Eight Cards

Eight cards is a game where you’re trying to build your reputation as a world-famous explorer. This version takes you to the Wild West to build that reputation, along with everyone else who had the same unique idea you had (These are the other players)! You’ve got to plan your strategy (making adjustments along the way), try to predict what your opponents will do, and hope there’s a bit of luck on your side!

This game is so simple that you can learn it in just a couple of minutes but it has the depth that will keep you coming back again and again to try different strategies and card combinations.

In a nutshell: You start off with the same eight cards in your hand that everyone else has, the same eight cards you had last game and the same eight cards as the game before (which means you don’t have to be able to shuffle cards for this one!). The real fun comes when you play your cards, getting different results depending on the order you and your opponents play your cards down!

Time: 5-10 Minutes

There are only seven rounds, no matter what. This means the game can easily be played in under 5 minutes, but you should plan on 10 minutes to allow trash talking and bluffing, as well as for anybody in the group who struggles with basic addition.

Players: 2-4 Explorers

Each player has eight cards. There are enough sets of cards in the box to play with up to four people, but adding a second game would allow 2-8 and makes for some crazy adventures!

Age: 8+

Eight Cards has a simplistic complexity that allows people from 8(ish) up to 98(ish) to love it.

Date-Friendliness: 9.2

The part of this game that makes it so date-friendly is the ease of explaining it to new players and the simplicity of the rules. Even with that simplicity (or maybe because of it?), the games are always different and the short time requirement for each game allows players to try new things, take chances and handle humiliating defeats much easier.