This game is played in several hands. In each hand the players try to be the first to get rid of all of their cards. Their scores are based on how early in the hand they get rid of all their cards. There are two ways to play: you can play where all hands are played the same, or you can play the game with changing partners.
This is a climbing game, similar to The Great Dalmuti, Tichu, and others. The difference here is that the ranks are different kinds of colorfully illustrated animals. Each is scared away only by certain other animals. Players set out one to whatever cards of a particular variety, and someone can play onto that pile only if they have more of that animal or an equal number of some animal that can scare it away. Players get points by playing all their cards, collecting lions, and collecting a hedgehog.
- Strong partnership dynamics; social play
- Requires good mutual understanding with partner
- Animal-themed partnership trick-taking with scoring by run-out order
- Partnership-focused with evolving dynamics
- David and Goliath
- Skull King
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- meld-like progression via cards — Players build toward endgame with card sequences and run-out order
- partnership scoring — Partners accumulate points based on how they and their partner finish
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- trick-taking games are the most ancient form of card games dating back to the 10th century in China
- this is a top 10 style of trick-taking games top 10 different mechanisms used in trick-taking games and specifically in modern trick-taking games
- the first half of the game players reveal a card in an attempt to win a central revealed card
- bidding is a way to add a layer of strategy and prediction to the trick-taking format
- the most famous and popular example is the four player game teach you which is played in two teams of two