Maskmen

A wrestling-themed ladder-climbing card game where the fastest to empty their hand takes the big points.

Designers: 新澤大樹 (Taiki Shinzawa), Jun Sasaki
Published by: Oink Games
Editions by: Pixie Games, PopcornEdu

Pro wrestling, played as a card-shedding race. You hold a hand of wrestler cards, and on your turn you either lay down one to three cards of the same wrestler to push their strength, or you pass. The real goal is to empty your hand, because the first player out grabs the best point token, the next one takes the next best, and whoever is stuck at the end of the round takes the dreaded -1. A game runs over four seasons, and the best-paid sponsor wins. If you have ever climbed the ladder in President or Tichu, you already know the instinct. Maskmen just swaps the stuffy card room for a ring full of masked heroes, and it is over in about twenty minutes.

Play one to three cards of the same wrestlerFirst out of cards takes the top point tokenFour seasons of scoring and scrapping

Who it's for

You like climbing and shedding games such as Tichu or President and want one that finishes in twenty minutes and wears a wrestling mask.

Not for you if…

You want deep planning or a story. This is quick card-timing with a light coat of wrestling paint.

Vibe's take

Brisk, bluffy and a little loud. You are always weighing whether to burn good cards now or sit out and hope for a better moment, and the minus-one token keeps everyone honest.