Game: Hart an der Grenze

Thread: Re: Contraband?

gavingva — 2008-08-29T17:22:02+00:00

This sounds exactly like the game I played as a young lad... Exactly.

Thread: Re: Running out of cards?

Yargo — 2008-08-03T02:12:28+00:00

ifiwasadog wrote:
I think all that you have to do is shuffle the cards that have been sold in the previous rounds and the problem is solved.
I think he said he did that:
selphil wrote:
This is still with using the recycled "sold" cards that were discarded at the end of the first and second round.

Thread: Re: HART AN DER GRENZE PROHIBITED IN BRAZIL

Bagherra — 2008-07-16T21:47:12+00:00

Drew1365 wrote:
Right now hundreds of Geeks are thinking "There are a bunch of confiscated copies in Brazil! How can I get one of them cheap?!"

The game is already cheap for what you get.

Thread: Re: Review: Perfect mix for strategy and party gamers?

Yargo — 2008-06-27T02:22:34+00:00

Crockerdile wrote:
I went to the dollar store and bought 4 boxes, and some badges (from the party favors section), and have expanded the game to 10 players. For 7-8 players add a 2nd border guard and for 9-10 players add a 3rd. Rotate the badges just as in the normal game. Space the badges out with at least two smugglers between each official.
Wow thats cool. I'm thinking about getting the game and if I do, I'll definately look into doing this.

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ealpendre — 2008-06-02T14:13:47+00:00

Brazilian version

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ealpendre — 2008-06-02T14:12:26+00:00

Cards - Brazilian version

Thread: Re: Review: Perfect mix for strategy and party gamers?

Crockerdile — 2008-05-07T14:41:47+00:00

I went to the dollar store and bought 4 boxes, and some badges (from the party favors section), and have expanded the game to 10 players. For 7-8 players add a 2nd border guard and for 9-10 players add a 3rd. Rotate the badges just as in the normal game. Space the badges out with at least two smugglers between each official.

Thread: Re: Review: Perfect mix for strategy and party gamers?

skeletodoc — 2008-05-07T00:15:59+00:00

We have played threeplayer games and have loved every minute. This game rocks your socks off! You just need to keep a straight face when asked about your card number in your suitcase.

Thread: Review: Perfect mix for strategy and party gamers?

crobledo — 2008-05-06T21:52:09+00:00

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Overview

A few weeks ago I asked on BGG about a problem I had. My fiancee and I have opposite taste in games. I like heavy Euros and strategy games, while she only enjoys party games and trivia games. We pretty much refuse to play games together because we can never seem to find one we both like. From time to time I will play Smarty Party! and other party games that I can tolerate. I knew that somewhere out there, in the seas of BGG, was waiting the perfect game that we would both enjoy. This is when someone mentioned Hart an der Grenze (Right at the Border).

I read the description and was instantly intrigued. The theme seemed light enough to appeal to her, the components were very functional and heavy on the "eye-candy" and I loved the bluffing aspect of the game. Of course, finding the game was the hard part, but Boulder Games came through and had it in stock!

If you have played before or do not want to do the big "rules read", please feel free to skip to Impressions below.

What you get in the box

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Of course the very first thing that pops at you is the mini card cases. Each player receives a case to keep his/her cards in. As you can see in the picture, the inside of the case lid also contains a reference card to remind you of what can be sold on the last round (more on that later). The game comes with a "fashionable" sheriff clip-on star, wooden markers for special actions, paper money and the deck of goods.

The tin cases are of course the best part of the game. Each case has a different design and the summary card on the inside is great. The other thing worth mentioning is the paper money. Though we are not a fan of paper money, at least these bills are HUGE. Their size makes them a lot easier to manage. My only complaint is that we seem to need to make change often... the game really needed another set of bills to come with the game. Easy fix by replacing with standard poker chips.

Setup and Game Play

The game begins by each player taking a case and one 'Seize' marker and some starting money. One player takes the role of the sheriff and takes the star. In a 5-6 player game, each player also takes an "Extra inspection" marker.

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One round is defined as each player being the sheriff once (twice in a 3 player game). The game is over after 3 rounds. After each round, players can either cash in goods acquired or save some to try and sell after the last round for double the money (or nothing!). Cards can be any of the 6 goods (Maracas, Sombreros and Jugs, which are all legal, or Tequila, Cigars and Statues, which are not). Cards have a value at the top and a penalty value at the bottom.

Every player (except the sheriff) picks as many cards from his hand as they desire, and puts them in their suitcase. Afterward the sheriff asks each player about the content of their case. All players must declare their goods to the sheriff. A player needs to declare how many cards he placed in the suitcase (no lying allowed), and ONE type of good (lying allowed). So for example, one player may declare "3 Maracas" if he placed 3 cards in his suitcase, regardless of which cards he put in. Of course, you may not declare any of the 3 illegal goods.

The sheriff then decided who does he think is lying about the contents of their case (of course, they all could be) and picks one player to open their case. At this point, the chosen player can choose to bribe the sheriff with money in order to not have to open the case. If the sheriff chooses not to take the player's offer or the player does not offer a bribe, then the suitcase is opened. These are the possible outcomes:

1. The player has exactly what he declared: the sheriff made a bad decision and the bank pays the player for the trouble money equal to the sum of the penalty value of all the cards. The player keeps all the cards.

2. The player had different things from what he declared: all cards not matching his declaration are confiscated (discarded) and the player pays the bank money equal to the sum of the penalty values of all confiscated cards.

Extra inspection marker (5-6 player only) - A sheriff may spend their extra inspection marker once per game to inspect an extra suitcase after the first.

Seizure marker - A sheriff may spend their seizure marker once per game after an inspection to "seize" the contents of another player's suitcase. The "seized" player opens the case (no bribing allowed) and the sheriff takes all the cards that do not match that player's declaration.

After the inspection is finished, all players keep the goods they passed through the border and the sheriff star passes to the next person. Play continues until the round is over.

At the end of the round, all players can sell all the goods they acquired for the face values of the cards. Players may instead choose to store UP TO 3 cards under their suitcase instead of selling them now in order to try to sell them in the bonus round at the end of the game.

Bonus Round - At the end of the game, an extra round of selling goes on, where players take all the cards they stored under their suitcases and try to sell them for double the price. Unfortunately, the market can become saturated. Depending on the number of players, only a specific amount of goods will be allowed to be sold, and any extra items are discarded without any value. Players with THE MOST of each item get to sell their quantities first, then the person with the second most and so on until all the goods of that type have been sold or the demand number has been met.

After the bonus round is over the player with the most money wins!

Impressions

As stated before, this is a great light, silly, easy-going game. Its core mechanic is bluffing the sheriff player and knowing how much to bribe him for when he is trying to make you open your case full of illegal goods! Of course, getting something like 5 of one good at the same time is very uncommon, but when it happens it is great because the sheriff will always stop you when you declare 5 of one good. But when it happens it is great and you get some reparation money for it and a good laugh. It is fun, fast paced, and has a decent level of strategy when you are trying to plan what cards to save for that bonus round. Hilarious conversations and excellent one-liners are made every time we play.

Though its not the same as a party game, it comes close enough to satisfy my fiancee and myself at the same time. While not her favorite game, it is a great game we can play together when we have people over for game night instead of having to run one table for party games and another for gamer games.

I think the game plays best with 4-5 players, keeping the game quick and fast while having enough interaction between everyone. As I mentioned above, my main gripe with the game is that we run out of the money quite easily, especially with 5+ people.

We have great times with this game, and though it requires the right crowd to truly shine, its one you should pick up. If you can that is.

So, was this the solution to my problems after all? The holy grail for people in a situation like mine? Not exactly, but it came darn close! We both enjoy the game well enough, and we have tons of fun, but it doesn't have the feeling of "this is it!" that we are still looking for. Nonetheless, Hart an der Grenze was a welcome addition, and another game to add to our short list of compatible games.

- C. Robledo

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Trollkin — 2008-04-01T22:10:04+00:00

Tequila or Maracas?

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jsper — 2008-02-17T12:29:09+00:00

Back of the cards example 2 of 2

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jsper — 2008-02-17T12:27:24+00:00

Back of the cards example 1 of 2

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jsper — 2008-01-19T13:34:32+00:00

Side of box

Thread: Re: Running out of cards?

Starsunsky — 2007-11-03T18:28:04+00:00

The cards ran out in our game today just at the end of Round 2. We had to reshuffle all cards because we still have one more round to go.

Thread: Re: Chances of an English edition?

JeffyJeff — 2007-10-20T17:19:52+00:00

Reprint, including English version, in the works from Canadian publisher Filosofia, see http://www.boardgamenews.com/index.php/boardgamenews/comment...

Thread: Review from Gameblog

msaari — 2007-10-04T10:17:20+00:00

Hart an der Grenze is a game of bluffing, lying, haggling and negotiating. Players are crossing a border and taking turns acting as a sheriff. The other players stuff their bags full of goodies - legal and illegal - and then declare their contents. The sheriff can choose one player for an inspection.

If sheriff finds undeclared goods in the bag, the player who's caught must pay fines: more for illegal exports, less for legal yet undeclared goods. The undeclared goods are tossed out. Everybody then gets to sell the goods they exported and whoever has most money in the end, wins.

Bribe me!

Well, it's not quite that simple. The player chosen for inspection doesn't need to open their bag, if they can bribe the sheriff. That's pretty simple: after all, if the sheriff catches something nasty, the fines go to the goverment. If sheriff extracts a bribe, that goes directly to the sheriff's pocket. So, bribing is the best way to go for both parties. It's just the exact amount that's the problem...

If players calculate cold-heartedly, this might get quite boring, but fortunately most players rather pay the fines than pay lots of money to the sheriff - even if paying to the sheriff would be a better move. A good sheriff will be able to extract bigger bribes, while a slick haggler will fly cross the border with just few bucks left to line the sheriff's pocket.

Few more twists

There's an interesting alternative scoring. After a full round of everybody being a sheriff, players sell their cards - but they can keep up to three cards. Those wait for the end of the game, which happens after few rounds. In the end, the goods set aside are sold for double price - but only a limited amount can be sold, so it's a bit of a gamble.

There are few more twists, but that's basically it. The game works pretty well, but with more players, it can break down a bit. If all players decide that the risk of getting caught is small enough - and the bribes do work well - they can choose to all put five cards - the maximum - in their bags. That sucks the enjoyment out of the game and will lead to cards running out before the game is over.

Then again, if that happens, the group is probably playing a wrong game and will enjoy something else better. Hart an der Grenze is a light game and best played with a light attitude. If the players can't help but calculate and think about efficiency, the game doesn't work too well.

Overview

The game looks gorgeous: it's a small card game in big box, but the bags players get are beautiful tin suitcases. The components work well and look great. In a game like this, presentation is important, so I give this one a full marks on that.

Hart an der Grenze is a good game in a genre I don't love or need that much, thus my lower rating. If you're looking for a light, fun game that works with a group of five or six and features haggling and bluffing, you can't go wrong with Hart an der Grenze.

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tommih — 2007-10-02T15:10:11+00:00

Back of the box (Finnish edition)

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tommih — 2007-10-02T15:09:33+00:00

Box front (Finnish edition)

Thread: Re: Running out of cards?

Friendless — 2007-09-02T23:19:36+00:00

It turned out we were misplaying a rule - we were allowing lying about the number of cards. The rules seem to allow it but the designer has posted here that you can't. That allowed a few more cards to be collected than otherwise. But anyway, lying about the number is fun.

Thread: Expansion-variant. (7 or 8 or 9 players)

Crockerdile — 2007-08-31T21:36:13+00:00

For the life of me, I do not see why more than 6 players can't play this game, so here is my idea. (The only thing you have to come up with are more suitcases, or a similar box).

Bear in mind that when crossing a border, a smuggler really must pass through two checkpoints, so with 8 players you could have a 2nd border official who sits exactly opposite the person with the badge, and plays his turn exactly the same way. This should work fine for 7 players too, making sure that the 2nd border official is at least 3 players to the left of the guy with the badge, and the role gets passed to the left on the next turn. More than 9 players? Add a 3rd official, 2 or 3 players to the left of the 2nd official. It seems like it should work.

Thread: Re: Running out of cards?

Crockerdile — 2007-08-31T21:12:56+00:00

Strange...our 5 and 6 player games have never even come close to running out of cards. Re-shuffling should do the trick. As a matter of fact I've been thinking that there are so many cards, that the game could easily be expanded to 7, 8 or even more players. Look under variants.

Thread: Re: Running out of cards?

Friendless — 2007-08-29T13:12:37+00:00

We almost had this problem too - in the end we had 2 cards left after the inspector shuffled his in. And of course we discarded cards we sold earlier.

Thread: Re: HART AN DER GRENZE PROHIBITED IN BRAZIL

stumpf — 2007-07-08T23:05:13+00:00

Try finding where our country is located in Chart 1...
http://www.worldbank.org/fandd/english/0398/articles/020398....

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

Sorcerak — 2007-07-03T01:19:20+00:00

I geekmailed Mr.Halaban for confirmation and he answered the following:

Dear Dominic,

No, You canÃ‚Â´t lie about the number of cards.

The english translation lead to som confusion about this subject, but I have alwais plaied this way, your declaration must be the exact amount of cards that is in the suitcase.

Best wishes,

Sergio
So you do have to tell the proper number of cards.

Also when you look at the german rulebook there's 3 examples and all three of them state the proper number of cards.

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plutonick — 2007-06-26T19:04:07+00:00

Greek edition front cover

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

plutonick — 2007-05-27T23:04:31+00:00

ganska wrote:
There is a note in the rules (BGG downloaded) that states "If a player has more cards in the suitcase than he declared, he must discard the surplus cards and pay the penalty, even if they are the declared class of goods." Sounds like you can lie about the number of cards in your suitcase.

That's my question too.
If I have to say exactly how many cards i have in the suitcase [and cant lie about it], then why is there a rule that says "If a player has more cards in the suitcase than he declared, he must discard the surplus cards and pay the penalty, even if they are the declared class of goods."

It seems to me, just in case I made a mistake, without me knowing it?
Still, then everyone can claim they made a mistake.

Again I am basing this on the english translated rules here on BGG

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

blindspot — 2007-05-21T18:50:11+00:00

Werbaer wrote:
blindspot wrote:
I just put 2 maracas, 1 sombrero, and 1 tequila in my suitcase. What do I declare?
Either 4 jugs, 4 maracas, or 4 sombreros.Excellent! That is crystal clear. Thanks!

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

Werbaer — 2007-05-21T18:29:24+00:00

blindspot wrote:
I just put 2 maracas, 1 sombrero, and 1 tequila in my suitcase. What do I declare?
Either 4 jugs, 4 maracas, or 4 sombreros.

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

blindspot — 2007-05-21T14:49:12+00:00

sergiones wrote:
AnakinOU wrote:
Just to make sure we're playing this right...

1) On your declarations you MUST tell how many cards you put in. No lying allowed.

2) On your declarations, you can name ONLY ONE type of goods. No more, no less.

3) When you are inspected, anything in your suitcase that doesn't match the type of good you declared is contraband. You pay the penalty and discard the cards, even if they are "legal" goods (maracas, jugs, sombreros).

4) All payments and penalties go to or from the bank. The only time money goes from player to player is in a bribe

Right?

The answer is Yes to all for questions.

Ok then, please answer me this example.

I just put 2 maracas, 1 sombrero, and 1 tequila in my suitcase. What do I declare?

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

Jim_P — 2007-05-19T20:09:37+00:00

So that means I can say, "I am putting four cards in my suitcase... three of them are Sombreros?"

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GeoMan — 2007-04-22T20:55:10+00:00

Money

Thread: Re: Not Just Funky Suitcases!

quentin1 — 2007-04-22T06:35:08+00:00

After quite a few plays, I have decided on my final rating based on the BBG system. It is above a 7 (Good game, usually willing to play) but below an 8 (Very good game. I like to play. Probably suggest it and never turn down a game) because it is dependant on the group, enthusiasm and environment.

For non gamers it is usually a big hit. For serious gamers it is a good change of pace or change after a big session.

7.5 out 0f 10

Thread: Re: Running out of cards?

ifiwasadog — 2007-04-19T18:56:21+00:00

I think all that you have to do is shuffle the cards that have been sold in the previous rounds and the problem is solved.

Thread: Re: HART AN DER GRENZE PROHIBITED IN BRAZIL

Crockerdile — 2007-04-10T13:36:10+00:00

If they banned this innocent little game, then that means they themselves have something to hide. Isn't the "triple border" area (Ciudad del Este) supposed to be extremely corrupt and very dangerous? I'm asking here...not accusing.

Thread: Re: HART AN DER GRENZE PROHIBITED IN BRAZIL

Drew1365 — 2007-04-10T13:26:08+00:00

Right now hundreds of Geeks are thinking "There are a bunch of confiscated copies in Brazil! How can I get one of them cheap?!"

Thread: Re: HART AN DER GRENZE PROHIBITED IN BRAZIL

tanis — 2007-04-10T13:11:42+00:00

Hey this is a great hint!

If I were one of the authors I would go to a local Brazilian parliament asking the judges to retire every copy of Risk! from the Brazilian market, since the game "encourage" the kids to make war.

Let them deal with Hasbro lawyers, then.

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

ganska — 2007-03-13T23:32:12+00:00

oh yeah, where is his designer tag?

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

Werbaer — 2007-03-13T20:45:56+00:00

ganska wrote:
Sounds like you can lie about the number of cards in your suitcase.
sergiones wrote:
The answer is Yes to all for questions.
You don't believe the designer?

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

ganska — 2007-03-13T20:20:22+00:00

There is a note in the rules (BGG downloaded) that states "If a player has more cards in the suitcase than he declared, he must discard the surplus cards and pay the penalty, even if they are the declared class of goods." Sounds like you can lie about the number of cards in your suitcase.

Thread: Re: HART AN DER GRENZE PROHIBITED IN BRAZIL

_nos — 2007-03-12T21:02:09+00:00

omg... That's a ridiculous argument. So a WWI game will "encourages" the children to kill people and cannonade nations?

Thread: Re: Running out of cards?

chockle — 2007-03-12T02:10:34+00:00

That actually happened to us, a group of 6, last week. Since the Inspector didn't need his cards on his last turn, we shuffled & used those 5, but some players only had a hand of 4 cards on that final border crossing. I was wondering if it had happened to anyone else too.

Thread: Running out of cards?

selphil — 2007-03-11T20:40:42+00:00

We played this game for the first time last night and had a blast...

However, towards the end of the third round, we ran out of cards.

This is still with using the recycled "sold" cards that were discarded at the end of the first and second round.

Maybe it's the "balls-i-ness" of our players? A lot of people were smuggling ALL FIVE cards in their hands at times, requiring them to get a full hand by the sheriff in the new turn.

At the end of the third round, some people couldn't replenish their hands to a full five cards. Some people didn't have any cards going into the last turn of the last round.

Has anyone else experienced this? Are we playing it wrong?

Still, a great time was had by all--complete with a "border patrol" hat and cheezy accents...

"Buenos dios, amigo! Did you find your trip to Mexico to be relaxing? Excellente! Would you mind stepping out of line here, we just need to check a couple of things and then you'll be on your way..."

Thread: HART AN DER GRENZE PROHIBITED IN BRAZIL

nicholaslima — 2007-01-30T14:54:33+00:00

In the beginning of this year, the sale and distribuiton of the game Hart an der Grenze (aka "Jogo da Fronteira" in Brazil [Game of the border]) has been prohibited in Brazil.
The brazilian jurisdiction argue that "the game encourages and learns the children to suborn the authority".

The publisher, Estrela, is forbidden to manufacture the game and all the exemplars was took back from he game stores.
Particularity: The game's authors are from Brazil.
The immortal authoritarian-catholic tradicion of Latin America...

Thread: Re: Chances of an English edition?

Crockerdile — 2007-01-10T16:36:26+00:00

I just received the German edition a few of days ago from Funagain. They enclosed a set of English rules, that are the carbon copy of the rules posted here on BGG. I promise, it's all you'll need. Very simple(but fun) stuff.

Thread: [Review] Hart an der Grenze

TomVasel — 2006-12-26T22:50:20+00:00

There are a few games that, when I first read about them on the internet, I immediately know that I'm going to like them. When I heard about actual smuggling cards inside small metal suitcases, I knew that Hart an der Grenze (Kosmos, 2006 - Andre Zatz and Sergio Halaban) was a game I would enjoy. The name, translated "Right at the Border", has players attempting to sneak different goods across the border, while taking turns as the border Sheriff. Bribery and theft run amuck, and the game comes with six little metal briefcases - something that catches everyone's eye when I first open the box.

Hart an der Grenze has really become a smash hit with the folks I play with. The game might be called by some "overproduced" (and it is!); the translated rules are slightly unclear, and it might last a little too long. Regardless, it is extremely fun as players attempt to bluff their way to financial success, while trying to catch others in the act. Lots of laughing, wailing, and a bit of role-playing make it a party game - one that has some interesting mechanics in it but is mostly all about the experience and the bluffing.

Each player in the game takes a small metal suitcase, as well as thirty dollars - with the remainder of the money placed in the "bank". Players receive one red "seizure" marker and an "extra inspection" marker in a five or six player game. A deck of 139 goods cards is shuffled, and five are dealt to each player.
Each card is one of six goods, with a sell price and a penalty / remuneration number.
- Jugs: 2/1 (legal)
- Maracas: 3/2 (legal)
- Sombreros: 4/3 (legal)
- Cigars: 7/5 (illegal)
- Tequila: 9/6 (illegal)
- Idols: 12/8 (illegal)
The game takes place over three rounds, and each player is Sheriff once (in clockwise order) each round.

On a turn, players secretly place a number of cards into their briefcase, and then - in turn order - declare what they have in their suitcase. Players may only declare one type of good, and it must be one of the three legal types. (i.e. "I have three Maracas"). After all players have declared, the Sheriff picks one player to open their suitcase (they may pick two players if they use their "extra inspection" marker). The player who is picked can either reveal the contents of their suitcase or attempt to bribe the sheriff. If bribing, they offer the sheriff an amount of cash which can be negotiated. The sheriff has the option of taking this amount, which means the player does not have to open their suitcase. If the player does have to (or chooses to) open their suitcase, they reveal the contents. If the cards in the suitcase match what they declared, they receive money equal to the total of the remuneration numbers. (A shame this doesn't happen in real life!) If the cards do not match, the players must pay an amount equal to the penalty number on each card that wasn't part of their declaration. Also, the Sheriff may play their "seizure" marker and look at the contents of any one player's suitcase, keeping all the ones that do not match that player's declaration.

After this, each player takes their goods cards and places them in a pile behind their suitcases, without showing them to the other players. Every player's hand is refilled to five cards. The next player becomes the Sheriff, and this continues until all players have been the Sheriff once - at which point the round ends. Players then look through the pile of cards behind their suitcases and choose up to three of these to place face-down underneath their suitcase. The remainder they sell at face value, discarding the cards and taking the appropriate amount of cash. Everyone counts their money, and the poorest player decides who the starting Sheriff for the next round is.

This continues until three entire rounds have been played. At this point, players have up to nine cards under their suitcases. Each of the six item types is called off, and players lay any cards they have in front of them. A certain number of the cards is sold off (amount determined by the number of players), starting with the player who has the most cards of that type for double the normal value. Some players may not make any money at this point, if they don't have the most and the number to be sold has already been reached. Players then add this money to money that they've made during the game, and the player with the most money is the winner!

Some comments on the game…

1.) Components: Hart an der Grenze comes in a large, square box - probably entirely too big for the game but the size needed for the metal suitcases. Speaking of these suitcases, they probably aren't needed for the game; but they add so much flavor, fun, and functionality (alliteration - hurrah!) that I can't imagine it without them. The cards and box are of good quality, showing a cartoonish type of artwork that works well with the game's silly theme. I only have two quibbles concerning the components. One is that paper money is really inferior to coins, etc. - especially with as much as it is tossed around in this game. I replaced mine with poker chips. Secondly, the act of placing cards under the suitcase is a little awkward - another compartment would have been nice. I do like the reference card included, and the one inside the lid of each player's suitcase. The components add to the quality of the game, especially the theme.

2.) Rules: The game is currently only available in German, but an English copy of the rules can be found online. There were a couple of problems that I needed to be solved; but after the designer clarified them for me, I realized that the rules weren't too bad (although they could use a little reworking). Teaching the game is actually rather simple, with one small difficulty - not all players understand the selling cards for double at the end of the game. I show an example of final scoring and selling that is rather helpful; but, still, many players don't "get it," until after one game has been completed.

3.) Bluffing: There is no denying it - this game is all about the bluffing. Players must simply hope that their facial expressions and other visual and audio clues don't give away what cards they really put into their suitcase. One could simply always tell the truth, but that's a.) unprofitable and b.) often impossible - especially if you have a hand of illegal goods. Players must determine what they think they can sneak by the sheriff. Anytime someone declares that they have five goods of one type; everyone always wonders if they are either telling the straight truth or trying to pull off a brazen bluff. A player, of course, must deal with the cards that they draw, but a good bluffer can cause others to check their suitcases when they are telling the truth and ignore them when lying. An interesting problem might develop for some, as you can really only determine when a player is bluffing between rounds, since cards are kept secret until then. We played a variant in which players revealed their cards every round, adding a bit of laughing and finger pointing.

4.) Role-playing. "Sir, I'm going to have to check your suitcase." "I realize that, officer, but I'm in a hurry. And look, you appear to have dropped this five dollar bill?" "Sir, I'd like to help you, but I have sixteen children to care for at home. Five dollars simply isn't enough." When you start hearing statements like this in a game, accompanied by cheesy accents and quotes from bad movies, then you know that you're playing Hart an der Grenze the correct way. This may add a bit of time to the game, but it makes negotiations fun and interesting and adds a lot of laughter.

5.) Double or nothing: The end game is really rather important, and I've seen many players win the game because of it. Players have to realize that they have an excellent opportunity to sell things for double value instead of the ordinary rate, but they also might get nothing for their troubles. When only two idols are going to be sold (in a four player game), and I have one, but Billy has two; he is walking away with forty-eight dollars and I with nothing. This adds a bit of tension, and possibly, a bit of real "game" to Hart an der Grenze. Sometimes I feel as if Hart is actually two different games - the bluffing and the "bidding" at the end.

6.) Fun Factor: Players who despise bluffing should most likely stay away, since they will find nothing here that interests them. BUT, it is possible that the way the game is presented, allowing a bit of role-playing and light easy fun, will entice and snare them. For people who enjoy or tolerate bluffing, I can think of few games that are as enjoyable as Hart an der Grenze. One player in one of my games kept repeating the phrase "This is a really fun game!" over and over again, as he continually did poorly.

And that's the joy of this game. Even when a player can't catch other's bluff or fool the other players, they can still have a blast. From confiscating a suitcase with valuable contraband inside, to selling the most sombreros for double price at the end of the game, to making the Sheriff think you are lying when you are simply trying to take home some legal goods, this game just reeks of delight. Certainly a light game - one that is best at parties or when the time is getting late - it's nice to see a game that isn't focused on the mechanics, but rather on just having a good time.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.thedicetower.com

Thread: Re: Not Just Funky Suitcases!

quentin1 — 2006-12-22T07:14:47+00:00

After more play, I have changed to a 6.8. It is still fun, alot of fun. But it is getting less play.

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

Thomas_de_Monet — 2006-12-14T15:36:34+00:00

Thanks!

I'll make sure we play correctly from now on!

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

sergiones — 2006-12-13T11:40:04+00:00

AnakinOU wrote:
Just to make sure we're playing this right...

1) On your declarations you MUST tell how many cards you put in. No lying allowed.

2) On your declarations, you can name ONLY ONE type of goods. No more, no less.

3) When you are inspected, anything in your suitcase that doesn't match the type of good you declared is contraband. You pay the penalty and discard the cards, even if they are "legal" goods (maracas, jugs, sombreros).

4) All payments and penalties go to or from the bank. The only time money goes from player to player is in a bribe

Right?

The answer is Yes to all for questions.

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

Thomas_de_Monet — 2006-12-11T03:40:47+00:00

I was taught those rules along the lines of "You HAVE to say how many and of what" but you can lie about either one.

But the way its worded..... I would suggest contacting the designer if possible, see what he/she says.

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

AnakinOU — 2006-12-11T02:23:15+00:00

I wasn't sure about the "number of goods declared" thing because the rules say...

English Rules posted on the Geek wrote:
Beginning with the player to the left of the Sheriff and going clockwise, everyone must declare how many goods cards are in their suitcase. Players must declare exactly one class of goods, regardless of whether they put them into their suitcase at all, or whether they have different goods in the suitcase.

The key phrases being those in bold. The first one states you must declare how many cards you're smuggling. The second states you must state one type, even if it's not true. The whole "even if it's not true" part wasn't part of the "number declaration" rule. Hence my question.

Thread: Re: Clarifications on declarations and money...

Thomas_de_Monet — 2006-12-10T18:44:46+00:00

According to the way I was taught to play - you don't have to say how many cards you put in. Quite a few times people got away with saying "2 Sombreros" and then having to ask for 5 cards in the next phase to replentish their hands. It's one way to get more goods under your suitcase and into the final count.

As how this affects your question #3: lets say I said "2 Sombreros" but actually put 5 cards in my suitcase. You decide to insepct my luggage - everything OVER 2 sombreros gets tossed out and I pay the penalties for them - even if they are all sombreros. If I lied and NONE of the cards in my suitcae are sombreros, then I lose everything and have to pay for it all. Of course if that was the case I would try to bribe you to leave me alone! So in the end all I end up with is what I declared - if it is really in there.

Other than that, all the other rules you mentioned were the same.

Thread: Clarifications on declarations and money...

AnakinOU — 2006-12-10T16:31:03+00:00

Just to make sure we're playing this right...

1) On your declarations you MUST tell how many cards you put in. No lying allowed.

2) On your declarations, you can name ONLY ONE type of goods. No more, no less.

3) When you are inspected, anything in your suitcase that doesn't match the type of good you declared is contraband. You pay the penalty and discard the cards, even if they are "legal" goods (maracas, jugs, sombreros).

4) All payments and penalties go to or from the bank. The only time money goes from player to player is in a bribe

Right?

Thread: Re: Not Just Funky Suitcases!

Linkyboy23 — 2006-12-09T17:30:21+00:00

Now, I have played this game with many others, and as many may have said before, what a game! This game gives you a good time for family and fun!

Thread: The first try

swanhills_ca — 2006-12-05T20:56:59+00:00

Well last night we pulled out a new game for our group of Hart an der Grenze. At first glance it looks like it is going to be a nice light game of boarder crossing, bribes and inspections.

After we had the rules explained to all of us,(there were 4 playing).
I had the honor of being the sheriff and my job is to listen to all the people passing the boarder declare what Legal goods they have in there suitcases and then pick someone for inspection. My first mistake of the game came when I went to search one of the players suitcases and they bribed me with 7 dollars and like a money hunger animal I took the cash. only to find out later that there was 3 Illegal goods (tequila) in that case. I had an option to search someone else with the extra inspection maker but with 3 rounds I saved it.

The sheriff badge was passed to the next played and when all the declaring was over, I was the unlucky smuggler to be picked. I tried to make a bribe but there was no way that she was taking the cash. So I got searched and lost 2 cigar's and 1 tequila.

The sheriff badge was passed agian and the round continued this is the time I picked up 5 legal goods and put them all in my suitcase. I declaired the goods but he thought I was lying, well I wasn't and the bank had to pay me for making a illegal search, that worked out well I made a bunch of cash- it pays to tell the truth once in a while.

With that round over The new sheriff took over and searched one of the players. The sheriff made a good call- finding 2 cigar's and 1 statue. Well that hurt him as he had to pay the fine to the bank.

Round 1 over 2 more to go.

We had to pick three goods to stash under the suitcase for the remainder of the game that the sheriff did not seize and sell the rest back to the bank for cold hard cash.

By now everyone had a good understanding on what to do in this game and the next 2 rounds are played the same way and went by pretty quick. Now everyone had 9 cards under their suitcases after the third round.

Now the big money comes into play with the selling for these goods-legal and illegal good cards. Inside the suitcase is a chart picturing the number of each good to be sold for double versus the number of players in the game. So I had stocked up on cigar's(4) and tequila(4) with 1 sombrero. I had the most cigar's and tequila and did get paid for the 1 sombrero, I had just made alot of money at the end of the game and there was realy nobody close to beating me.

Now the Big Key to this game is the old saying of Nice Poker Face. Some people have a hard time in lying and keeping a straight face. Now everyone was having a good time but it is hard to be serious when declairing what you put in your suitcase with the sheriff staring. I have to admit there was alot of laughing going on and I have learned that nobody trust nobody in this game.

I have to say that this is going to be a fun game to bring out with 4 to 6 people and can not wait to play it again.

I have to give this game a nice 7.7/10

Thread: Re: Not Just Funky Suitcases!

markrollings — 2006-12-05T08:46:41+00:00

Played a couple of times with my family. It has us in fits of laughter. It's a fun game that shouldn't be taken too seriously.

Thread: Re: Not Just Funky Suitcases!

swanhills_ca — 2006-12-04T18:21:35+00:00

Great Review,

It sounds like a nice fun game. I just hope that I get a chance to play this game one day.

Thread: Not Just Funky Suitcases!

quentin1 — 2006-12-04T06:48:21+00:00

Hart an der Grenze- Right at the Border

Game Overview

Hart an der grenze is a bluffing/ money game where players attempt to smuggle goods in a suitcase past the Border Sheriff. Each player begins with a suitcase, $30 and one seizure marker. One player is chosen to start as the Sheriff (identified by the handy dandy included Sheriff badge) although every player will assume the role during game play. Five cards are dealt to each player.

The game lasts 3 rounds. One round consists of each player assuming the role of the sheriff once.

The Sheriff places his cards to the side for the turn; they will not be involved in smuggling or bringing goods over the border. Each other player takes 1 to 5 of his goods cards and places them in their suitcase.

The Goods Cards

Legal Goods consist of Jugs, Maracas and Sombreros, each with a different value.

Illegal Goods consist of Cigars, Tequila and Statues, also with different but higher values (being illegal of course).

The player to the left of the Sheriff begins by declaring the type and number of goods they have placed in the suitcase. Players may only declare legal goods and this continues till each player has declared to the Sheriff the goods contained in their suitcase.

The Sheriff now picks one of the players, or travelers shall we say, and tells them to open the suitcase. If the player was honest with the goods he declared or is crafty in their ways, they place their cards on the table or attempts to bribe the Sheriff to not inspect the suitcase.

If the player has the exact cards they declared, they are paid from the bank for being unjustly accused and the goods cards are placed on the table behind the suitcase for later sale.

If the declaration was not honest and cannot reach a bribe agreement with the Sheriff, the Sheriff inspects the cards (insert drum role here). Goods that match the player’s declaration are kept and placed behind the suitcase for later sale. Cards that have not been declared or are illegal are discarded and the player must pay the penalty listed at the bottom of each card. Penalties collected are paid to the bank.

Seizure Markers

The Sheriff, once during the whole game may discard the seizure marker and inspect another player’s suitcase. The Sheriff secretly looks at the goods cards in the suitcase. All goods that match the player's declaration are given back to the player and placed faced down behind the suitcase for later sale. The Sheriff keeps any cards not declared by the player or illegal goods and places the cards in front of their own suitcase. Bribery is not allowed when the seizure marker is played.

Extra Inspection Markers

With 5 or 6 players, each player is given an inspection marker at the beginning of the game. Once during the whole game, the Sheriff may discard this marker and choose another player to inspect and possibly receive a bribe from.

At the end of the Sheriff's turn, remaining (not inspected) players place the goods cards from inside of the suitcase to the front of the suitcase, and the next player clockwise to the Sheriff becomes the new Sheriff. The sequence is then repeated.

After each player has been the Sheriff once, the round is over. Cards in the players hand are temporarily placed to the side. Each player now picks up the cards in front of his suitcase.

Each player beginning with the player left of the Sheriff now chooses up to 3 goods cards to stash under the suitcase for the remainder of the game. The player must tell everyone how many cards they are putting under the suitcase. At the end of the game, a player may be lucky enough to sell those goods for double the value. To do so, the player must have the most of that type of good under the suitcase to be the first player to sell for double the value. Inside the suitcase is a chart picturing the number of each good to be sold for double versus the number of players in the game.

Cards not placed under the suitcase are now sold to the bank and discarded.

Players count their money and the poorest chooses the starting Sheriff for the next round.

After 3 rounds, goods under the suitcases are sold for double value; goods cards not sold or left in the players hand are worthless.

The player with the most money wins.

Game Components

As with most Kosmos games I have purchased, the game pieces are of the highest detail and quality. The box is sufficient and detailed with artwork. The insert is specific for the game, not generic. Each piece is held in place by the insert and has a separate tray for each suitcase. The components appear to be designed to last through years of game play.

Game Play

Kosmos lists duration to be 45-70 minutes and allows 3 to 6 players. We played with 4 players as we were learning and the game lasted between 40 and 50 minutes.

The recommended age is 10 and up. There is alot of mathematics in the game so most 10 yr olds may need assistance. I would guess it is better suited for 12 and up because of the math. Besides, kids learn quickly enough on their own, do we need to teach them about bluffing and smuggling?

My Rating!!!

First off, in my opinion this is not an in depth, serious gamer’s game. But none the less, an excellent introduction into German gaming. This game plays best with more people and is a light, relaxing, possibly party type game. It does not require too much thought which can scare non gamers, but still involves some strategy and thinking for those who must.

Traditionally, our group introduced new friends and family to games through Ticket to Ride or trivia type games such as Scene It. Hart an der Grenze will now be used as well to introduce people to board gaming. It is a wonderful and very social game with lots of conversation and laughter.

To rate this as a hard core board game geekers game I would likely rate it as a 6.2 as luck and lack of extreme strategy are prevalent during game play.

But let's face it geekers!! All of us, even the most supreme of geekdom have a couple of friends who may not be into boardgames or would play during a party or while having a few beverages before going down to the tavern. Sometimes, it is nice to play a game with quick set up and less intensity as something such as Puerto Rico or Power Grid. It also nice to have a few games that allow for more than 4 or 5 players. For these reasons, I rate Hart an der Grenze as a 7.5 out of 10.

Thanks for reading the review and enjoy the game!!!!

Thread: Re: Contraband?

magalvao — 2006-11-14T01:02:31+00:00

In the Personal Comments page, André Zatz - one of the authors - explained that " (...) the games are quite different. I have never played Contraband, but I read a review. Contraband seems a version of Liar Dice with no dice. The mechanics of Hart an der Grenze are quite different. I think that the apparent similarity is due to the theme and to the fact that both are bluff games, but from what I read, it ends there."

Thread: Re: Contraband?

EvilTimmy — 2006-11-14T00:47:33+00:00

Huh, that certainly does look [nearly] exactly the same. Interesting.

Thread: Contraband?

epicduo — 2006-11-13T20:12:09+00:00

There's a game from the 60s called Contraband - anybody know how they differ? Seems exactly the same.