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Trick Taking Games

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Mon, 03/26/2018 - 12:16
The Odd Fox
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I'm curious what trick taking games you like and why. I'm also interested in what you don't like about trick taking games (specific examples are preferred).

I'm asking because I'm currently designing a trick taker and I am wondering what perceptions are with this kind of game and what would make for a good experience.

Thanks!

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Mon, 03/26/2018 - 19:33
#1
questccg
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What NOT to do...

Avoid making the game ONLY about "Set Collection", this is up there with the "Roll & Move" Mechanic...

Take a look at "Columbia", it has some neat mechanics in it... It may be a bit older of a game... But it's really cool how all the mechanics come together:

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/columbia

You can also check out the video from Bower's Corner too... Which recommends the game to gamers who don't like direct conflict in games. Sort of like most light to medium Euros!

There is a Poker-hand mechanic in determining who wins cards from the middle of the table... (That's about the simplest form of "Trick-Taking" I know of).

But it's cool because the mechanic is right there in the "heart" of the action... So to speak (pun not intended).

Anyways this is just one example... I'm sure other designers can point you to other games too!

Cheers.

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Mon, 03/26/2018 - 20:09
#2
questccg
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Another example - less subtle

"Plague" The Card Game by Jason Glover is also a Trick-Taking game you should take a look at too. I've never check-out the game but I know that Jason has been promoting it for several years now.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123635/plague-card-game

This is the BGG link to the game...

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Mon, 03/26/2018 - 20:29
#3
The Odd Fox
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Thanks! I've never heard of

Thanks! I've never heard of the games Columbia or Plague! I'll definitely check them out! The problem I'm seeing with many trick taking games is they are often theme-less and feel like dated, like they come from the land of 20-100 years ago.

Fox in the Forest was a fresh take on the genre and it's a really beautiful game! I'd love to do the same thing, create a trick taking game that has a more relevant feel to it.

Thanks for the links! I'll look them up!

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Tue, 03/27/2018 - 08:46
#4
let-off studios
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You Suck

I still enjoy an occasional evening of Hearts or Spades from time to time. Beyond that, one other comes to mind. There's a fun, classic-derived trick-taking game (er, tick-taking game) that I have on my shelf called You Suck. I appreciate it a lot. Here's the BGG link:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/140468/you-suck

As far as I'm concerned, it has everything you need to make a good trick-taking game:
- different suits of cards
- reasons to bid for certain tricks, and to bow out of others
- bidding at the start of rounds for how many tricks you predict you'll win (which I think is a crucial ingredient for depth of strategy and replay value)
- unique, one-off rewards for winning certain tricks

At the BGG link you'll find the Dice Tower review video link and other resources.

PS: Holy smokes... After posting that link, I just spent the last hour before my day job binge-watching Dice Tower videos.

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Tue, 03/27/2018 - 11:06
#5
The Odd Fox
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Thanks for sharing! I

Thanks for sharing! I haven't heard of this game either! I thought I was fairly well versed in what trick taking games were out there but people keep bringing up games I'm unfamiliar with. "You Suck" has some unique departures from the standard fare of trick takers so it was nice to see how they stayed in the genre while doing something fresh and new!

The trick taking game I'm designing is attempting to do the same thing (fresh take on the genre). Part of what makes my design unique (at least I haven't seen other trick takers do it) is that tricks are not won by players, rather, there are 3 Pirate Character Cards in the middle of the table (one for each of the 3 suits) and we, the players, make a secret bid at the beginning of the round toward which Pirate will take the most tricks. All the odd cards have special abilities, and there is also a 4th suit (more of an anti suit) that allows you to manipulate the cards in play.

Thanks for any posts about the trick takers you enjoy as it's very helpful as I develop and fine tune this design to better address the intricacies of this genre of game.

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Tue, 03/27/2018 - 12:13
#6
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Game crafter trick taker challenge[Closed]/Personal taste

The game crafter hosted a trick taker design challenge awhile ago. You may look there to see if you can find any inspiration.

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/contests/trick-taker-challenge

As for personal taste, I enjoy classic trick takers spades, hearts [also cancellation hearts] and rook. For a more modern one, I like Zen Master(1). I admit this one is not heavily themed. Slightly different from the classic trick taker structure, but still related (at least in my mind) are Tichu, Haggis and Lexio(2).

What I specifically like about spades, rook, Tichu is trying to develop strategies by figuring out what is my partner(s) hand and also trying to signal what type of hand I have.

1 Zen master:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/83197/zen-master

2 lexio:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/19184/lectio

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Tue, 03/27/2018 - 13:09
#7
let-off studios
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Won And Lost

The Odd Fox wrote:
[...]and we, the players, make a secret bid at the beginning of the round toward which Pirate will take the most tricks.
Oooh! And allow players to bid for which pirate they think will win the least tricks, too...! Award bonus points for each of the criteria they've bid for correctly.

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Tue, 03/27/2018 - 13:18
#8
MAR
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I am a big fan of hearts and

I am a big fan of hearts and like trick taking in general. A newer game to us is Schneeble. It was kick started last summer. Its fun, light, and has good artwork. Also, the interesting twist is that each player has a different number of tricks that they need to win each round.

Thanks,

Austin

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Tue, 03/27/2018 - 17:20
#9
The Odd Fox
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Lots of good suggestions

Lots of good suggestions coming in! I watched the Schneeble campaign closely when it was on Kickstarter and it seemed like a great game! I've heard great things about Tichu. Thanks for all the links that have been posted! It makes it easy to look up the games you are suggesting!

I don't know if I'll have a way to bid for the Pirate who doesn't take any tricks but I currently have a rule that if any of the 3 Pirates don't take any tricks then no one wins any coins. This forces the rounds to play more closely and not have anyone swamp the competition.

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