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Object: Be the first player to collect, then discard seven cards of the same color suit. Score points for each round that you play.
Another rummy game from Awesome Games. On the roll of an odd number, players can trade their cards in the hopes of collecting seven cards of the same color. Specialty cards can help you, hurt your opponents, and even cause them to miss a turn. First to collect and discard a set of seven gets the chance to roll two dice to determine their score for the round. All other players roll one die. First player to 25 points wins.
The Play: Roll the dice on your turn. Roll odd and continue play...roll even and lose your turn. Duels develop as players frantically try to roll odd numbers to gain control. Stun your opponents with action cards, force them to drop cards that you may need or take them all by swapping your hand for theirs! Everyone scores points in a round. Score 25 or more to win. You can lose rounds and still win the game!
It's so odd...it's got to be Odd Ball!
- Highly interactive combat with constant engagement
- Flexible, with many variants, factions, and campaign options for replayability
- Strong table presence thanks to large wooden ships, standees, and themed components
- Asymmetric powers add depth and variety to play
- Tight pacing around combat-driven objectives
- Heavily combat-focused, which may not appeal to non-war-game players
- Dice randomness can be frustrating for some players
- Visual color palette is muted out of the box; may benefit from components to pop more
- Endgame pressure can be intense if a player falls behind
- naval combat, island control, and asymmetric powers
- pirate-era naval map exploration with islands to control
- strategic, tactical battles with configurable variants
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action economy — coins earned per controlled islands are spent to perform actions, including cannon fire and special abilities.
- Action Points — coins earned per controlled islands are spent to perform actions, including cannon fire and special abilities.
- combat resolution — cannon fire uses dice with a blank face representing a miss; hit potential depends on facing, with bonuses for broadside fire and side-specific penalties for front/back shots.
- debris and terrain effects — debris on the water can slow movement and alter routes; some factions can place debris strategically.
- faction asymmetry and variants — each faction offers unique powers; a second rulebook covers formations, maneuvers, party variants, and campaign/scenario rules.
- fleet drafting and composition — players draft ships, may use faction-specific ships, and begin with three islands per player; ships determine capabilities in combat.
- island conquest — to take an island you must destroy an enemy ship of that faction and pay a mast that matches the island's flag; islands provide ongoing coins.
- movement limitation — players can move up to three ships per turn, requiring careful positioning and planning.
- wind and weather variance — roundly trade winds modify movement; wind conditions shift each round, affecting strategic choices.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a naval combat game and it's been a long time since I can't think of the last time I played a game where the interaction was so tight and the combat was so constant.
- there's so many different ways that you can play Old Salt
- the game is super adjustable
- combat is focused and you have to rush to attack those other ships
- it's super flexible