefly so we can get through it.
4:46Let's get to the list.
4:51Kate or Kate is a fun trick taker where
4:56you have three suits and two of which
4:58you can combine together to make the
5:00third suit. How do you personally take
5:01your coffee? And it's a lot of fun
5:03trying to manage your hand of cards in a
5:05certain way. When do I put two cards
5:07together to make that third suit? When
5:09do I not waste them for that? all in an
5:10effort to win points and sometimes maybe
5:12avoid points as there's a certain
5:14threshold you don't want to bust over
5:15and the game is ultimately very
5:17approachable. It looks super charming,
5:18has an adorable little theme, but per
5:20usual as the game's from this designer.
5:22Uh it's one small clever little hook
5:24that really makes the game worthwhile.
5:27And this is one that I sure hope gets a
5:29wider release.
5:34Good grief. I cannot make a list on this
5:37channel that Rhiner Cania doesn't sneak
5:39his way onto. Foodie Forest or Too Many
5:41Cooks is a weird one cuz it almost in
5:42some ways doesn't even feel like a
5:44trick- takingaking game as you're not
5:45just going to play one card into a
5:46trick, but things are going to keep
5:47going until you reach an accumulative
5:49value of 10 and then things start to
5:51happen. The neat hook of this one is
5:53that you have different contracts you're
5:54trying to fulfill. You can only do each
5:56contract once per game. So, after
5:58assessing your hand, trying to figure
5:59out which would be the best for any
6:00given moment is is a really interesting
6:02fun experience.
6:04Foodie Forest is just weird and
6:06interesting and it's filled with just
6:08either some of the most exciting or the
6:09meanest moments and I think it's a
6:11blast.
6:17You know, the whole reason that
6:18tricktaking took on like wildfire in the
6:20hobby is that every game comes with some
6:23sort of hook or gimmick, genre, or other
6:26mechanism incorporated into the
6:28tricktaking that makes it funky and
6:30spicy and stand out amongst its peers.
6:33And incorporating set collection into
6:34tricktaking is absolutely something that
6:36you will see here and there. I don't
6:38think any do it as simply, efficiently,
6:39and thematically fun as Goshapon trick.
6:41This one allows you to buy and set
6:43collect dorable Gshapon figures. And the
6:45spread of figures across the suits with
6:47varying values make for some of the
6:49cleanest, most balanced mathy
6:51tricktakers out there. And Goshwan Trick
6:53also recently was re-released through
6:55plate and I think is one that folks
6:57should not pass up if like set
6:59collection or in general just like one
7:00of the most approachable tricktakers out
7:02there.
7:07Trifle is a small two-player or teams
7:09tricktaking game from Shawn Ross. This
7:12is a very recent love for me when it
7:13comes to trick- taking games because of
7:15just how clean and slick and simple this
7:17game is. It is super light and breezy
7:19and intentionally very familyfriendly or
7:21the kind of trick- taking game you could
7:23just play with your kids or rather how I
7:25enjoy it the most as a light play at a
7:29cafe over coffee sort of game. It takes
7:31its classic inspirations from the
7:33traditional Italian Briscola and in my
7:35opinion improves on them for a
7:37delightful easy to experience
7:38tricktaker.
7:40And if you had two copies, you could try
7:43the equally sweet cheesecake from Shawn
7:45as well, which kind of feels like a
7:47grown-up version of Trifle, uh, that is
7:49a little bit more involved. But either
7:51way, both are really sweet and deliver
7:53for me maybe one of the most relaxing
7:55experiences of any of the games on this
7:57list.
8:01Cat in the Box is a bit of a mindboggler
8:04for me because the cards don't have
8:06suits. you assign suits when you play
8:08them and it eliminates those said cards
8:11then from being played by anyone else.
8:13There is a decent bit to explain uh
8:15about this one cuz it has a decent bit
8:17going on and I'm going to be saving that
8:18for one of the first better card games
8:20videos that's going to be on its way.
8:22This is one where the fun really comes
8:24from how much the game makes your brain
8:26hurt in a good way.
8:32Well, what what is this? How is How is
8:35this even here? Well, that's because uh
8:38very very very soon uh you'll be seeing
8:41a full preview of this game from us.
8:42Yeah, we got a preview of this bad boy
8:44just for you. But to be brief, obviously
8:47this climbed on this list with
8:49expediency. Like, how did it get so high
8:52on my list after playing hundreds of
8:53trick- taking games that it's here?
8:55[snorts] That should speak volumes as to
8:57how good this game is. Now, see, down
8:59the line, we're going to have a whole
9:00better card games video about that
9:02certain kind of trick taking game that I
9:04call the kitchen sink game. And that's
9:06when you have tons of powers and
9:08abilities and different asymmetric
9:10things happening in the game that you
9:11wouldn't normally associate with
9:13tricktaking. And there's a few of those
9:14that I really enjoy that just missed out
9:16on this list. Games like Origin Story,
9:18Rebel Princess, and Zombie Princess, and
9:20the like. Right now, for me, Adventure
9:22Store is the best of that category. At
9:25the end of the day, what we're looking
9:26at here is the fusion of a couple
9:28mechanisms that shouldn't work together
9:30this flawlessly. You would think
9:32tricktaking wouldn't work where each
9:34player has a starting identical deck to
9:36each other and you continually upgrade
9:38over time. But in Adventure Store, the
9:40variety of choices, the catch-up
9:41mechanisms, and mitigation options to
9:43give you some control in the chaos, not
9:45to mention it's brimming with
9:46personality, especially in the artwork,
9:49makes for a trick-taking deck building
9:51mashup that is greater than the sum of
9:54its parts of just jamming those two
9:55mechanisms together. They actually
9:57really sing. They all contribute to a
9:59complete package that I personally think
10:01is going to become an evergreen in the
10:03hobby. It is going to be a standout in
10:04the trick-taking scene. For me
10:06personally, it actually feels more like
10:08a trick-taking game for deck building
10:10fans rather than the other way around,
10:12but somehow regardless still manages to
10:14make both aspects really shine. You'll
10:17be hearing more about this one soon.
10:22MW and More is a game that I really,
10:24really need to play more. a trick-
10:28taking game with partially revealed
10:30hands, uh, evershifting partnerships,
10:33and multiple trump suit or ranks to play
10:36around with. It's like a feast of
10:37embellishments in the trick- taking
10:39formula. And I've come to realize I like
10:40risk management in games, a mechanism
10:42relative, I suppose, to push your luck.
10:44And in Mu and More, each hand played is
10:46going to have essentially a whole bonus
10:48game before play begins where players
10:50taunt and tantalize and bait and bluff a
10:53little bit by revealing cards from your
10:54hand. So, you're giving out a lot of
10:56information, trying to test the waters
10:58and maybe earn a partner. But the more
11:00you reveal, the more control you may
11:02have on the round, but it also put you
11:04in a more vulnerable position because
11:06other players know precisely what you
11:08have. There's so much depth and nuance
11:10in Muan that really makes it a classic
11:12in this genre that you should absolutely
11:13give a chance to. And not to mention,
11:15the whole point of the more is the many
11:17different games that you can play with
11:18these cards that there are rules for.
11:20So, it's really something you could take
11:22a deep dive into. Uh, but I think the
11:24core game alone is phenomenal.
11:31Cania strikes again on this list with a
11:34trick taker that has taken many forms
11:36over the years from involving
11:38marshmallows to voodoo. Piñatas is
11:41really a standout to me in that
11:42Goldilock zone and I think All Play has
11:44done a great job at delivering the
11:45perfect form for this game because it is
11:47bright and colorful and cheerful, very
11:49approachable, has a really clever Canian
11:52style maty hook to the game, but is a
11:54really easy onboarding trick taker.
11:56Regardless of its place on this list, I
11:58consider it to be one of the very top
12:00first trick- taking games for people to
12:02try.
12:06Three Tricky Pigs from Steven Garo is
12:09just an incredible implementation of
12:12inserting theme into a trick-taking
12:13game, which in all honesty is a genre
12:16that's very difficult to make the theme
12:18matter. There's a lot of cool funkiness
12:20in Three Tricky Pigs, including the deck
12:22makeup, including the fact that if there
12:24are no wolves in the trick, then the
12:25laziest or weakest pig is going to win
12:27each trick. But then if a wolf is a
12:29round, then the strongest card is going
12:31to win the trick. and the fact that you
12:32have these modifier cards, the huff and
12:34puff cards that you can play to make
12:35your card stronger. There's a ton of fun
12:38variety and mitigation in this game. Not
12:39to mention that the theme really does
12:42enhance the experience because the way
12:44all of the different cards and suits in
12:45the game interact feels really organic
12:47to the classic narrative. And throw on
12:50to that the different goals that you
12:52have each round that you're trying to
12:53accomplish. And this feels like a
12:55really, really niche trick-taking
12:57experience while at the same time being
12:59very approachable and always fun and
13:00light-hearted because of what the theme
13:02brings to the table. If you engage with
13:04the theme and like funky deck makeups,
13:06then I think three tricky pigs will
13:08absolutely
13:10huff and puff and blow you away.
13:15I don't feel bad for saying that.
13:21Dino Tricks Tarot Adventures from Daniel
13:23Kennel is a game that I think in some
13:26words I have described previously as uh
13:29a tarot deck trick taking toy box of an
13:32experience. The reason I call Dino
13:34Tricks that is because it is technically
13:37three games in one. While they do each
13:39feel a little bit different, they all
13:40carry the same principles across the
13:42three depending on the player count that
13:44you want to play with. It's a really
13:46interesting way to incorporate a tarot
13:48deck into kind of modern trick-taking
13:50principles as a fantastic first
13:52experience for folks who want to try out
13:54that unique kind of deck. The added plus
13:58of Sibu's artwork, per usual, makes the
14:00whole thing even more delightful because
14:03it's the only game that I have that I
14:05can teach you the vibes of classic Terra
14:07deck uh tricktaking games in a variety
14:09of shapes and sizes for a variety of
14:11player counts that they're all really
14:12satisfying. plus have an adorable little
14:14dinosaur on an asteroid drinking beer.
14:21Enemy and Enemy from Daniel Newman is in
14:23a lot of ways the quintessential
14:25trick-taking game. And if it wasn't for
14:26the fact that I don't consider Must Not
14:28Follow to be something I immediately
14:30introduce to people. Otherwise, Enemy
14:32and Enemy would be one of the first
14:33trick- taking games I do share with
14:35people. And it it still kind of is. I
14:37just tell people not to expect must not
14:39follow in most games. But the general
14:41approachability and elegance in this
14:42design still make it a game I think is a
14:44great onboarding hook into the
14:46trick-taking fandom scene. The premise
14:48is straightforward, must not follow game
14:50cards that will help you manipulate and
14:51mitigate future card values. But what
14:54this game draws out of you is just a
14:56splendid amount of thinkiness and
14:57balance. trying to win as many cards as
14:59possible, trying to not put out more
15:01valuable cards on a chance that you'll
15:03lose them, but also trying to not do the
15:05best all the time so you can get those
15:07mitigation cards. Like Goshapon Trick
15:09mentioned earlier, thankfully Plate has
15:11put out a new version of enemy in an
15:13enemy as well, so more people will be
15:14able to get their hands on it. And I
15:16think that that is an awesome
15:17opportunity that you shouldn't pass up
15:19either.
15:24Here's the thing. Sumo is kind of stupid
15:27and brilliant for me at the same time in
15:30all the right ways for both of those
15:32monikers. It's a trick-taking game, but
15:35it's just kind of really dang weird and
15:37I love it for that. As I mentioned for
15:40another game higher up in the list, this
15:41one is definitely in the card count mess
15:43with your opponent mind game sort of
15:45thing as there are five ways to
15:47essentially instant win and many can
15:49happen by accident if you're not paying
15:51attention. Hence why it's a great time
15:53to run back multiple times in a row. And
15:56being a two-player trick taking game,
15:57you can do that in fairly quick
15:59succession. I've actually had games of
16:01this that lasted about 15 seconds. And
16:04yes, that sounds ridiculous, but there's
16:05ways to prevent it. And the more you
16:07play it, the more you'll pick up on
16:09those nuances, which what makes the game
16:10so interesting to me. It's far better
16:13and more engaging than you could say it
16:16technically should be. You could play a
16:18best of a tournament mode or just one
16:20hand at a time. And even though there
16:21are elements of strategy and tactics to
16:23it, you'll occasionally have those, oh,
16:26I just didn't think of that moments and
16:29lose really hard really fast. But this
16:32again, this is one of those few that are
16:33like really out there novelty games on
16:36this list and I just always have a good
16:38time with it.
16:43You're traveling through another
16:45dimension. A dimension not only of sight
16:47and sound, but of mind. A journey into a
16:49wondrous land whose boundaries are that
16:51of imagination. That's the signpost up
16:54ahead. Your next stop, The Dead Channels
16:56from Daniel Newman, is a trick taking
16:58game with dual-sided cards depending on
17:01how you play them. Dominoes. And the
17:03hook of the game is simply that the way
17:05you hold your hand to get the different
17:07values on the card shifts like a
17:09flickering haunted TV set whenever you
17:11break the rules. You're playing
17:13mustfollow tricktaking. And the moment
17:14someone in the mustf follow can't
17:16follow, then it shifts to must not
17:19follow. And then the minute someone
17:20follows, when you're must not following,
17:22it shifts back to must follow. I know
17:25the loop is so clever, so ingenious, and
17:27so satisfying to try and manipulate
17:29technically two hands of cards
17:31simultaneously, so you're as prepared as
17:34possible for those inevitable shifts. I
17:36personally think Dead Channels is a
17:38modern classic in the making for just
17:40the simple ingenuity of what's happening
17:43but with incredible depth for what that
17:45actually entails.
17:50Twinkle Starship is my favorite trick
17:51taking game from Tiki Shinszawa. Tiki is
17:54a designer who had so many games right
17:58outside my top 25. I still consider him
18:00to be one of the best designers and
18:02master the craft in trick taking. His
18:04games come with challenging exercises
18:07and exactitude with what you are trying
18:09to accomplish through your trick play
18:11with clever tactics and precision
18:13decision making.
18:15>> Oh, would you call that a decision
18:17precision?
18:21>> Oh, uh, I like that. Kind of as like an
18:25antithesis to analysis paralysis is
18:28decision precision.
18:30Yeah, maybe we could put that on a
18:31shirt. add Twinkle Starship to the
18:33sublist of games on this list of games
18:36that are getting a new life and a new
18:38version soon. I am so excited for its
18:40new life and glow up with Game Head uh
18:42in the form of Trick to the Future. It
18:45takes advantage of that fantastic little
18:48component hook with the pieces and the
18:50digital clock numbers to pay homage to
18:52one of my favorite movie series of all
18:54time. So, it is a super win-win. And I
18:56can't wait for more people to get to try
18:58this one because I I think Tykey's
19:00designs are just genius.
19:06Games like my eventual number one on
19:08this list kind of invoke this incredibly
19:10classic traditional oldw world vibe. And
19:13maybe a lot of that has to do with the
19:15theming when it's kind of that that oldw
19:17world knight's chest like that that kind
19:20of energy on the designs of the cards or
19:22on the theming and so forth. the aura of
19:24a traditional game in modern form. And
19:26for me, Shod and Freud is one of the
19:28best examples of that. Shod and Freud is
19:30a game all about doing good, but not too
19:32good. The winner is going to be the
19:34player who's the closest to 40 points
19:36without going over. So, you don't
19:37necessarily want to be the person who
19:39has the most all the time that's going
19:40to trigger the end of the game. But even
19:42trick to trick, it's the person who
19:43plays the second strongest card into the
19:45trick that's going to win it. And you're
19:47going to take the card that you played
19:48and any cards offuit into your score
19:50pile. The trick there too, though, is
19:52that if you get more than one of a
19:53certain value, you lose both cards in
19:55your point pile. It's just a really
19:57interesting balancing act uh from each
19:59individual trick to the overall scoring
20:01of the game. So, listen, sometimes being
20:04second best is the best. And I'm so
20:07unbelievably excited because this is
20:08another one on that sub list that is
20:10getting a new form shortly. It has its
20:12new edition coming from Office Dog that
20:14looks absolutely fantastic. Their work
20:16is tremendous in general and this game
20:18coming from them is a match made in
20:20trick-taking heaven.
20:26Trick- Taking plus adorable dogs
20:28singing. I'm pretty sure you assumed
20:30this was going to be on the list and
20:33yeah, you you were right. The trick
20:35taking games are either must follow or
20:37may follow or must not follow. But in
20:39Vivo, the super clever trick of this one
20:41is every single trick that is played is
20:43going to have uh a different follow rule
20:47is you are either going to have solos or
20:49duos or trios where when one is flipped,
20:52that's telling you how many suits need
20:54to be represented in the given trick.
20:56And it's a lot of fun to try to
20:58manipulate the other players a little
20:59bit that oftentimes what will happen is
21:01there are opportunities where you can
21:03force someone into playing a certain
21:05suit and try to manipulate the trick
21:07play in that way all in an effort to try
21:10to play higher value cards as the lowest
21:13ranked cards in a trick and because
21:15you're going to get those as points. For
21:17a game that is so small and so simple to
21:19teach, there's a lot of really clever
21:22thinking that is going to happen during
21:24the gameplay of Vivo. I think that this
21:26is one of the best showings from All
21:28Plays Tiny Box line, which is a series I
21:31really love. And thus, it makes Vivo one
21:33of the best big, beautiful game
21:35experiences that you can get in such an
21:37incredibly compact offering.
21:44Oh, freaking 12 chip trick. This game is
21:48is mind-boggling for me. I love when a
21:52game has really big energy in a small
21:55package. And while this isn't even
21:57literally the smallest box on this list
21:59alone, as far as components are
22:01concerned, you're playing an entire
22:02trick-taking game with literally only 12
22:05poker chips. And I'm lucky that a
22:07generous friend of mine gifted me a copy
22:09of 12 chip trick in its original form.
22:12It's like having a piece of history on a
22:14beloved game. It's just sharp and
22:16snappy, and its delivery feels like such
22:17an ambitious design in a novelty form.
22:24Fright Factor from Nick Ferris is a game
22:26that had me hooked from the start. Throw
22:27into that Alicia Jaru's fantastic, fun,
22:30charming, campy artwork and invokes a
22:32fun, whimsical, spooky theme that really
22:34captures the vibes of the game. The
22:36monsters may deliver a fright, but for
22:37me, I think the real scary thing is how
22:39this game seems to have flown under a
22:41lot of people's radar. I think it is a
22:43hidden gem that should not be overlooked
22:45and is very underrated. It's a splendid
22:47experience for anyone who likes unique
22:49bidding and interesting suit
22:51manipulation and play manipulation on
22:53this level and a lot I think a lot of
22:55folks would like the thinky crunch of
22:57frightfactor.
23:02Okay. Okay. Now, here is a major major
23:04cheat and I'm not shy about it. I don't
23:06feel bad about it at all. Ultimately,
23:09this spot is for Jackal versus Hyde. But
23:12at the same time, I enjoy so many of
23:13Geneal's games that this list ultimately
23:16would have been a third his games. And
23:20some of them are again not so similar
23:23that I would consider them that same for
23:28me. Like I've expressed, it's absolutely
23:29a mood thing. And I actually enjoy all
23:32of these and it's just in any given
23:33moment, which one would I like to play?
23:35Most of them are two-player tricktaking
23:38games with an adjusting suit track.
23:40Sorry, Odyssey. I know you're the
23:41outlier here, but it's still in this
23:43conversation. And since the more I play
23:45and discover, I really enjoy so many of
23:47them. The only factor in how I rank them
23:49is being moodbased. It felt right to put
23:51them all in the same spot. And by all, I
23:55mean most, but more on that in a minute.
23:58So yeah, ultimately this spot on the
24:00list is for Jackal versus Hyde, but
24:02depending on the mood, it could sub in
24:04and out one of the others shown. So
24:06definitely check out Gineal's
24:07TrickTakers because while I don't think
24:09everybody is going to like every one of
24:11them like I do, I do feel that there is
24:14most likely one for everyone.
24:20Oh, Torch Lit is just so freaking good.
24:24This one from Davis Pollinsky is a
24:26dynamite little trick taker that evokes
24:28the energy of RPGs and that whole
24:30dungeon crawly vibe.
24:33Winning and losing tricks across the
24:34course of a hand will delve you deeper
24:36and deeper into the dungeon. But after
24:38each trick, cards get placed under the
24:39different numbered doors. And based on
24:41what door you end up on, if it matches
24:43the target you set out at the beginning
24:45of the round, you'll it will score you
24:47points. It's actually very mathy and a
24:49fun romp in trying to piece together
24:50where you'll be and what risky plays
24:52you'll attempt to make it happen. It's
24:55funny because the theme looks like a
24:57dungeon crawl and kind of has the puzzly
24:59aspects of those kind of games. So, it
25:02evokes that in a couple unexpected ways
25:05because you're going to be trying to
25:06piece together where you'll be, what
25:07risky plays to attempt to make it
25:09happen. And something about the
25:10challenge of the crawl, balancing,
25:12winning and developing, and delving
25:14deeper while still working to manipulate
25:15card placement and scoring opportunity
25:18just jives together really nicely.
25:21Couple that with the new edition once
25:22again being more readily available from
25:24all play uh with just unbelievable
25:27artwork. It causes that theme to come
25:29alive. Even in the moments where you are
25:30trying to get intricate and puzzly and
25:32figure out the best moves to make,
25:33you'll still be inclined to talk about
25:35the characters and the classes and the
25:37monsters and what you like. Just really
25:39celebrate that whole energy in a
25:41trick-taking game. So, I I think it is
25:43just a wonderful game for people who
25:45enjoy both tricktaking games as a
25:47mechanism and if you enjoy the whole
25:48fantasy RPG world as well.
25:55Short zoots suit from Taylor Riner or
25:57its other form Tricky Twist is just a
26:00really cool mustfollow trick-Taking game
26:02where at the beginning you form a draw
26:04deck from cards in your hand that you
26:06can draw a card from at the beginning of
26:08each trick. You're doing that in a way
26:10to manipulate your ability to short in a
26:13suit when certain tricks are played
26:15because you're not going to just score
26:17for winning tricks, but you're also
26:18going to be scoring for tricks that you
26:21played an off suit into. Originally,
26:24it's own game. You can find short zoots
26:25suit in Taylor's zoo and more box of
26:28games uh as well as in its other form
26:31tricky twist that comes with some other
26:33powers and things in the game as well.
26:35Both productions come with charms and
26:36delights of and may be a matter of taste
26:38which one you go for. But I love this
26:41one for feeling so simple, so
26:42traditional, yet that relatively
26:44straightforward premise makes for a such
26:46satisfying gameplay. The balance of
26:48strategy and tactics with the agency of
26:50making your own draw deck, the exercise
26:52in timing of when to draw off the deck.
26:54It's one of my go-tos as unintimidating
26:56enough for anyone, but with enough legs
26:59that folks are really invested in it.
27:01It's a trick taker as sharp and snazzy
27:03as the bears it bears.
27:09Ah, the outlier. Here's the other game
27:11on this list that really is about a
27:13little bit of that card county will they
27:15won't they mess with your opponent sort
27:16of situation. And this is why a minute
27:18ago I said most of Gineal's games
27:20because I already cheated and put all of
27:22his other games together in one slot,
27:24but this one deserved a little bit of a
27:25special conversation. This was such a
27:28quick hit for me, a snappy two-player
27:31game that I after one hand of playing
27:35said, "This is one of the best games of
27:37the year and best trick- taking games
27:38I've ever played." I don't know why it
27:40clicked for me so hard so fast. You have
27:44two micro hands of cards that you look
27:46at one at a time. Four cards. Play
27:48those. Three more cards. Play those
27:49three. The cards only suits. You also
27:52have dice that you roll and assign one
27:54to each card that you play. The goal.
27:56Win exactly four tricks. If you can do
27:58that precisely or manage to make your
28:00opponent bust by winning a fifth trick,
28:01you win the hand. It's a super tight
28:03precision exercise with the added
28:05unpredictability of a dice roll. Now,
28:07here's the thing, though. The
28:08aforementioned classic suit strength
28:10track makes those two clashing factors
28:12so super compelling. If you play a
28:14higher number off suit on a weaker suit,
28:16it will climb the strength track. This
28:18means every single card you play, which
28:19aren't many, mind you, don't just affect
28:22that trick, but may adjust the strength
28:23for the next one. I'm not sure why this
28:26one is so intensely
28:29perfect for me in what I'm looking for
28:31in a game. I think it's the precision
28:35coupled with the numberless cards and
28:37the thrill of the dice and the slight
28:40asymmetry. So many fun buttons to press
28:43in a tiny little package that is
28:45incredibly bold, that looks great, is so
28:49lightning fast to play.
28:51I think it is my favorite pure
28:53two-player trick taking game, and I hope
28:56so many more people get to discover it.
29:02Perhaps a glaring omission from this
29:03list is The Crew. I like The Crew. And
29:06in fact, in the past, it probably would
29:07have been on this list or fairly higher
29:09than it is now. And while it always have
29:11a place in my collection uh for
29:13posterity, I think Lord of the Rings,
29:15Fellowship of the Ring, and now the Two
29:16Towers Trick Taking Game uh have just
29:18completely blown it out of the water for
29:20me. This masterpiece from Brian Bournem,
29:24some development by Taylor is the
29:26pinnacle of cooperative trick taking. I
29:28don't think there's any game that does
29:30it better. It manages to deliver an
29:32impeccable application of Tolken lore
29:35into round after round of co-op trick
29:37takingaking. You can tell from all of
29:38the creative energy put into this game.
29:40There is a love for the source material,
29:42love for this product, and and you can
29:44feel that passion infused in this final
29:47product.
29:49And for you, if you have not tried
29:51these, there are a lot of reasons you
29:52should. Whether you just like co-op
29:54games and not even are into tricktaking
29:56or vice versa or you just like Lord of
29:59the Rings, I think that this is a
30:01wonderful experience getting to play
30:02through the narrative in co-op trick
30:03taking with so many really fun, elegant
30:06bells and whistles. The narrative
30:07progression, the delightful thematic
30:09beats in the chapter specific
30:11challenges. They all really managed to
30:12capture the idea you're traversing the
30:14landscape of the respective books with a
30:16colorful cast of characters each with
30:18their own rules, abilities,
30:19restrictions. Of every co-op trick taker
30:22out there, something about this series
30:23stands out when it comes to the
30:24integration of the theme within the
30:26mechanisms. Sometimes co-ops become so
30:28puzzly, so clinical it can take you out
30:31of what you're doing and distract from
30:32perhaps the fun of the experience. But
30:35in this series, the goals and abilities
30:36and the way of everything interacting
30:38feels so organic that even when it's
30:40challenging, it doesn't lose its whimsy.
30:43I just love this game and there is so
30:45much to enjoy. From the excitement of
30:46venturing through the chapters,
30:47unlocking things, discovering wild
30:50mechanisms that are frankly
30:51unforgettable, looking at you,
30:53Treebeard, to the range of player counts
30:55down to solo that work super well. I
30:59personally loved it, too. And the strong
31:01pull to revisit chapters and characters.
31:03This whole thing is just phenomenal. And
31:05in all honesty, the fact that this is an
31:06everchanging campaignish game is the
31:08only thing holding it back from topping
31:10this list. You really should check it
31:13out. but even more especially if you
31:15check more than one of those boxes. I
31:17cannot wait for the future of this
31:19series.
31:24It Jazz could arguably be called the
31:26headliner of Taylor's Zoo and More
31:28collection. Designed by Taylor Reiner,
31:30Shawn Ross, and Chris Seel. Chai Jazz is
31:33a compendium tricktaking game, which is
31:35going to be a whole category on its own
31:37down the line that we'll talk about
31:38more. Inspired by the classic game of
31:40quaas in Chaii Jazz, you'll be playing a
31:43fairly traditional trick-taking game,
31:44but where after the cards are dealt, you
31:46go around the table bidding for choice
31:47of a contract. And the simple way to
31:49explain it is once you choose a
31:51contract, the other players collectively
31:53are simply trying to stop you from doing
31:56well in that contract. So when they
31:58inevitably play it, they will do better
32:00and get points. Over the course of the
32:02game, every single player will get the
32:04chance to try every single contract. And
32:06how scoring works is whoever did best
32:08and worst in those categories are going
32:09to get positive or negative points
32:11respectively. It's all a competition for
32:13who can do specifically better in those
32:15categories one at a time while the other
32:17players are working against you
32:19specifically when you're attempting it.
32:22The standard contracts include choosing
32:24a trump suit, choosing no trump and
32:26playing low cards high or playing slalom
32:27where each trick shifts from low cards
32:29being more powerful to high cards and
32:31back and forth. The game comes with tons
32:33of suggestions for other contracts, game
32:35lengths, player counts, variants, and
32:37more. Tons of variability to customize
32:39the experience to you, all while
32:41maintaining the spirit of what the game
32:42is trying to convey. The reason I love
32:44this one is that it feels maybe like the
32:46most pure classic trick taking on this
32:48list with a version of traditional deck
32:50must follow, many times trumping, but
32:52the scope of the game is so big and
32:54varied. There's so much possibility, and
32:56it's so interesting assessing your hand,
32:58trying to balance out when you take the
32:59plunge into a contract. Maybe your hand
33:02isn't the best, but it also may not be
33:03the worst, and you don't necessarily
33:05want to get stuck with an even worse
33:06contract situation later on. This is a
33:10trick game that could fill your evening.
33:12It probably could be the most involved
33:14on this list, hypothetically, depending
33:16on what contracts you're playing with,
33:17but it's one that you can pick up the
33:19gist of really, really quickly. The
33:20evershifting flow of contracts where
33:22you're either trying to just do the best
33:23you possibly can to suddenly working
33:25with an opponent in an enemy of my enemy
33:27situation. Chai tea jazz is a massive
33:29treat that to some may be the heaviest
33:31on this list but simultaneously feels
33:34very very traditional and intuitive
33:36between short zutsuit and this one uh
33:39that just makes zoo and more the one of
33:42the best things you could possibly get
33:43if you're a fan of this genre. Not to
33:45mention the fact that it comes with
33:46multiple other games that are fantastic
33:48in there as well.
33:53The six of eight is a special trick
33:54taker for me for a lot of reasons, but
33:57most importantly, it's because it's just
33:59a damn good game. As far as trick-
34:01taking is concerned. For me, it is in
34:03that Goldilocks zone. It is something
34:05you can share with anybody. I've had it
34:07be a very early trick- takingaking game
34:09that I share with people, and it's
34:11something that the really deep
34:13entrenched folks can enjoy as well. I
34:16mean like this is one you could play
34:17with the biggest cool cats out there.
34:19Those huge hearts and bridge and whist
34:21players uh who love tricktaking or
34:23specifically partnership trick taking.
34:25This is one that does it so elegantly uh
34:28and in such a just clean delivery and
34:30form factor. They will eat it up like
34:32candy. In the six of eight, you will
34:34play with a partner over a series of
34:36tricks where the trump suit will change
34:38as you progress. Each grouping and suit
34:40representing one of the six wives of
34:42Henry VII. The game makes for some great
34:45hand management opportunities, timing,
34:47and the most satisfying team moves as
34:49well. If you and your partner are in
34:51good sync, and you can pull off some of
34:52the best combos to win tricks, gain
34:54points. It is a game all about timing
34:57because you want to potentially save
34:59certain cards in your hand for when
35:01those cards become relevant or maybe
35:03intentionally playing certain ones
35:04earlier so people will bleed out of
35:06certain suits. It's it's just such a
35:08neat game to wrap your head around. It's
35:10all in an effort to capture card points
35:11in the most efficient way possible over
35:13the evershifting power of the cards in
35:15your hand. You throw in some other
35:17dual-use cards and you have an exciting
35:18landscape for a trick- takingaking game
35:20that has the spirit of a lot of
35:21traditional card games but with all the
35:23right dressings in the modern hobby.
35:25Now, here's the thing. I did struggle
35:27with making this list. I made that
35:28abundantly clear. I said, should I make
35:30Chai Jazz number one? I felt very
35:32strongly about it. Should it be Lord of
35:34the Rings the trick taking game? Should
35:35it be the four deuces? um because
35:37because I do feel very strongly about
35:38all of them. But here's the thing. Chai
35:41Jazz is incredibly long and involved.
35:43Lord of the Rings is is ultimately a
35:45campaign game. Four deuce is just really
35:47funky and weird. And I had to say to
35:48myself, what's the one that stands out
35:50the most that I would play the most
35:51often and pretty much play with anyone?
35:54And the answer was without a doubt the
35:56six of eight. I said this one was
35:59special to me, right? And it is for a
36:01few reasons. And this is just the icing
36:03on the cake because the the game speaks
36:05for itself as to how fantastic it is
36:08that it was going to be my number one
36:09anyway. But here is the icing on the
36:11cake or the cherry on top that makes its
36:13placement here feel all the more right.
36:16If it wasn't for the six of eight, there
36:19are actually dozens of videos that
36:21people have enjoyed on my channel that I
36:22never would have made. It opened the
36:24door for opportunity for dozens of on
36:26dozens of games that I otherwise
36:27wouldn't have tried, wouldn't have
36:29played, and not to mention open the
36:31doors for me to meet and befriend people
36:33and actually form friendships that I
36:35wouldn't have made. And at the time when
36:37I first played this game and sing its
36:39praises, I didn't know that was going to
36:41happen. So, this game on top of just
36:43being an awesome game, it holds a really
36:45special place for me. I played Six of 8
36:48for the first time on December 22nd,
36:502024. And on January 1st, 2025, it was
36:54already on my top 10 best games of the
36:56year because it was just that freaking
36:58good. And I didn't know the impact it
37:00would have on me. I just knew I loved
37:02it. And here we are. With every play of
37:05this game, it just stands out the most.
37:06It's one that I always want people to
37:08try and one that I think will be a
37:11massive mainstay in the hobby for a long
37:13while. I I can't wait for my new copy of
37:16uh Six of 8 from 25th Century. I was
37:18hoping it would be here. just like Trick
37:19to the Future, just like the fact that
37:21Shoden Freud is gonna have a new
37:22version. Uh there are so many games here
37:24that are gonna have new life and I'm so
37:26excited for so many people to discover
37:27these. Um but especially especially the
37:30six of eight because I think that it's
37:32going to have a huge impact and I can't
37:34wait for people to experience it in its
37:36new especially gorgeous form because for
37:38me I do think it is the best
37:40trick-taking game out there. I'm not
37:42shy. My love for these games comes from
37:44a place of rich nostalgia. Not a
37:46superficial one, but based on my
37:48history, my family, gathering together
37:50for card game nights, it brings me back
37:52to those times in a good way. And even
37:54though I've done a lot of videos about
37:55small card games, my first video on
37:57better card games was a special passion
37:59project for me. And now I feel like this
38:01is the heart and soul of Board Game
38:03Animal, and I never really would have
38:05shifted that way if it wasn't for
38:06playing the six of eight. I hope you
38:08really enjoy this. I hope you found it
38:10informative or interesting or turned you
38:12on to some games that you weren't aware
38:13of or maybe didn't realize. uh had some
38:16facet that now you're curious about. If
38:18you like any of these and want to talk
38:20about them, you have any questions or
38:21comments, please leave them down below.
38:23I'd love to engage on this topic. If you
38:25want to talk about the better card game
38:26series on its way or anything
38:27tricktakingy, please leave them all down
38:30below. Thank you so much for watching.
38:32And don't forget to always play board
38:35games like an animal, especially like
38:38one cool cat.

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