Tag: Hand Management

Hand Management is a game mechanic in which players are rewarded for playing cards in a specific order. This mechanic often encourages players to hold cards for later turns.

Colossal Cat in the Box

| T3d-1978

Cat in the Box is a trick taking game where your suit is every color all at once – until you observe it. Players are dealt a hand of cards with no suit but different numbers, and over the course of the game they will claim various suits to best meet their bid. But be warned! Because of the nebulous nature of the cards, a paradox can form at any time! The player who causes the paradox will lose points, while everyone else will get the opportunity to score based off of their completed tricks and any patterns they made on the research board. 

Colossal Cat in the Box is a supersized version of Cat in the Box!

Game Mechanics:

  • Enclosure
  • Hand Management
  • Predictive Bid
  • Trick Taking

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 20 – 40 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.00

Colonists, the

| T3d-1978

You and your opponents will take on the role of mayors of different villages forming in a newly established colony. The goal is to have the highest level of employment, and as mayor you’ll have to create jobs, educate your people, and strategically use your limited resources to expand your city and sow the seeds for greatness in the future.

Game Mechanics:

  •  Area Movement
  • Hand Management
  • Modular Board
  • Open Drafting
  • Solo/Solitaire
  • Tile Placement
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 30 – 360 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 4.06

Codex Naturalis

| T3d-1978

In Codex Naturalis, you are competing with your opponents to create the best manuscript of living species in primary forests. You’ll do this by placing down cards, overlapping them to assemble an overall manuscript, providing yourself with resources or points! You’ll have to plan carefully to maximize your points, and you’ll have to be willing to make sacrifices to get the best possible outcome.

Game Mechanics:

  •  Hand Management
  • Layering
  • Open Drafting
  • Pattern Building

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 20 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.74

Cockroach Poker

| T3d-1978

Cockroach Poker is a game filled with filthy critters that has nothing to do with poker – but everything to do with bluffing. The goal of the game is to force one player to have a set of 4 cards of one type of the 8 total critters – ranging from roaches to rats to bats to stinkbugs – making them the sole loser. This is done by a player passing a card face down to another player, claiming it as one type of card. The receiving player can either 1) flip it over, declaring whether or not they believe the first player or 2) peek at it and pass it to the next player, either saying what it is or bluffing. If you’re right in your accusation, the original player keeps the card. If you’re wrong, you keep the card. Keep the critters out of your play space, and don’t be the only loser!

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Set Collection
  • Single Loser Game

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 20 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.10

Classified Information

| T3d-1978

You are part of the spy organization for one of the two factions in the cyberpunk city of Intellexia. You have been charged with the protection of a secret code that the other player cannot discover. But they have their own code which would be invaluable in this new dystopian world. The both of you will battle it out in this fast-paced deduction game, each turn either playing a card for its ability, its guild affiliation, or just discarding it out of the game. Pay close attention to what your opponent does, and obfuscate your own actions in Classified Information.

Game Mechanics:

  • Card Game
  • Deduction
  • Hand Management

Game Specifications:

  • 2 Players
  • 10 – 15 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.33

Big Boss

| T3d-1978

Big Boss is a game of founding companies, expanding existing companies, taking over smaller companies and share buying. The game is explicitly based on the Sid Sackson classic Acquire and shares many similarities to that game though mergers are not as prevalent or crucial in Big Boss. The main differences between the two games include the three dimensional aspect of Big Boss, and the existence of a strong monetary incentive to expand companies that you do not control.

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Market
  • Stock Holding
  • Tile Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • ~90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.36

Cheating Moth

| T3d-1978

Board Game Overview

No cheating? No way! Cheating Moth is the easy and fun card game that requires you to cheat to get ahead. Everyone starts with a hand of 8 cards, and your goal is to get rid of them. The official way is to discard them one at a time on the discard pile, but only if the number is 1 value higher or lower than the previous number which is really hard to do. But! You can also cheat to get rid of your cards – drop them on the floor, slip them up your sleeve, do a magic trick with them, anything you can think of as long as you don’t get caught by the Guard Bug – which is assigned to the oldest player at the beginning of the game. If you get caught, you have to draw another card and become the new Guard Bug, who can’t cheat! Be sly, be smart, and be the best cheating moth.

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Dexterity

Game Specifications:

  • 3 – 5 Players
  • 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.14

Challengers! Beach Cup

| T3d-1978

Challengers! Beach Cup is an interactive deck-management game for 1-8 players that plays in about 45 minutes independent of player count. With the tournament gameplay style, you meet another opponent every round.

In the Deck Phase, you choose new members and add them to your deck, which might consist of a wizard, alien, cat, gangster and kraken. Dozens of distinct characters with more than forty effects create a unique experience every game. Choose from seven different sets and discover new strategies and synergies every game.

In the Match Phase, stay in possession of the flag to win the trophy of that round. Try to get the most fans and trophies over the course of seven rounds to be able to qualify for the final. If you can best your opponent in the final, you win!

Challengers! Beach Cup contains a 16-card “Trainers” expansion that gives each player a unique power. Some give you bonuses when defending, some when you’re on the offensive, and others can extend your bench or even let you rearrange your deck.

Challengers! Beach Cup is a standalone game that can also be mixed with Challengers! to create new set combinations and new experiences.

– From Board Game Geek

Game Mechanics:

  •  Deck Building
  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 8 Players
  • ~45 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.19

CATastrophe: A Game of 9 Lives

| T3d-1978

Catastrophe is a game as spontaneous and unexpected as cats themselves.

Players start with 9 lives. Your goal is to survive the chaotic mayhem. The last cat standing is crowned champion! Power Cats will help guide you to victory with unique abilities. But, be careful, it’s no catwalk!

One second, you’re slapping down attack and curiosity cards, the next you’re rolling a die and playing fun catastrophic mini-games to determine your destiny. However, magical Yarn Balls may alter your fate. You are eliminated when you lose all of your lives. Beware of the villain, the Grim Reapurr, who is plotting your untimely demise and attempting to be the sole victor!

This is an all-out claws out kind of game with only one victor and many catfights! Will your strategy be to play with caution… or wild abandon… Either way, you’re in for a treat.

Game Mechanics:

  • Dice Rolling
  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Player Elimination
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 30 – 45 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.00

Cat Packs

| T3d-1978

Cat Packs is a fast-paced card game mixed with tile-laying in which you’ll cleverly put together the cat gang of your most whimsical dreams! The game includes over one hundred unique illustrated cats by artist Liselotte Eriksson.

On each turn, players draft a new cat from the alley and use resources to play out cards from their hand to add to their cat pack. All cats have different requirements and benefits, but not all cats fit well together, so players must carefully consider their positions. The goal of the game is to earn the most “catshine”, which players receive by collecting sets of five cat types, surrounding certain cards with other cards, matching corners of four cards together in a catshine symbol, or winning the power struggle taking place after each round!

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Tile Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 30 – 45 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.00