When you have more than 4 players or so for a game night, it can sometimes be hard to find games that everyone can play together. These are a few of my favorite card-based games that can be played with a larger number of players.
The Great Dalmutidesigned by Richard Garfield
Description:
Life isn’t fair… and neither is The Great Dalmuti! One round you’re at the top of the heap, and the next you’re peasant scum in this fast-paced card game of medieval one-upmanship. The players take their places in the pecking order, from Greater Peon to Greater Dalmuti, and try to get rid of the cards in their hands. Next round, everyone’s roles could change because the faster you get rid of your cards, the higher you’ll go. If you’re unseated, you’re really unseated: everyone moves around the table each round to take up their new positions. But don’t get comfortable in the cushy chair of the Greater Dalmuti, because in a single hand even the lowliest Peon can boot you out the door. Sound unfair? Sure it is! But ah, the sweet taste of victory could make it all worthwhile….
My thought:
This game supposedly can be played with 4-8 players, but it really works best with at least 6. It’s an easy game to learn and it’s a light, but it’s fun. It’s a game that we usually end the night on. It doesn’t take much thought, really, and you can play as many rounds as you want. You can add a bit of role-play in, if you choose. We used to do that more, with “hats” or making the peons go upstairs for beer, but now the only real advantage to being the Great Dalmuti, aside from the game, is that you get one of the good chairs.
Designed by Wolfgang Kramer
Description:
There’s an onslaught of hurricanes headed your way! Play your cards with logic, play your cards with strategy, or play your cards with blind luck. But don’t get swept away: evacuate before the big one hits. Avert disaster and you won’t pick up unwanted cards or points. Score the fewest points and win the game.
My thoughts:
This is another games that’s best, in my opinion, with 6-8 players. It’s easy to learn, but hard to come up with a good strategy. Sometimes all you can rely on is luck. It plays in about a half-hour, and is great when you have a variety of players with different levels of game experience.
Unfortunately, Funagain Games does not currently sell this version. However, they do have Slide 5, which is the same game, just a different theme: avalanches instead of hurricanes.
That’s a cool game just like HEROBIT’s Power-Up|Attack|Resist|Damage|Draw Phase game play (a new card game soon to be released on June 21, 2009.)