Nokosu Dice

Trick-taking with cards and dice in your hand, where the exact number of tricks matters.

Designer: Yusuke Matsumoto
Published by: Engames
Editions by: Pegasus Spiele, Quoth Games

Trick-taking, but your hand holds number cards and dice side by side. In each trick everyone plays one card or one die, and whoever wins the trick scores a point. The twist comes at the end of the round: if the number of tricks you won matches the value of the last die left over, you pick up bonus points. You can also boldly declare that you will win no tricks at all, and if you really pull that off, that earns a bonus too. So you are not just chasing tricks, you are steering your tally toward a target. A game from 2016 for three to five players, best at four, that rewards careful counting and a bit of nerve.

Number cards and dice in the same handBonus for matching the last die left overDeclare zero tricks and try to make it

Who it's for

You like trick-takers with a twist and want to aim for an exact tally rather than the highest one.

Not for you if…

You prefer straightforward trick-taking where winning more is simply better.

Vibe's take

Tactical with a good dose of table talk. You count, predict and sometimes deliberately lose a trick, because the right total is worth more than the biggest one.