2009 was an interesting year for card games. Not many completely original designs appear on my list of the year's best, but a number of modern classics were republished and given new life. Two of the new games on the list are based on board games, and for the second straight year, a Dominion game is my top pick. Of course, none of that makes these games any less fun to play -- and they all fit that description. (I have also published my list of the top 10 board games of 2009.)
What do you think were the best new card games of 2009? Share your thoughts here.
1. Dominion: Intrigue / Dominion: Seaside
Image courtesy of Rio Grande Games
For 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Donald X. Vaccarino, published by Rio Grande Games.
Dominion: Intrigue is a new standalone game, and Dominion: Seaside is a new expansion for the card game Dominion (my pick as the best card game of 2008). Both add a wide variety of new cards and powers, significantly increasing the replayability of a game that was already easy to play over and over. Players all begin with the same 10 cards: seven copper and three victory points (VPs). You have a hand of five cards; a basic turn consists of using one action and buying one card. New cards either give you new abilities or add to your VPs. Although you need VPs to win, during the game VP cards waste precious space in your hand.
Dominion: Intrigue is a new standalone game, and Dominion: Seaside is a new expansion for the card game Dominion (my pick as the best card game of 2008). Both add a wide variety of new cards and powers, significantly increasing the replayability of a game that was already easy to play over and over. Players all begin with the same 10 cards: seven copper and three victory points (VPs). You have a hand of five cards; a basic turn consists of using one action and buying one card. New cards either give you new abilities or add to your VPs. Although you need VPs to win, during the game VP cards waste precious space in your hand.
2. Masters Gallery
Image courtesy of Gryphon Games
For 2 to 5 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Reiner Knizia, published by Gryphon Games.
Based on the board game Modern Art (one of my picks for the best auction games), this is an excellent, quick-playing card game -- which is not at all about auctions. Players compete to collect the most valuable works by five classic artists: Degas, Money, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Vermeer. On each turn, you play a card representing a painting from one of the artists, which increases the value of that artist's work. Some cards also have special powers, which can twist the game in unexpected directions. After four rounds, the player with the most money wins.
Based on the board game Modern Art (one of my picks for the best auction games), this is an excellent, quick-playing card game -- which is not at all about auctions. Players compete to collect the most valuable works by five classic artists: Degas, Money, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Vermeer. On each turn, you play a card representing a painting from one of the artists, which increases the value of that artist's work. Some cards also have special powers, which can twist the game in unexpected directions. After four rounds, the player with the most money wins.
3. Samurai: The Card Game
Image courtesy of Rio Grande Games
For 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Reiner Knizia, published by Rio Grande Games.
Based on the board game of the same name, this is a fabulous strategy game. Play begins with one random city (card) placed in the middle of the table. Each player has a hand of five cards representing their samurai. On a turn, you play a card and then draw a card. If you create an empty corner, you can place a new city card in that space. When a city is surrounded, it gets scored, and players earn points (tokens in each of three shapes) based on the value of their cards around that city. At game's end, if you don't have the lead in at least one of the three shapes, you cannot win.
Based on the board game of the same name, this is a fabulous strategy game. Play begins with one random city (card) placed in the middle of the table. Each player has a hand of five cards representing their samurai. On a turn, you play a card and then draw a card. If you create an empty corner, you can place a new city card in that space. When a city is surrounded, it gets scored, and players earn points (tokens in each of three shapes) based on the value of their cards around that city. At game's end, if you don't have the lead in at least one of the three shapes, you cannot win.
4. Bonnie and Clyde
Image courtesy of Rio Grande Games
For 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up. Designed by Mike Fitzgerald, published by Rio Grande Games.
This game, while not nominally part of Fitzgerald's Mystery Rummy series of card games, fits right in with the best of those games. Players are law enforcement officers trying to catch notorious 1930s bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Ten of the duo's robberies are represented on a small board; a random card is placed beneath each location. When a meld (three or more cards of the same location) is played, the player gets to look at the card below that location on the board, making it possible to catch Bonnie or Clyde and earn bonus points. Despite some unfortunate graphic design choices, Bonnie and Clyde is an excellent game.
This game, while not nominally part of Fitzgerald's Mystery Rummy series of card games, fits right in with the best of those games. Players are law enforcement officers trying to catch notorious 1930s bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Ten of the duo's robberies are represented on a small board; a random card is placed beneath each location. When a meld (three or more cards of the same location) is played, the player gets to look at the card below that location on the board, making it possible to catch Bonnie or Clyde and earn bonus points. Despite some unfortunate graphic design choices, Bonnie and Clyde is an excellent game.
5. For Sale
Image courtesy of Gryphon Games
For 3 to 6 players, ages 8 and up. Designed by Stefan Dorra, published by Gryphon Games.
Originally published in 1997, For Sale plays out over two phases. In the first, properties equal to the number of players are laid out, face up, and players bid on them. When a player drops out, he pays half his bid and takes the lowest-valued property still available. The player who bids the most wins the highest-valued property but must pay his entire bid. In the second phase, cash cards equal to the number of players are shown, and players simultaneously reveal one of their properties. The highest-valued property is traded for the highest-value cash card, and so on. The player with the most cash wins.
Originally published in 1997, For Sale plays out over two phases. In the first, properties equal to the number of players are laid out, face up, and players bid on them. When a player drops out, he pays half his bid and takes the lowest-valued property still available. The player who bids the most wins the highest-valued property but must pay his entire bid. In the second phase, cash cards equal to the number of players are shown, and players simultaneously reveal one of their properties. The highest-valued property is traded for the highest-value cash card, and so on. The player with the most cash wins.
6. Mamma Mia! Plus
Image courtesy of Abacus Spiele
For 2 to 6 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Uwe Rosenberg, published by Abacus.
Players work to complete pizza orders in this new edition of a game first released in 1999. Each player has 15 pizza orders to fill. On a turn, you add an ingredient (pineapple, olive, green pepper, mushroom, salami, or shrimp) to the common pile and then choose whether or not to add an order card. When the draw pile is exhausted, the common pile is turned over and the ingredients are sorted until an order is revealed. If there are enough ingredients to fill the order, the player whose order is filled earns points. If not, the player can add ingredients from his hand -- or else the order goes back into his "to be filled" pile.
Players work to complete pizza orders in this new edition of a game first released in 1999. Each player has 15 pizza orders to fill. On a turn, you add an ingredient (pineapple, olive, green pepper, mushroom, salami, or shrimp) to the common pile and then choose whether or not to add an order card. When the draw pile is exhausted, the common pile is turned over and the ingredients are sorted until an order is revealed. If there are enough ingredients to fill the order, the player whose order is filled earns points. If not, the player can add ingredients from his hand -- or else the order goes back into his "to be filled" pile.
7. Court of the Medici
Image courtesy of Z-Man Games
For 2 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Richard James, published by Z-Man Games.
In this two-player game (based on the public domain game Casino), each is the leader of a powerful political faction in the city of Florence. The players each start with an identical set of 25 cards, including 20 nobles, two ministers, two jesters, and one duke. After creating the eight-card "inner table," players take turns playing cards to create a new outer stack, or on top of a previously played card. Cards played on top of an existing pile are either an alliance (no further action is taken) or a conspiracy (another pile with the same value is eliminated). The winner is the player with the highest-value nobles still in play at the end of the game.
In this two-player game (based on the public domain game Casino), each is the leader of a powerful political faction in the city of Florence. The players each start with an identical set of 25 cards, including 20 nobles, two ministers, two jesters, and one duke. After creating the eight-card "inner table," players take turns playing cards to create a new outer stack, or on top of a previously played card. Cards played on top of an existing pile are either an alliance (no further action is taken) or a conspiracy (another pile with the same value is eliminated). The winner is the player with the highest-value nobles still in play at the end of the game.
8. High Society
Image courtesy of Gryphon Games
For 3 to 5 players, ages 8 and up. Designed by Reiner Knizia, published by Gryphon Games.
This is a relatively simple auction game, first published in 1995, with the kind of clever scoring twist for which Knizia is famous. Players use their cash to bid on various luxury items, such as a horse or a yacht. From time to time, they must bid not to take negative cards, such as one (representing a fire) that causes your point total to be cut in half when scoring takes place. The twist is that at the end of the game, the player with the least amount of money remaining is immediately eliminated and cannot win. Of the remaining players, the one with the most points is the winner.
This is a relatively simple auction game, first published in 1995, with the kind of clever scoring twist for which Knizia is famous. Players use their cash to bid on various luxury items, such as a horse or a yacht. From time to time, they must bid not to take negative cards, such as one (representing a fire) that causes your point total to be cut in half when scoring takes place. The twist is that at the end of the game, the player with the least amount of money remaining is immediately eliminated and cannot win. Of the remaining players, the one with the most points is the winner.
9. Money
Image courtesy of Gryphon Games
For 3 to 5 players, ages 8 and up. Designed by Reiner Knizia, published by Gryphon Games.
Collecting currency is the theme of this delightful card game. The deck includes seven kinds of currency; the more you collect of one type, the more points you will score. Each round, eight currency cards are placed face-up on the board in two groups of four. Using cards from their hands to bid, players acquire those cards as they try to strengthen their position in one or two of the currencies. While bidding, players also try not to use cards their opponents are seeking, because the cards you bid with are also available for others to pick up. Money was first published in 1999.
Collecting currency is the theme of this delightful card game. The deck includes seven kinds of currency; the more you collect of one type, the more points you will score. Each round, eight currency cards are placed face-up on the board in two groups of four. Using cards from their hands to bid, players acquire those cards as they try to strengthen their position in one or two of the currencies. While bidding, players also try not to use cards their opponents are seeking, because the cards you bid with are also available for others to pick up. Money was first published in 1999.
10. Scary Tales
Image courtesy of Playroom Entertainment
For 2 players, ages 8 and up. Designed by Reiner Knizia, published by Playroom Entertainment.
Two games in the Scary Tales series are available: Snow White vs. The Giant and Little Red vs. Pinocchio. The goal is to rule the kingdom by collecting relics (e.g., magic beans, golden egg) worth seven points. Players take turns trying to win relic cards from each other via attacks that involve both playing cards rolling dice. In addition, each character has a special power which can be used once per game. For some reason, the box lids indicate this game is for ages 13 and up. Other than the slightly dark theme, nothing stops this from being played by children 8 and up (or, in some cases, even younger). It is really a children's game.
Two games in the Scary Tales series are available: Snow White vs. The Giant and Little Red vs. Pinocchio. The goal is to rule the kingdom by collecting relics (e.g., magic beans, golden egg) worth seven points. Players take turns trying to win relic cards from each other via attacks that involve both playing cards rolling dice. In addition, each character has a special power which can be used once per game. For some reason, the box lids indicate this game is for ages 13 and up. Other than the slightly dark theme, nothing stops this from being played by children 8 and up (or, in some cases, even younger). It is really a children's game.
