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In this trick-taking game based on the short story by Robert Louis Stevenson of the same name, the goal is to gain the most points over a series of hands (usually the goal is set to 200 pts). Cards are numbered 1-37 and are found in three colors, red (comprising largely the highest numbers), blue (mostly in the middle) and yellow (mostly the lowest numbers) with colors being analogous to the suit in a standard deck. There is one neutral card, the 19, that sets the "price of the bottle."
The entire deck is dealt to the three or four players in the game and then, similarly to hearts, cards are exchanged and a card is played to the bottle. As per the usual elements of a trick taking game, players must follow suit if possible with high card taking the trick (regardless of suit). The unique feature about this game however is how trump is determined. Any card of value lower than the current price of the bottle (starting with 19) is considered "trump" and will win the trick. If multiple cards are less than the current bottle price, the card valued closest to the current price (so highest card below the bottle) takes the trick AND THE BOTTLE, the bottle price is adjusted by the player taking the card that represents the current bottle price and replacing it with the card they used to win the trick. Thus the price of the bottle will decrease with each trump card played, and the bottle is increasingly harder to win/purchase. Ownership of the bottle will pass from player to player and the number of possible trump cards will decrease both as a factor of cards being played and cards being skipped as the bottle price descends. One player will be stuck with the bottle at the end of a hand (when players have played all the cards in their hands).
Cards have point values from 1-6 (not directly based on numerical value), at the end of the hand players will score points for the cards of tricks they've won, except the player who holds the bottle who will score NEGATIVE points for all the cards played to the bottle at the beginning, scoring nothing for the cards they won during the hand. Play continues until the point goal is reached.
In the 2003 edition the complete story by R.L. Stevenson http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/bottlimp.htm is included (in both English & German) and the bottle is a nice wooden piece. Earlier versions had a stand-up cardboard piece that you cut out.
- Strongly thematic with a tense last-chance dynamic
- Compact, quick plays that still offer meaningful decisions
- Theme-heavy presentation may not appeal to all players
- Endgame scoring can be unforgiving if you mismanage the bottle
- desire, consequence, and a cursed bottle
- thematic story inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson
- tale-driven with a moral/temptation motif
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- negative scoring for holding the bottle — the player who ends the round with the bottle incurs negative points in their color suit
- Trick-Taking — the bottle’s value changes as tricks are played; the container’s value dictates trick winners and points
- trick-taking with variable bottle value — the bottle’s value changes as tricks are played; the container’s value dictates trick winners and points
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's pretty with nice components and interesting gameplay
- it's a good trick taking game if you've got your own crew
- the reason why I don't own any trick taking games I'm an idiot
- I need a drink
- Chronicle is his take on a trick taking game where players play a card and follow suit if possible
References (from this video)
- Players try to avoid scoring negative points with a bottle
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Negative scoring — The player with the bottle scores negative points.
- Trick-Taking — Players take tricks and score points for cards they've won.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- 10 games on the radar is a production of party Lemmings media Holdings Incorporated
- you don't need to know everything just one more thing than your friends do
- it was really satisfying to watch your fake clue totally send someone off in the wrong direction
- this game seems to be pairing beautiful art with Cutthroat gameplay which sounds exactly like something I'd enjoy
- we discovered just how unforgivingly deliciously brutal a word game can be
- the fact that it's two player only makes me think that I might just have to give them a try one more time
- party Lemmings has assured me that everything's gonna be absolutely fine
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- there's a 100 people watching us doing this right now
- it's amazing that we are here
References (from this video)
- well-designed concept with an interesting marker mechanic
- disliked by the reviewer due to personal aversion to trick-taking
- risk of a single player being heavily penalized
- Scout
- Linko
- Panda Spin
- Ruins
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Trick-Taking — Players play cards in rounds; a central marker influences penalties; the lowest to hit the marker may receive a penalty or negative points, while dropping below may incur penalties as well.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I hate trick taking. I don't like it at all.
- this is one of the only occasions where my pure disliking of the game brings it down rather than the actual quality of the design.
- I did not like this game at all, so I was quite shocked why his name was on the box because I thought it was a pretty bad design.
- It's extremely tactical. And not only that, it seems like the first half of the game, you're just kind of doing things for the sake of it because you do not know how these cues are going to work out.
References (from this video)
- Engaging social deduction with a flavorful theme
- Strong value in larger groups (up to six players)
- Dynamic bottle mechanic creates tension and strategic depth
- Heavy reliance on player interaction can slow play in some groups
- Rules complexity may require a detailed setup for new players
- bluffing, negotiation, hidden roles, and a curse that torments players
- A cursed bottle within a heist-themed, gothic atmosphere
- hidden identity with social interaction
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bluffing_and_negotiation — Players form temporary alliances and use tactics to outmaneuver others while pursuing wealth.
- bottle_imp_penalty — Holding the bottle at game's end yields negative points, creating a chase for ownership transfer.
- Hidden Roles — Players secretly select roles that influence scoring and interaction dynamics.
- hidden_identity — Players secretly select roles that influence scoring and interaction dynamics.
- trick_taking_and_bottle_mechanic — Tricks contribute to points, but bottle value shifts and ownership transfer affect scoring.
- Trick-Taking — Tricks contribute to points, but bottle value shifts and ownership transfer affect scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Tango is a really fun trick taker
- Tango really shines ... two players although Tango really shines
- Players secretly select their role and create temporary alliances employing any tactics necessary to outwit their soon to be traitorous Partners
- The bottle imp will take your points away
- This revamped version features brand new and old roll cards as well as refined rules that enhance the gameplay experience
- Now you can enjoy the fun with up to nine players expanding beyond the original 3 to 8 players
- 101 is an abstract strategy card game that combines hand management and area control mechanics
- the game concludes in one of two ways
References (from this video)
- Fresh take on bidding and price-based manipulation
- Some players may find the price mechanic abstract
- Auction/price mechanic with bottle token
- Playful, price-driven scoring with a bottle imp twist
- Honshu
- Five
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bottle imp as a token with negative/positive scoring — The bottle imp creation affects endgame scoring and end-round bonuses
- no trump; off-suit play — Highest played card does not always win; bidding twists and price dynamics
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