The Dwarf King

A fantasy trick-taker where a new scoring rule every round decides what a good hand even is.

Designer: Bruno Faidutti
Published by: IELLO
Editions by: Devir, Hobby Japan, Galápagos Jogos, Delta Vision Publishing, REXhry, Giochi Uniti, PaperGames (III), Smart Ltd, Fabrika Igr

A trick-taking game where the rules change every round. The Dwarf King has 53 cards: three suits of Dwarves, Goblins and Knights, plus fourteen special cards that twist the usual trick logic. Each round, a contract tile hands one player two scoring rules to choose from, so what counts as a good result is different almost every time. There is no trump suit, and you must follow suit if you can. Seven rounds, three to five players, about forty minutes. If you know Hearts or similar games, this is a fantasy-dressed cousin with more variety and a few nasty surprises.

Seven rounds, each with its own contractNo trump, follow suit if you canFourteen special cards bend the rules

Who it's for

You like trick-taking games such as Hearts or Skat and want one where the goals keep shifting from round to round.

Not for you if…

You do not like card games with trick-taking at all, or you want a game with much more luck or much more table talk.

Vibe's take

Classic trick-taking with a twist each round. You scan your hand, work out what the contract wants, and try to dodge or grab exactly the right tricks.