The Hobbit Card Game

A good-versus-evil trick-taking card game where winning a trick lets you hand out the loot, or the trouble, as your character sees fit.

Designer: Martin Wallace
Published by: 999 Games
Editions by: Fantasy Flight Games, Devir, Hobby Japan, Hobby World, Kaissa Chess & Games, Edge Entertainment, KOSMOS, Giochi Uniti, Piatnik, Egmont Polska, Peliko Oy, Planplay, Sophisticated Games

The Hobbit Card Game, from 2012, sets good against evil in a trick-taking duel of teams. You play characters such as Bilbo, Gandalf and Thorin on the side of good, or Smaug and Bolg on the side of evil. The twist is that whoever wins a trick shares out its cards according to the character's ability: Bilbo, for example, keeps one, passes one to another player and discards the rest. Cards carry a white star for good, an orc helmet for evil or a pipe that lets you draw extra next round, and getting the opposite alignment has consequences. Quick, clever and a fun twist on classic tricks, best with five players.

Two teams, good against evilWinner of the trick shares out the cardsEach character has its own twist

Who it's for

You like trick-taking with a team angle and a Middle-earth backdrop, for five players and half an hour.

Not for you if…

You want a deep tactical game or play only with two. It shines best with a full table and a taste for teasing.

Vibe's take

Cheeky and scheming. Winning a trick is less about prizes and more about who gets the awkward cards, and you grin when you pass the orc helmet to the right victim.