500 (the trick taking game) has always been a big hit in my family as I was growing up with extended family playing too. I recently taught this to my wife who has never played trick taking games and while it took a few plays, she is now loving it! Fantastic game
This was one of the most delightful top tens i've watched. Trick taking games are great as "talking games," as Zee put it. They have a perfect balance of engagement and casual atmosphere. Hearts is a favorite and, as a midwesterner, I grew up playing euchre for sure.
FYI guys, David Parlett is an author who has written a bunch of books about card games. I bought one of them ages ago when I was in to card solitaires, but I think he has compendiums that cover a massive spectrum. I don't know if you could arrange a chat with him easily, but it would be interesting to learn what he felt about the modern trick taking designs
Yes, I was going to say, I can't believe they've never heard of David Parlett. He wrote the Oxford Book of Board Games, as well as several books on card games. Any book on traditional games has probably used him as a reference. He's hugely respected by game historians. He's also a prolific game designer. His game Hare and Tortoise won the first Spiel de Jahres.
@@KarenSDR To be fair, his book on boardgames seemed pretty light on details about the hobby sector, so I don't think it's a surprise for the reverse to also be true. I'd still be interested to see him in a chat with the DT folks though!
I prefer rook over all the other games referenced.. except you play with blind partners. you pick trump, and you call out 1 card, whoever has the card is your partner for that round only, but they dont tell you. you only find out during the gameplay. works great with 4, best with 5 player.
Skat (for three players) and Doppelkopf (for four players) are very popular in Germany. Both you play in two teams, where the actual pairing is not known from the start, which is what makes the game interesting for most players.
one of my favorite trick taking games is played with dominoes instead of cards... forty-two (also called Texas 42.) it has quite a few variants and optional rules, and the first time i played it was with a group that used just about all of them. i especially liked that the trump 'suit' is variable and is set by the bids.
I wish more people knew about and played Skat in America. It is the best trick-taking game in the world, by far. It's for 3 players and the partnerships shift around based on who wins the bid. I love the game. Side note (and shameless plug) if anyone wants to play a great solo trick taking game, check out ECK in the bgg 2020 pnp solitaire competition.
Skat is undoubtedly a great game, but you need to find the right people to teach. The scoring system can really make people's eyes glaze over, and you kind of need to know how scoring works to take part in the auction
Loved this too 10, especially Timm's. I grew up playing trick taking games with my uncle, who was a professional bridge player (btw, he played against Omar Sharif in one of the tournaments, and always said this was one of the coolest parts of bridge tournaments -- everybody's gets to play against everybody). I never fully mastered the complex bidding system, but loved playing Blackout (Oh Hell), Spades, King, Hearts, etc. Trick taking games will always be close to my heart for all the memories with my uncle and my family. (I love The Crew btw, it blew my mind, it's so good!). Thanks, guys! :)
@@FMD-FullMetalDragon it's an amazing game. However, like all games that are mostly skill base, it plays best when played with players that are on the same level. It's no fun if you play with an expert, and the expert won't have fun either. There is a higher entry barrier for this one, compared to other classic trick taking (like hearts and spades), but if you put the effort it's worth it :)
Thank you for having Timm join you. I was a pleasure to see him. I love trick taking games. Thank you for making this video. I have a large game group, but I played trick taking games growing up 1-2 times per week. Don’t really have anyone my group that has the same level of skill/understanding with trick taking games. I definitely miss them. Your explanations bring back memories of finishing a trick taking game and disectng the game as group afterwards about what went wrong and right. “OHHH!!! If only I had that Ace of Hearts”.
Uplift-Your Daily Pickup At the end Zee said he didnt like Skull King which I HIGHLY disagree with. I had only positive sessions with different people at all player counts, also the mechanic that there is no real highest trump because of the mermaid has let to many funny scream out loud moments .
I like Skull King also. I can’t see how Zee can say Skull King has too many different ranks when I have trouble remembering all the special powers in Claim...
How crazy! I just started a Trick-Taking channel! Some other great trick-takers not mentioned: Relationship Tightrope(Zen Master) American Bookshop Nosoku Dice
Timm, have you tried Turn the Tide? It has a tournament bridge feeling because everyone has to play the same hand in a game. That’s what I love about bridge the most is the tournament scene where each east/west and north/south teams play the same hands and you see who plays them better.
I know Tom and Zee have come across David Parlett before (designer of the brilliant trick taking game Ninety-Nine), because they have reviewed Hare & Tortoise (first Spiel des Jahres winner), its re-theme Around the World in 80 Days, and Katarenga. As commenter "IShoot" mentioned already below he has written many books on card game rules and history, but he also has a web site which has all of his other original card games besides Ninenty-Nine. Another good trick-taking game he created, this one for 2-players, is "Duck Soup".
500, it’s similar to bridge and we got next level with it. The bidding was our table talk and you’d call your trumps like Timm was saying with Bridge. Another fun one was Up & Down the River.
Was going to comment on how much I like Timm, I subscibed to his TH-cam channel as a result. Bring him back for additional features please! He fit right in immediately.
The way we played Hearts was that the Jack of Diamonds (rather than clubs) would cancel 10 points and if you got it, you couldn't shoot the moon. Of course, we played that if you successfully shot the moon (all hearts and Queen of Spades, NO Jack of Diamonds), you outright won the game.
And...had to quickly pause video to subscribe to Timm’s channel! Looks like awesome content! I can’t wait to check out his videos! When I’m out and about again I’d definitely love to stop by the cafe as a point of interest when visiting Las Vegas in the future!
Great episode! Love seeing these chats about trick-taking, especially when they discuss games I haven't heard of. Timm was a great guest, and his point about loving Bridge despite "sucking" is wise and applies to most "lifestyle" games that reward practice (golf, poker, Magic: The Gathering, etc.). You just have to find people who take a similar approach.
I think the trouble is that Tom has a myopic view on "classic" games and doesnt seem to realise that MODERN boradgamers are the minority compared to people that play Bridge, Scrabble and Monopoly for example. The average person views them as geeks and there are loads of cultural barriers
Grew up playing lots of canasta with my mom. She'd beat me like a rug. In college played tons of hearts, spades, whist, bridge n pinochle. Love running hearts.
So I tried finding info on the game that I want to suggest here, but I couldn't find anything online. So I was taught and I really like a variant on Spades that my friends just call "Bid". So major differences is that you don't deal the entire deck out each round rather you start off with dealing 1 card out to each players and playing out that round and work your way up to 13 (in the case of a 4 player game) and then back down to 1. The scoring is not first person to 500, rather just person with highest score at the end of the game wins. As far as scoring, you get negative 10 pts per trick bid if you don't get the amount that you bid, positive 10 pts per trick if you got the exact amount tricks bid, and if you get any additional tricks you get 1 pt per. I really like spending an evening playing a trick taking game, and this is what I will always suggest.
I thought at least Zee heard of “Joraku” before. I guess my memory is lying to me because if he had he’d know that’s the best trick taking game!! Great video as always gents!
Nokosu Dice (complex) and David And Goliath (simple). Both can be played with a Stick 'Em deck. Hund (Ebbes) looks fun, and 9 Lives looks to be complex and fun. I will be getting those.
Meepleville is the greatest board game store in the world. Timm is the nicest dude and super helpful. If you're ever going through vegas, check his place out!
My favorite is probably Bourré. But it is also the one I played the most of growing up. Played every thanksgiving with my extended family and it was just a lot of fun. I actually had not played any non general domain trick taking games so now I have a few to look into.
I'm surprised you haven't heard of David Parlett, author of "The Oxford Book of Board Games". He's a renowned expert on traditional board games as well as a designer of abstract games.
I have every single game Zee mentioned (just got Eternity) in a trade. Timm reminded me that I need to teach my daughters the classic card games. Our favorite trick taking game is a variant of Barbu. This a game often played at Bridge tournaments as a palette cleanser.
I'd recommend the following "classic" card games...not all trick taking....Bridge ( though Id recommend not using any complex bidding conventions nor scoring), Black Maria, Hearts, Gin Rummy, President....an obscure self made game Spooneye (just search for it online) ...and probably Spider for solotaire. Maybe Blackjack/Pontoon...I have never been keen on Poker and its zilliuon variants
I’m surprised no one mentioned Cahoots by Mayday Games. This is a great trick-taking game where alliances are always shifting, but only 1 player wins. Check it out!
I don't understand why everyone finds Pikoko so confusing. Because you don't get any points for winning tricks, just accurate bids, you aren't really playing someone else's cards for them. It's just that your cards are on the rack in front of the person to the left of you. And you can see everyone's hand, except the person to the right of you. The racks being to your left is the only realistic way to make that concept work without trading hands the whole game to look at em again.
Losing missions in The Crew is HOW you teach beginners. It may seem frustrating to long time gamers but there is a really satisfying feeling when that beginner finally gets it and has their "aha!" moment. Of course that's when the Crew changes the rules on you hahaha.
1. The crew 2. Skull king. Where is Skull King? How does it not make this list? Especially the reprint’s art and expansion. Zee, you’re wrong. Why are you anti-fun? ;-)
@@rungalaad I'll give you that. I'm very competitive about trick taking games, so I found it too complicated for how random it is. It's designed to be unpredictable, but I guess I don't really want that is this sort of game.
@@KissellMissile I think the Schmidt version is perfect balance between fun and strategy... Clearly a fun tarot, from what I saw the papa version makes everything nice for big fans but lose the flow of the first version.
I'm in my 40s and have no experience with trick taking games. I had a friend try to teach me Pinochle. It makes....no....sense. I also can't wrap my bread aroung trick taking. I agree with Tom saying maybe you need to learn when you are young.
Talking about Argentina games, we have one that is part trick taking. It is called TRUCO. Look for it. You can play it one on one, but all the bright of this game comes in two against two. You can make signs to tell your couple the cards you have, and you have to lie every single time. Look at it if you can.
Played and beat The Crew, and if addiction is a rating mechanic then it's a solid 10/10. Reflecting back it's about a 7/10 with a ton of luck on the dealt cards, where it's just an efficiency puzzle mitigating that opening hand.
Strange. Surprised that Mu, Sticheln, and Mit List und Tuche didn't make it in the list. But I guess they're all older games. Relieved that 99 did - it's the best 3-player tricktaking game, whereas Mu is the best 5-player and Sticheln the best 6-8 player.
Sheepshead is a must try for anyone who likes trick taking. Better than bridge in my opinion. Start each hand with a secret partner which I've never seen before in a trick taking game.
regarding the Spanish trick taking games, I remember playing one with a normal deck that had 3 rules and I do not remember how it is called. Anyone? the rules were: A. the classic, if you have a card of the same color/shape as the one played by the first player you need to play it. If you do not then you can through whatever you like (so this is also a trust/cheat issue) B. Classic rule also. Winner of the round is the one that played the higher valued card of the same color/shape as the first card played in the round/ C. The victory point system: in the beginning of each round the first player declares if he is going to win or not this round and then all players in order do the same. The ones who get it right get the point. So only one can win but many can get the point by loosing.
Here's some other trick-taking games not already mentioned in comments/video that are well worth a look: Canyon Trickster: Champions of Time Ebbes Spy Tricks Crazy Lab Cobras Scharfe Schoten
Do you happen to have a recommendation for a trick taking game to introduce kids to the concept? I bought the crew recently to play with my kids ( haven’t tried it yet) and I thought I might do it without hidden info at first.... would love another suggestion. Heart or spades maybe?
@@searose6192 I think Hearts and Spades are the classics but Hearts can be a bit mean and Spades might be more complicated than you want to start off. I might start with 5 cucumbers to get the basics of trick taking down in a fun game...its short and quick enough that the "player elimination" isn't usually an issue. If the player elimination is an issue and/or as a next step, I would go with Spades but with open hands (cards on table) so you can guide them through the concepts. Ultimately I think the best one to really understand first is Spades as it lays a solid foundation from which you can do well with any other trick taking game.
The best trick taking game is (in my opinion) Tarock (Piatnik cca. 1905 ;) ) (not to be confused with Tarot) - but I like your choices also (I really like Claim and Niet, Fox in the forest too)
I enjoy the introductions to other content providers. Timm was a nice addition this week. Of course, I also enjoy the Dice Tower crew. Off topic, but I'd enjoy watching the DT crew playing Gloomhaven.
@@markpatoka Hey Mark, thank you for your comment. :) I did not even know that there are areas in the US where people play Schafkopf. Those are probably bavarian descendants. Who taught you the game?
@@afaik1Ben We know it by the American name Sheepshead. The upper midwest of the US was settled mostly by Bavarian/Nordic settlers and I've found the game mostly confined to that region. It was one of the first real card games we learned as kids. There are even regional variations on how it's played but even though it's not as well-known as Euchre, Pinochle or others, it has a very strong following. We can play it for hours when we meet up with family.
My top 10 Trick-Taking Games: 10 - Druids 9 - The Dwarf King 8 - Trump, Tricks, Game! 7 - Black Spy 6 - Hearts 5 - David & Goliath 4 - Spades 3 - Eternity 2 - Schneeble 1 - The Bottle Imp These are all in my top 100 games of all-time (trick-taking is my favorite mechanism) along with 5 Cucumbers, Skull King, and Anansi & the Box of Stories...I have yet to play The Crew, it's next on my list! :)
Try Ultimate Hearts - its the version where all the Queens have extra abilities. Queen of Spades is normal. Queen of Clubs Negates the Queen of Spades. Queen of Hearts doubles the Heart values of your hearts you take in, and Queen of Diamonds is worth -10 points.
I've had it on my list for a time and just last week dug a bit to see if I could find a copy. Well, I found out that you can use the cards from the accessible RAGE card game to play David & Goliath. I give up, and will just do that
I thought I'd match more of Zee's list but I don't even own his Top 5 (yay, Trumpet!). But I could probably take 5 from Timm's and add it to Zee's bottom 5 and I'd have my list.
I really like Timm as a guest. Fantastic
Thanks so much!
For real!
Yeah, I really liked his perspective! I’m going to check out his channel
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!😊
Please bring Timm back... great addition to the video. Just loved his personality
Thanks!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Timm is fabulous. Wonderfully eloquent and great positivity. More please!
Thank you Robert!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Timm’s infectious laugh reaches right out of the phone and slaps me on the back. Looking forward to meeting him at the game table one day. More Timm!
Thanks Jack!
Top 10 Request: Top 10 house rules that improve a game
It really depends on the game, I don't think we can generalize in this regard
1. No tagbacks
2. No oddjob
3. Tournament rules
4. Turn it into a drinking game
Very good suggestion
Skat. One of the truly great games.
Hard to wrap your head around at
first, but worth the effort.
500 (the trick taking game) has always been a big hit in my family as I was growing up with extended family playing too. I recently taught this to my wife who has never played trick taking games and while it took a few plays, she is now loving it! Fantastic game
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
This was one of the most delightful top tens i've watched. Trick taking games are great as "talking games," as Zee put it. They have a perfect balance of engagement and casual atmosphere. Hearts is a favorite and, as a midwesterner, I grew up playing euchre for sure.
no mention of Grandpa Becks "Skull King"
we need skull king !
When I was in high school, we used to play a lot of a game called Thirteen. It is a Vietnamese card shedding game called Tiến lên.
FYI guys, David Parlett is an author who has written a bunch of books about card games. I bought one of them ages ago when I was in to card solitaires, but I think he has compendiums that cover a massive spectrum. I don't know if you could arrange a chat with him easily, but it would be interesting to learn what he felt about the modern trick taking designs
Yes, I was going to say, I can't believe they've never heard of David Parlett. He wrote the Oxford Book of Board Games, as well as several books on card games. Any book on traditional games has probably used him as a reference. He's hugely respected by game historians. He's also a prolific game designer. His game Hare and Tortoise won the first Spiel de Jahres.
@@KarenSDR To be fair, his book on boardgames seemed pretty light on details about the hobby sector, so I don't think it's a surprise for the reverse to also be true. I'd still be interested to see him in a chat with the DT folks though!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
'she'll marry me, but she won't be my partner in rook' - that's gold, tom!!
I prefer rook over all the other games referenced.. except you play with blind partners. you pick trump, and you call out 1 card, whoever has the card is your partner for that round only, but they dont tell you. you only find out during the gameplay. works great with 4, best with 5 player.
Skat (for three players) and Doppelkopf (for four players) are very popular in Germany. Both you play in two teams, where the actual pairing is not known from the start, which is what makes the game interesting for most players.
one of my favorite trick taking games is played with dominoes instead of cards... forty-two (also called Texas 42.) it has quite a few variants and optional rules, and the first time i played it was with a group that used just about all of them. i especially liked that the trump 'suit' is variable and is set by the bids.
Dude I was just about to chime in with 42. Great game. In my opinion it's spades in dominos form.
I never got the hang of holding all the dominos. Think that's why I prefer spades.
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
I wish more people knew about and played Skat in America. It is the best trick-taking game in the world, by far. It's for 3 players and the partnerships shift around based on who wins the bid. I love the game. Side note (and shameless plug) if anyone wants to play a great solo trick taking game, check out ECK in the bgg 2020 pnp solitaire competition.
Skat is undoubtedly a great game, but you need to find the right people to teach. The scoring system can really make people's eyes glaze over, and you kind of need to know how scoring works to take part in the auction
Loved this too 10, especially Timm's. I grew up playing trick taking games with my uncle, who was a professional bridge player (btw, he played against Omar Sharif in one of the tournaments, and always said this was one of the coolest parts of bridge tournaments -- everybody's gets to play against everybody). I never fully mastered the complex bidding system, but loved playing Blackout (Oh Hell), Spades, King, Hearts, etc. Trick taking games will always be close to my heart for all the memories with my uncle and my family. (I love The Crew btw, it blew my mind, it's so good!). Thanks, guys! :)
Bridge is one card game I've never learned to play and always wanted to.
@@FMD-FullMetalDragon it's an amazing game. However, like all games that are mostly skill base, it plays best when played with players that are on the same level. It's no fun if you play with an expert, and the expert won't have fun either. There is a higher entry barrier for this one, compared to other classic trick taking (like hearts and spades), but if you put the effort it's worth it :)
Thanks Carolina!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Skull King has been a hit in my game groups. Not mentioning it here is a shame
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
I subscribed to Timm's channel in a heartbeat. He's a delight
Thank you for having Timm join you. I was a pleasure to see him.
I love trick taking games. Thank you for making this video. I have a large game group, but I played trick taking games growing up 1-2 times per week. Don’t really have anyone my group that has the same level of skill/understanding with trick taking games. I definitely miss them. Your explanations bring back memories of finishing a trick taking game and disectng the game as group afterwards about what went wrong and right. “OHHH!!! If only I had that Ace of Hearts”.
Thanks!
Timms astonishment of Zee saying "Cholo" gave me a great amount of Joy!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
How did no one say Skull King? I got 3 and only one was mentioned here. The Crew, Custom Heroes, and Skull King.
Uplift-Your Daily Pickup At the end Zee said he didnt like Skull King which I HIGHLY disagree with. I had only positive sessions with different people at all player counts, also the mechanic that there is no real highest trump because of the mermaid has let to many funny scream out loud moments .
Skull King is too complicated for how chaotic it is. I have never found it to go over well with those who play these sorts of games often.
Dear god!! No skull kings???
Or maybe you haven't played all the ones in our top ten?
I like Skull King also. I can’t see how Zee can say Skull King has too many different ranks when I have trouble remembering all the special powers in Claim...
@@jenniferdavis3026 So true
The Dice Tower I wish that was true, but I’ve played quite a few of them.
Timm was great, looking forward to seeing him in future Top 10's.
Thank you!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Crazy some great trick taking games not mentioned. Texas Showdown, & Sticheln, Scharfe Schoten are my top 3 hands down.
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
As someone who has never played a trick taking game, this was way more interesting than I thought it would be. Good job folks!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Tournament at Camelot is a good one!
Possibly my second best Trick taking game...
... after Tournament at Avalon ;)
Great Timm! Great guest and the right one for this topic... first bridge and second the crew is just as it has to be
I dont think Joraku gets enough love. Amazing little trick taking/area control game.
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
I'm with Timm on bridge, but it is definitely a 'lifestyle game', so I can see being reticent to get into it if you don't want to do that.
How crazy! I just started a Trick-Taking channel!
Some other great trick-takers not mentioned:
Relationship Tightrope(Zen Master)
American Bookshop
Nosoku Dice
Timm, have you tried Turn the Tide? It has a tournament bridge feeling because everyone has to play the same hand in a game.
That’s what I love about bridge the most is the tournament scene where each east/west and north/south teams play the same hands and you see who plays them better.
Hearts was a family game growing up, some nice memories of my early days of gaming
Hey Rodney Smith, meet the second nicest guy in gaming, Timm.
It would need to be a multiplayer solitaire game, I couldn’t bring myself to attack either of them in a head to head game 😂
Just too nice.
Very nice Paul. Thanks!
Top 5 in no particular order: Sticheln (Stick'em), Njet, Skull King, The Crew, Tichu. Not mentioning them is therefore wrong😉
Did monster trick ever hit the US, been looking for it off and on for a while... Never saw it pop up...
I know Tom and Zee have come across David Parlett before (designer of the brilliant trick taking game Ninety-Nine), because they have reviewed Hare & Tortoise (first Spiel des Jahres winner), its re-theme Around the World in 80 Days, and Katarenga. As commenter "IShoot" mentioned already below he has written many books on card game rules and history, but he also has a web site which has all of his other original card games besides Ninenty-Nine. Another good trick-taking game he created, this one for 2-players, is "Duck Soup".
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
500, it’s similar to bridge and we got next level with it. The bidding was our table talk and you’d call your trumps like Timm was saying with Bridge. Another fun one was Up & Down the River.
I'm not a native English, so I had to check why you mention so many times the name of the president of your country. :)
Trump card? Hahahahahaaaaaaaa
This comment made my day.
Was going to comment on how much I like Timm, I subscibed to his TH-cam channel as a result. Bring him back for additional features please! He fit right in immediately.
Thanks Tobias!
The way we played Hearts was that the Jack of Diamonds (rather than clubs) would cancel 10 points and if you got it, you couldn't shoot the moon. Of course, we played that if you successfully shot the moon (all hearts and Queen of Spades, NO Jack of Diamonds), you outright won the game.
And...had to quickly pause video to subscribe to Timm’s channel! Looks like awesome content! I can’t wait to check out his videos! When I’m out and about again I’d definitely love to stop by the cafe as a point of interest when visiting Las Vegas in the future!
Thanks Melissa! Hope to see you in Vegas!
Need your top 10 talking games - what zee said...games where its something to do while chatting.
I think I've seen this before somewhere. Maybe not on dice tower, maybe brothers murph. I know its somewhere.
Great episode! Love seeing these chats about trick-taking, especially when they discuss games I haven't heard of. Timm was a great guest, and his point about loving Bridge despite "sucking" is wise and applies to most "lifestyle" games that reward practice (golf, poker, Magic: The Gathering, etc.). You just have to find people who take a similar approach.
I think the trouble is that Tom has a myopic view on "classic" games and doesnt seem to realise that MODERN boradgamers are the minority compared to people that play Bridge, Scrabble and Monopoly for example. The average person views them as geeks and there are loads of cultural barriers
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Surprised i didn't see Wizard's card game on here
Where's Tournament at Camelot and the excellent Chronicles from Kanai?
My number one: BRIDGE! HANDS DOWN
Euchre should be top 5 in every list. It's got everything. It's easy, fast, cooperative, betting, fun, and deep if you want it to be.
I will say it's not cooperative it's partnerships
@@TakingTurnsTogether yeah that's true. Not very many team vs team games though. Love euchre.
Euchre is the checkers to Spades Chess.
No Sticheln?
Timm is great! I'm surprised he hasn't done one of these before, as I found him super entertaining on this. More Timm! TEAM TIMM!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Will have to try some of these. High Low Jack was the one we always played with a regular deck of cards
Grew up playing lots of canasta with my mom. She'd beat me like a rug. In college played tons of hearts, spades, whist, bridge n pinochle. Love running hearts.
Are we ever going to get a reprint of eternity?? Been wanting it for awhile.
You’ve been waiting an eternity for it
@@searose6192 lol. Just about.
SeaRoe beat me to it :) I was going to say we will be waiting for eternity!
I just got it in a trade, BUT it is being remade with a completely different theme and coloring, called Anansi
Thank goodness someone had the sense to say Bridge.
So I tried finding info on the game that I want to suggest here, but I couldn't find anything online. So I was taught and I really like a variant on Spades that my friends just call "Bid". So major differences is that you don't deal the entire deck out each round rather you start off with dealing 1 card out to each players and playing out that round and work your way up to 13 (in the case of a 4 player game) and then back down to 1. The scoring is not first person to 500, rather just person with highest score at the end of the game wins. As far as scoring, you get negative 10 pts per trick bid if you don't get the amount that you bid, positive 10 pts per trick if you got the exact amount tricks bid, and if you get any additional tricks you get 1 pt per. I really like spending an evening playing a trick taking game, and this is what I will always suggest.
I thought at least Zee heard of “Joraku” before. I guess my memory is lying to me because if he had he’d know that’s the best trick taking game!!
Great video as always gents!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Nokosu Dice (complex) and David And Goliath (simple). Both can be played with a Stick 'Em deck.
Hund (Ebbes) looks fun, and 9 Lives looks to be complex and fun. I will be getting those.
Awesome video! Love trick taking games! Probably one of my absolute favorite genres…
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Meepleville is the greatest board game store in the world. Timm is the nicest dude and super helpful. If you're ever going through vegas, check his place out!
My favorite is probably Bourré. But it is also the one I played the most of growing up. Played every thanksgiving with my extended family and it was just a lot of fun. I actually had not played any non general domain trick taking games so now I have a few to look into.
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
I'm surprised you haven't heard of David Parlett, author of "The Oxford Book of Board Games". He's a renowned expert on traditional board games as well as a designer of abstract games.
I have every single game Zee mentioned (just got Eternity) in a trade. Timm reminded me that I need to teach my daughters the classic card games. Our favorite trick taking game is a variant of Barbu. This a game often played at Bridge tournaments as a palette cleanser.
We also enjoy Vampire Queen and VooDoo Prince, which no one has mentioned
I'd recommend the following "classic" card games...not all trick taking....Bridge ( though Id recommend not using any complex bidding conventions nor scoring), Black Maria, Hearts, Gin Rummy, President....an obscure self made game Spooneye (just search for it online) ...and probably Spider for solotaire. Maybe Blackjack/Pontoon...I have never been keen on Poker and its zilliuon variants
I love when zee praises games you can't buy anymore.
Suprised Zee didn't mention Blend Coffee Lab or Taking the A Chord.
who are the band playing the final theme? what a rythm section!!!!!!!!
I’m surprised no one mentioned Cahoots by Mayday Games. This is a great trick-taking game where alliances are always shifting, but only 1 player wins. Check it out!
Tournament at Avalon and The Crew...for me, these two are the best, by a mile.
I don't understand why everyone finds Pikoko so confusing. Because you don't get any points for winning tricks, just accurate bids, you aren't really playing someone else's cards for them.
It's just that your cards are on the rack in front of the person to the left of you. And you can see everyone's hand, except the person to the right of you.
The racks being to your left is the only realistic way to make that concept work without trading hands the whole game to look at em again.
Losing missions in The Crew is HOW you teach beginners. It may seem frustrating to long time gamers but there is a really satisfying feeling when that beginner finally gets it and has their "aha!" moment. Of course that's when the Crew changes the rules on you hahaha.
What trick taking game is best for two players that have never played a trick taking game?
Yes! 99 is a favorite of mine as well. Timm had a lot of great picks for my taste!
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Mü is my favorite, and I played a lot of trick taking games e.g. Gang of Four, Skull King, Spades, Bridge, 500, Hearts, The Crew, etc.
this was awesome! thank you, guys!
1. The crew 2. Skull king. Where is Skull King? How does it not make this list? Especially the reprint’s art and expansion. Zee, you’re wrong. Why are you anti-fun? ;-)
I agree, a shame skull king is not there!
The simultaneous bidding in Skull King kills it for me.
@@KissellMissile that's exactly why the game is fun 😉
@@rungalaad I'll give you that. I'm very competitive about trick taking games, so I found it too complicated for how random it is. It's designed to be unpredictable, but I guess I don't really want that is this sort of game.
@@KissellMissile I think the Schmidt version is perfect balance between fun and strategy... Clearly a fun tarot, from what I saw the papa version makes everything nice for big fans but lose the flow of the first version.
I'm in my 40s and have no experience with trick taking games. I had a friend try to teach me Pinochle. It makes....no....sense.
I also can't wrap my bread aroung trick taking.
I agree with Tom saying maybe you need to learn when you are young.
I grew up with trick taking games, and I find it hard to make sense of Pinochle.
My favorite trick taking game today is Tournament at Camelot. Most of these I've never heard of though, so now I have some more options to look into.
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
1. Skull King
2. The Crew
3. Tichu
4. Spades
Talking about Argentina games, we have one that is part trick taking. It is called TRUCO. Look for it. You can play it one on one, but all the bright of this game comes in two against two. You can make signs to tell your couple the cards you have, and you have to lie every single time. Look at it if you can.
Played and beat The Crew, and if addiction is a rating mechanic then it's a solid 10/10. Reflecting back it's about a 7/10 with a ton of luck on the dealt cards, where it's just an efficiency puzzle mitigating that opening hand.
I enjoy Where’s Bob’s Hat.
Black Spy by Alan Moon of Ticket to Ride fame.
A super good evolution of Hearts.
Given the “trick taking renaissance” I think this list needs an update! And with Mike of course!
Strange. Surprised that Mu, Sticheln, and Mit List und Tuche didn't make it in the list. But I guess they're all older games. Relieved that 99 did - it's the best 3-player tricktaking game, whereas Mu is the best 5-player and Sticheln the best 6-8 player.
Those 3 are better than the rest of this list. I agree!
Sheepshead is a must try for anyone who likes trick taking. Better than bridge in my opinion. Start each hand with a secret partner which I've never seen before in a trick taking game.
regarding the Spanish trick taking games, I remember playing one with a normal deck that had 3 rules and I do not remember how it is called. Anyone?
the rules were:
A. the classic, if you have a card of the same color/shape as the one played by the first player you need to play it. If you do not then you can through whatever you like (so this is also a trust/cheat issue)
B. Classic rule also. Winner of the round is the one that played the higher valued card of the same color/shape as the first card played in the round/
C. The victory point system: in the beginning of each round the first player declares if he is going to win or not this round and then all players in order do the same. The ones who get it right get the point. So only one can win but many can get the point by loosing.
Here's some other trick-taking games not already mentioned in comments/video that are well worth a look:
Canyon
Trickster: Champions of Time
Ebbes
Spy Tricks
Crazy Lab
Cobras
Scharfe Schoten
Do you happen to have a recommendation for a trick taking game to introduce kids to the concept? I bought the crew recently to play with my kids ( haven’t tried it yet) and I thought I might do it without hidden info at first.... would love another suggestion. Heart or spades maybe?
@@searose6192 I think Hearts and Spades are the classics but Hearts can be a bit mean and Spades might be more complicated than you want to start off. I might start with 5 cucumbers to get the basics of trick taking down in a fun game...its short and quick enough that the "player elimination" isn't usually an issue. If the player elimination is an issue and/or as a next step, I would go with Spades but with open hands (cards on table) so you can guide them through the concepts. Ultimately I think the best one to really understand first is Spades as it lays a solid foundation from which you can do well with any other trick taking game.
@@searose6192 Try Diamonds. My 8 year old understands it.
I agree with Todd. Diamonds
I JUST finally got Crazy Labs last week. Had to resort to Amazon.de to get it.
Timm, I love that Big 2 was mentioned... It's an extremely popular game out here in South East Asia, especially during Chinese New Year!
Yes!. It's VERY popular in South East Asia.
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
The best trick taking game is (in my opinion) Tarock (Piatnik cca. 1905 ;) ) (not to be confused with Tarot) - but I like your choices also (I really like Claim and Niet, Fox in the forest too)
I enjoy the introductions to other content providers. Timm was a nice addition this week. Of course, I also enjoy the Dice Tower crew. Off topic, but I'd enjoy watching the DT crew playing Gloomhaven.
Thank you!
I am curious, has anyone of The Dice Tower ever tried "Schafkopf"?
Most likely they haven't, especially since it's mostly a midwest (WI, MN, MI) area game. I grew up playing it and hope to teach the grandkids.
@@markpatoka Hey Mark, thank you for your comment. :)
I did not even know that there are areas in the US where people play Schafkopf.
Those are probably bavarian descendants.
Who taught you the game?
@@afaik1Ben We know it by the American name Sheepshead. The upper midwest of the US was settled mostly by Bavarian/Nordic settlers and I've found the game mostly confined to that region. It was one of the first real card games we learned as kids. There are even regional variations on how it's played but even though it's not as well-known as Euchre, Pinochle or others, it has a very strong following. We can play it for hours when we meet up with family.
My top 10 Trick-Taking Games:
10 - Druids
9 - The Dwarf King
8 - Trump, Tricks, Game!
7 - Black Spy
6 - Hearts
5 - David & Goliath
4 - Spades
3 - Eternity
2 - Schneeble
1 - The Bottle Imp
These are all in my top 100 games of all-time (trick-taking is my favorite mechanism) along with 5 Cucumbers, Skull King, and Anansi & the Box of Stories...I have yet to play The Crew, it's next on my list! :)
Consider Yokai Septet
@@snakeplisssken8095 adding that to my list to get. Thanks! :)
There is a train themed trick-taking game called Trick of The Rails. Heavy Cardboard has covered it as one of their "heavy fillers".
Wow! Nice games. If you liked this one you might also like Crown Battles!!
Tournament at Camelot is a great fit for us.
euchre, rook, and moron bridge(oh hell) are in my list
Wizard is a very good one, skull king is the best!
Try Ultimate Hearts - its the version where all the Queens have extra abilities. Queen of Spades is normal. Queen of Clubs Negates the Queen of Spades. Queen of Hearts doubles the Heart values of your hearts you take in, and Queen of Diamonds is worth -10 points.
No spades ♠️?
Great video btw!
Per Sørlie 🙌🏽
Any idea where to get a copy of David & Goliath today?
I've had it on my list for a time and just last week dug a bit to see if I could find a copy. Well, I found out that you can use the cards from the accessible RAGE card game to play David & Goliath. I give up, and will just do that
I’m with Tom on playing as long as you feel like it
I thought I'd match more of Zee's list but I don't even own his Top 5 (yay, Trumpet!). But I could probably take 5 from Timm's and add it to Zee's bottom 5 and I'd have my list.
1-8 players. Changing trump mid suit. Sometimes not wanting to win tricks due to getting negative points. Gorus Maximus by Inside Up Games for me.