1/14/14

Today, I played Rook, and then taught San Juan.

Rook
Rook is 4-player card game (It can be modified for 3 or 5 rules). Two teams of players compete to score the most points. Certain cards have point amounts, which go to the winner of the trick they are in. The players bid for the ability to choose trump and to swap cards with a hidden nest of 5 cards. If the team the wins the bid does not score as many points as they bid, they score their bid negative. Beyond these basic mechanics, there are many house rules, e.g. what happens if you score more than your bid, what cards can take what, etc. We didn't finish, but over four hands, my team took a huge lead, and then lost it all.

The bidding and point taking work well together. It is difficult to figure out what you should bid, with so many factors up in the air. But in the end, the game stays light, since you might just get a bad hand dealt, and there's nothing you can do about that.

The rules are not too complicated. It takes a little while to get, but once you get the rules, the game moves very smoothly.

Rook is a partially cooperative game. It can get very tense, as there is so much hidden information, and one card can make or break the game. You get to know your partner a bit, and knowing their strategy can be big boost to your game.

In conclusion, a fun team game.

San Juan
I wrote a summary on the class blog:
http://gamesincommunity2014.blogspot.com/2014/01/san-juan.html

The cards as currency and as ability to buy is a very fun mechanic. It creates a lot of valid strategies. It is also nice that all buildings seem to have a good function that helps you. And have a card you don't like, you just spend it.

The rules take a little getting used to, but can be picked up on early in the first game. Things generally go smoothly from there, but forming strategies can be tricky. The rules also introduce some of the concepts of Puerto Rico, and might make playing that game much easier.

It is a relatively friendly game, employing the same passive interaction as Puerto Rico. Players choose roles, which have the same effect on everyone. Timing is extremely important, just like Puerto Rico. Unlike Puerto Rico, there is a lot of randomness. Sometimes you just can't get the card you want, which can frustrate your strategy.

In conclusion, a fun strategy card game. It can be good for preparing people for Puerto Rico.