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In ナナトリドリ (pronounced "Nanatoridori"), you are a guide at a castle where a bird party has just concluded, and now you are helping the birds return home, the "birds" being cards in your hand.
From a deck of 63 cards, with nine copies each of 1-7, players get a hand of cards that they cannot rearrange. The starting player leads a card or set of cards with the same value — but they can play multiple cards only if the cards are adjacent to one another in their hand. If cards have been played on the table, to play you must play the same number of cards with a higher value or a larger set of cards, e.g., 2 < 5 < 3,3 < 6,6 < 2,2,2 < 1,1,1,1. When you overplay someone, you can pick up the cards you beat and add them to your hand where you wish, or you can discard them.
If you cannot or choose not to play, you must pass, drawing a card from the remaining cards in the deck, then either adding it to your hand where you wish or discarding it.
If all but one player pass, clear the table, with the player who last played leading to an empty table. When all but one person has emptied their hand, the last player loses one of their two lives. When a player loses their second life, the game ends, and everyone else wins.
Nanatoridori
- Charming penguin artwork
- Simple rules and quick rounds
- Flexible for 3-6 players and a 2-player variant
- Family-friendly and accessible for casual play
- Hand management can feel unintuitive; do not rearrange your hand after picking up cards
- Some players may find the mechanic repetitive over time
- penguin gathering and competition to shed cards
- Japan; penguin-themed family card game
- whimsical, light-hearted
- Scout
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card shedding — Players aim to discard all cards by playing sets of equal numbers; higher cards or multiple cards beat the previous play; runs are not allowed.
- climbing shedding — Players aim to discard all cards by playing sets of equal numbers; higher cards or multiple cards beat the previous play; runs are not allowed.
- passing and drawing dynamics — If you cannot beat the current play, you pass and may choose to take a card or discard it, influencing future options.
- player count scaling — Supports 3-6 players with a 2-player variant; pacing and strategy shift with the number of players.
- set-based play and hand manipulation — Beating the pile may allow you to add the discarded cards to your hand, enabling future plays and creating strategic depth.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I love it.
- The penguins are adorable.
- It is a simple concept, but it's really fun because sometimes you have to pass or sometimes you should choose to pass even when you have playable cards.
- The artwork is really charming on the cards.
- I am now excited I have an actual version that I can play in person.
- Nana Tori Dory, which I think is a fantastic game.
- It plays up to six players and it plays really quickly.
- Don't rearrange your cards.
References (from this video)
- Very straightforward, easy to teach
- Strong accessibility for casual players
- Multiple modes increase replayability
- Limited depth for players seeking heavy strategy
- penguins and performance stakes
- Ladder climbing card shedding game
- light, humorous, quick-fire
- Scout
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Beat and decision: discard or draw — When you beat the current play, you can discard the beaten cards or add them to your hand.
- Competitive mode — A variant where players accrue points across rounds with different win conditions.
- Fixed hand — Hand is fixed; cannot rearrange cards. You must work with what you have.
- Penguin tokens / multi-round scoring — Losing penguin tokens reduces life, and rounds continue until a winner emerges; variations include first-to-10 points.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Agent Avenue is a clever little game.
- Zenith is an incredibly tight game.
- Star Wars Battle of Hoth reminds me of being a kid again.
- I still love Scout and it's small enough where you can keep both.
- Hidden bidding feature really adds a fun twist to this one.