David & Goliath

A backwards trick-taker where the winning card goes to the loser and being lopsided pays off.

See how it plays

Designer: Reinhard Staupe
Published by: Berliner Spielkarten
Editions by: Pegasus Spiele, Wargames Club Publishing, Playroom Entertainment

A trick-taking game that flips the usual rules on their head. You must follow suit, but the highest card wins no matter what suit it is. Stranger still, the winner keeps the trick's cards except the one they won with, and hands that card to whoever played the lowest. Scoring rewards being lopsided: hoard many of one suit, or hold only one or two.

Highest card wins regardless of suitWinning card is handed to the lowest playerScoring rewards holding either very few or very many

Who it's for

Card players who love a familiar genre turned inside out and enjoy agonizing over whether winning a trick is good or bad.

Not for you if…

You want a straightforward trick-taker or dislike games where the rules deliberately fight your instincts. Not for those who hate hand-count bookkeeping.

Vibe's take

Brain-bending in the best way, as every trick makes you weigh whether you actually want to win it and which suits to starve or stuff.