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Diamonds is a trick-taking card game in which players collect Diamonds — not cards bearing that suit, mind you, but rather actual "Diamond Crystals" (acrylic crystals) included in the game.
What makes the game of Diamonds different from other trick-taking card games is that when you cannot follow suit you get a "Suit Action" based on what suit you do play. Suit Actions are also taken by the winner of each trick, as well as at the end of a full Round of play.
Suit Actions will enable players to take Diamond Crystals from the Supply, moving them to their Showroom (where they may score 1 point) or to their Vault (where they will score 2 points). The Vault is a secure area, but the Showroom is vulnerable to theft by the other players.
The deck in Diamonds consists of sixty cards, numbered 1-15 in the standard suits. In each round, the players start with a hand of ten cards. One player leads a card, and everyone else must play one card, following suit if possible. As you play a card, if you cannot follow suit, you immediately get a Suit Action in the suit you did play. The player who played the highest card in the suit that was led wins the trick, and also gets a Suit Action.
The player who won the trick leads a card to start the next trick. After a full Round of ten tricks, whoever has taken the most cards in each suit once again gets a Suit Action. If a player has taken no tricks, that player gets two Diamonds Suit Actions. Players then start a new round.
Whoever has the most points in Diamond Crystals at the end of the game wins!
- adds planning around discard/resting piles
- Sky Mines
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- resting cards variation — cards can rest in a separate zone and be reused strategically
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- my five favorite board game mechanics
- cards have multiple uses regardless of what your hand draw is
- I love games that engage you when it's not even your turn
- every player gets to do something at the same time
- not only when you pull your workers you get something but every other player also has the option of pulling their workers back at the same time
- stock buying mechanic ... the objective is to have the most money at the end of the game and the way you get the most money is by buying stock in the players
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- gaming is for everybody
- Black history is American history
- If it happened on American soil it's American history
- History is not a priority in this country; comfort is the preeminent american value
- we're here we're here we're here
References (from this video)
- alternative option for trick-taking fans
- not the main focus of the video
- abstract/trick-taking with shared mechanics
- A different trick-taking experience used as a point of reference
- abstract/card-play emphasis
- The Crew
- The Crew 2
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Trick-taking — another trick-taking game suggested for comparison
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The best thing about this game is the new objective cards, so many ways to make each round feel fresh.
- short playtime, simple rules, excellent co-op play and the escalating difficulty
- however, as this is 90% the same game asides from the objectives, if you hated the original crew you probably won't like this either
- this is a game that would work for just about any group of any age and experience
- the difference is the objective cards make each game feel different and interesting and how they scale up is great
- you definitely need to play with limited communication to keep the game interesting
- the crew swept my awards in 2021 claiming small box game of the year
References (from this video)
- excellent value at €10; accessible
- engaging twist on a classic mechanic
- length can feel long for a trick-taking game
- diamond collection and value maximization
- gem trading; showroom and vault
- light trick-taking with economic twist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- showroom/vault scoring — end of round reveals ownership of diamonds and actions based on suits won
- Trick-taking with a twist — standard trick-taking where suits grant actions; most tricks won grants end-stage bonuses
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- temper your expectations people
- i want board games to be different
- it's the hotness news at the moment
- i definitely want publishers to push the envelope
- i'm not hyped about this at all
References (from this video)
- Familiar mechanic for players who know Hearts/Spades
- Simple entry point for classroom use
- May lack depth for more experienced gamers
- trick-taking flavored with scoring twists
- abstract card game with color/shape cues
- classic card-play feel with accessible familiarity
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Trick-taking — Players compete in tricks using standard card play; scoring has unique twists.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a jousting game that's kind of vicious and it's based on colors and numbers
- Sushi Go Party is an adorable and really easy to learn and teach drafting
- Splendor is addictive but they just can't quit
- Diamonds because it's a trick-taking game so kids who have played hearts or spades tend to like it
- Castle Panic has been a huge hit in my classroom
- Escape the Dark Castle
- Azul is one of those evergreen games