Game: Circus Flohcati

Thread: Re: What Children Really Think About CIRCUS FLOHCATI: A pictorial interview with a 4 & 6 year old

kjuice — 2008-12-01T22:18:48+00:00

lemon tater, that`s hilarious, only something like that could come from a kid. love the review, cant wait for the ASL review to come out.

Thread: Re: What Children Really Think About CIRCUS FLOHCATI: A pictorial interview with a 4 & 6 year old

cvandyk — 2008-11-28T23:44:22+00:00

Hey, what happened to the "real" children - where did they go?

Don't you love all the sarcastic comments you get?

Nice review, and don't bother saving the GG for your children - I know the real work is in writing it up.

Thread: Re: What Children Really Think About CIRCUS FLOHCATI: A pictorial interview with a 4 & 6 year old

reapersaurus — 2008-11-28T21:57:50+00:00

EndersGame wrote:
Q: If you could add different cards to the game, what would you add?
4yo: An elephant, and a penguin.
What would they do?
4yo: The elephant would stomp when you place it, and it knocks other people out. The penguin, well he knocks people out, like this, waddle, waddle with his hands.This is really precious, when you remember what she wanted added to Incan Gold.

You'd better get some games with elephants and penguins, pronto, is what she's sayin'!
(Maybe Zooloretto with Aquaretto?)
I guess you could play Hey That's My Fish and add an elephant as the Killer Whale (variant).

Thread: Re: What Children Really Think About CIRCUS FLOHCATI: A pictorial interview with a 4 & 6 year old

Skrynkelberg — 2008-11-28T12:56:00+00:00

I hope you store away all the GG you get for these reviews to give to them when they are old enough to have accounts on their own. Everything else would be stealing.

Thread: Re: What Children Really Think About CIRCUS FLOHCATI: A pictorial interview with a 4 & 6 year old

mpot — 2008-11-28T10:17:50+00:00

Another great review from your kids ;-)

I think the real reason that you're using your kids for these reviews is so you don't have to think of content for the reviews....but you've outsourced it to your kids...

Thread: Re: What Children Really Think About CIRCUS FLOHCATI: A pictorial interview with a 4 & 6 year old

Admiral Fisher — 2008-11-28T07:02:19+00:00

Nice stuff. My kids like this one too.

Thread: What Children Really Think About CIRCUS FLOHCATI: A pictorial interview with a 4 & 6 year old

EndersGame — 2008-11-28T04:05:59+00:00

Almost every day, my two youngest daughters beg me to play a game with them after supper. Probably the game that they request the most is: Circus Flohcati. Now since my children don't speak German, unlike Dr Knizia, the chap who invented the game, we call it "Flea Circus". After all, that's what it's about, right? Your own flea circus!

As it happens, the fleas that come with the game don't speak German either. That is rather fortunate for us, because my children only speak English. Well, and a bit of French, they have grown up in Canada after all.

But let's just ignore the language debate for a moment, because these fleas are language independent. Granted, your average flea doesn't even know what it means to be "language independent". But hey, these are not your average fleas - these are smart fleas! They know what being "language independent" is all about. What's more, they know their numbers and their colours. Some of them even know how to tame lions, how to juggle, and how to breath fire!

But I don't want to steal my children's thunder. After all, you want to know what real children think about this game, right? I've played this many times with my four year old and six year old daughters, so I would consider them junior flea circus experts. And just for you, the loyal readers of BGG, I interviewed them to find out what they thought about the game.

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Here is what they had to say, in their own words:

Q: Let's begin by introducing the ten different fleas that come with the flea circus game. Can you please tell us what they are called?

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4yo: There's this guy, he's a ringmaster. This guy is a juggler. And this is a fire breather. And there's a cannon guy. This a clown. And this is a ... what shall I call it?
6yo: I don't exactly know what it's called.
A guy who levitates?
4yo: Yeah, a levitator. And this is an escape master.
6yo: No, an escape artist.
4yo: Then this brown guy is a lemon tater. No, he's not a lemon tater, that's the yellow one. What is he called again daddy?
A lion tamer?
4yo: Yeah. Now are those all the cards?
6yo: No, we haven't done the orange one.
4yo: This is an acrobat. And that is a knife thrower.

Q: Girls, how about we go through that a bit more slowly. I'll show the ten different coloured fleas, and I want you to identify each of them, and tell us something about them. (I hold up the cards as I show them)

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Q. Yellow?
4yo: Firebreather. He blows fire. There is oil in there. He puts the oil on top of the stick, and it makes fire.

Q. Brown?
6yo: Lion Tamer. There is a lion flea that is going to jump through the hoop, and the hoop has fire on it, and the flea's arm is burning, like black, and it is really sort of, well he is sort of getting on fire. And that's all.

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Q. Orange?
4yo: Acrobat. One guy is swinging. His feet are holding it. Another guy is swinging and his hands are holding it. One guy is flat on the ground. He fell.

Q. Red?
4yo: Rocket dude. He's in a cannon. He is going to fire out.

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Q. Green?
6yo: Juggler. The knife looks like it is going to cut him. He's juggling, but he's dropping some, and he's blinded. He's juggling a ball, a axe, some toilet paper, a colorful apple, a bomb that's lighted up, and - Dad, what is that? Oh, a toilet plunger? - a toilet plunger, and a flower pot, and a fire stick. He dropped the flower pot and the fire stick.

Q. Blue?
6yo: Escape Artist. He is all tied up, and there is a little fishie watching him. (giggles hysterically)

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Q. White?
4yo: Clown. One guy is blowing a trumpet. And the clown has a little hat, with little flower pot on his head. And the clown is stepping on the other guy's foot. The clown is also stepping on a can.

Q. Grey?
6yo: Knife Thrower. He is throwing knives beside the girl.
4yo: The girl stays there because something is sticking to her back, like tape.

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Q. Lilac?
6yo: Levitator. There's a magic lamp, and it is sort of steaming, and the Levitator is going up, up, up.

Q. Indigo?
4yo: Ringmaster. He's teaching music. He is holding his little hat.

Q: Excellent girls! Now can you tell us about the three special cards in the game?

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(from left to right)
4yo: This is a colour one. This one you can tell people what colour you want.
4yo: This is a pick one. This one means you can pick one out of someone's hand.

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4yo: This one means you can flip until you get two the same colours, and then you have to pick one.

Q: How does the game work, and how do you win?
4yo: You have to get all different colours, and then you win, and you have to get sets.
6yo: You can get sets, and you flip the cards, and there's ten different colours, and if you get all of them then the game stops.

Q: How easy is Circus Flohcati to learn and play?
4yo: Very easy.
6yo: Yes, easy.

Q: So how do you get points?
6yo: By getting sets with the numbers, there's numbers on the cards
4yo: You want to get high sets, like 6s and 7s. 7 is the highest one that you can get.

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Q: How many points did you get today?
4yo: I forget. 84?
6yo: No, I had 58. You had 57!

Q: What is the best way to get lots of points?
4yo: By getting very high numbers.
6yo: How I would get lots of points? Well, have high cards, and you get ten points if you have three the same.

Q: How much of the game is luck?
6yo: One quarter or so.

Q: What do you like most about the game?
4yo: The 7, because that is the highest card.
6yo: What I like about the game is the wilds, where you have to pick a card from someone else, or when you ask for a colour.

Q: What do you like least about the game?
4yo: The lowest cards, the zero. I don't like that, that's the part what I don't like about it.
6yo: I don't really like losing.

What is the most exciting part of this game?
6yo: When you win your first time.

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What do you think about flipping over the cards? Is that ever exciting?
6yo: Yes, because you might flip over a 7 or a 6! Or one of the special cards, like one of the ones where you can ask a colour or keep on flipping.

Q: What are your favorite cards in the game?
4yo: The card where you can keep on flipping.
6yo: The juggler. No, the clown 7, because it's a high card, and because I like clowns.

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Q: If you could add different cards to the game, what would you add?
4yo: An elephant, and a penguin.
What would they do?
4yo: The elephant would stomp when you place it, and it knocks other people out. The penguin, well he knocks people out, like this, waddle, waddle with his hands.
6yo: I would add a black colour, and the number would be 3, and it would be a magic guy.
4yo: I would add a elephant and a penguin and a koala and a dolphin and a siamese cat and a little monkey
6yo: You are just saying the Webkinz we have!

Q: How much should this game cost?
6yo: $1.84

Q: How old do you have to be to play Circus Flohcati?
4yo: I think four years old.
6yo: I think you have to be four.

Q: What would your friends think of this game?
4yo: It would be fun.
8yo: They would probably like it.

Q: What rating out of 10 would you give this game?
6yo: a 9

Q: What games do you think are worse than this one?
6yo: Memory. Chutes and Ladders.
Why do you like this better?
6yo: Because it's fun to play. Because it has cards with numbers on it and stuff, and you still get sets like with Memory, but sets with three. And you get points. With Chutes and Ladders you have a little guy and you only move, but with Flea Circus you can get points, and...yeah!

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So there you have it folks! You heard it here on BGG first, directly from the mouth of the Junior Flea Circus Experts!

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EndersGame — 2008-11-27T04:36:47+00:00

Two sisters do final scoring

Thread: Re: Zirkus to Circus: Rule Changes

djnesq — 2008-10-08T12:16:11+00:00

And two more:
1) The original rules permitted you to play trios after you completed your action. Although unclear, the new rules seem not to allow that.
2) Under the original rules, the game ended immediately upon drawing the final card during the r/y action. The player could not complete the action.

Thread: Re: A Pictorial Guide to Your Favorite Circus Flea Performers

wmshub — 2008-09-18T05:27:08+00:00

I like the summary. Although I think that what you call "Indigo" is actually called "Blue. No, the other blue."

Thread: Re: A Pictorial Guide to Your Favorite Circus Flea Performers

Case — 2008-09-18T04:46:55+00:00

Nicely done! This often causes confusion and the guide will be of benefit

Thread: Re: A Pictorial Guide to Your Favorite Circus Flea Performers

Thosw — 2008-09-18T04:42:43+00:00

EndersGame wrote:

- Is there a better choice than "levitator"? (Lilac)

Magician? Mystic? Prestidigitator? Swami?

Thread: A Pictorial Guide to Your Favorite Circus Flea Performers

EndersGame — 2008-09-18T02:55:05+00:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the circus! (drum roll)

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Allow me to introduce your favorite circus flea performers! Highly trained professionals who have come all the way from Kniziaville in Germany!

Will we refer to them by color? Certainly not! After their extensive training, life-time devotion, death-defying feats, and eye-popping routines, the very least that we can do is refer to them correctly according to their role in this famous circus!

The Ringmaster himself will make the introductions! (drum roll)

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Introducing... The Acrobat (orange) and The Cannonball (red)

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Introducing... The Fire Breather (yellow) and The Lion Tamer (brown)

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Introducing... The Clown (white) and The Knife Thrower (gray)

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Introducing... The Juggler (green) and The Escape Artist (blue)

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Introducing... The Levitator (lilac) and The Ringmaster (indigo)

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To summarize:
White: The Clown
Yellow: The Fire Breather
Green: The Juggler
Blue: The Escape Artist
Lilac: The Levitator
Indigo: The Ringmaster
Red: The Cannonball
Orange: The Acrobat
Brown: The Lion Tamer
Gray: The Knife Thrower

There has been some confusion about what to call the colours, and I've used the designations used in the player-aid found here.

[inlineimg]http://www.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/12366/CircusFlohc...[/inlineimg]

But perhaps even better than using colours is to use the titles I've suggested above. They seem appropriate for the most part, but could perhaps be improved:
- It's not really a lion that is being tamed is it? (Brown)
- Is there a better choice than "levitator"? (Lilac)

Well, enough said, bring on the clowns!

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Enjoy the show!

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EndersGame — 2008-09-17T21:39:31+00:00

Flea detail: The Levitator & The Ringmaster

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EndersGame — 2008-09-17T21:38:01+00:00

Flea detail: The Acrobat & The Cannonball

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EndersGame — 2008-09-17T21:37:04+00:00

Flea detail: The Clown & The Knife Thrower

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EndersGame — 2008-09-17T21:36:38+00:00

Flea detail: The Firebreather & The Lion Tamer

Thread: Re: Why not with 2?

olavf — 2008-09-08T06:28:24+00:00

Thanks for all replies. I think we will play it with two but definitely try with more.

Thread: Re: Why not with 2?

wmshub — 2008-09-07T20:19:16+00:00

Ah, right, 10 points per triple. Been a while since I played.

But still, I've found that getting triples is too easy in a 2p game. With more players, you can't just grab the first card you see, or else a lot of your cards will end up being worthless.

Thread: Re: Why not with 2?

Johan — 2008-09-07T15:32:17+00:00

wmshub wrote:
I found that with 2 players, it's too easy to get triples, which makes all cards worth 5 points each.

Huh?
A trio is worth ten points. Surely that should be 3 and 1/3 points each? Or am I missing something?

That said, I think two is actually the best player count for ZF, and every added player reduces the enjoyment.

Thread: Re: Why not with 2?

quozl — 2008-09-06T22:33:28+00:00

It is easy to get triples but with only 2 you really have to push to get the best cards and not settle for the mediocre. I think it works well with 2.

Thread: Re: Why not with 2?

wmshub — 2008-09-06T21:22:16+00:00

I found that with 2 players, it's too easy to get triples, which makes all cards worth 5 points each. With more players, you easily get into situations where it becomes unlikely that you'll be able to get any points at all for some cards, so you really need to push your luck. With 2 players, you should basically never push your luck, just take whatever you see there, the guaranteed 5 points is better than taking a chance for more.

Thread: Why not with 2?

olavf — 2008-09-06T20:44:30+00:00

The rules say 3-5 players. Our first play (testing) was with 2. We thought it worked well. What are we missing?

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EndersGame — 2008-08-24T12:54:07+00:00

Game situation: disaster draw as the Flea Acrobat #7 has to be discarded (rule: same color)

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EndersGame — 2008-08-24T12:53:05+00:00

Sudden death: revealing one of each of the ten colours triggers the game end

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EndersGame — 2008-08-24T12:34:11+00:00

Cover boy: detail of the highest valued Clown (#7)

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EndersGame — 2008-08-24T12:33:10+00:00

the special "New Attraction" card

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EndersGame — 2008-08-24T12:32:40+00:00

Give and take: the special "Take Attraction" and "Request Attraction" cards

Thread: The Random Gamer at the Cottage Next Door: Game #12 Circus Flohcati

EndersGame — 2008-07-23T17:20:04+00:00

Mr. HomoLudens: Well, I just spent a week at a cottage north of Toronto and played some games. Oddly enough, BGG user Ender Wiggins (EndersGame) and his family were at the cottage next door, so we decided to let him and wife play too. Sometimes we even let one or two of his kids play. Yes, the man has kids, although they don't often appear in his many, many photos. We did not let him take any pictures of our games, because the man's made enough GG already.

Mr. Ender: There's nothing like being on vacation and discovering that the random person in the cottage next door is a fellow gamer. Circus Flohcati was Game #12 in the many game sessions (see the first here) that resulted from this amazing discovery.

I'd been given the Flea Circus game by the Ender family on Father's Day, but we'd not had the chance to play it until getting to the cottage. Or rather, until getting to church. I'm not sure if there is any connection between church and flea circuses. Perhaps that relationship parallels the one between church and boogying frogs. At any rate, there we are at church, finding ourselves staying for lunch, and having to retreat indoors because of some rain. And while the kids are doing the frog boogie, we find ourselves getting itchy. Itchy for a game, we say out loud. The real reason for the itch? There were a whole lot of fleas in this particular church building.

Well, Mr. HomoLudens soon gets busy doing what he does best: training those fleas. Nothing like an unsolicited flea circus at church! So while he's teaching them the basics of lion taming, acrobatics, and juggling (all of which he excels at personally), I'm quickly reading the rules of how to operate a flea circus. As it turns out, I get them slightly wrong, so our first game (Mr. Ender, Mr. HomoLudens, Mr. RandomChurchStranger and Son #2) didn't quite go according to how Mr. Knizia intended the whole business to operate. We had fun mind you, although after the first game Mr. HomoLudens politely wandered off to check on the boogying frogs, presumably as a kind way of opting out of game 2. I don't blame him. I thought the game was decent, but kind of ordinary, until I read the rules again more closely a week later, and discovered we'd been doing the scoring wrong. Duh! It turns out that it's not just the highest card in hand at the end of game that scores points, but the highest card of every color. Ah, no wonder those fleas were unhappy!

So we played numerous times the following week - this time with the correct scoring - and it was a much better game. The Ender juniors, particularly the younger ones, were quite keen. It's light, mind you, after all, everybody knows that fleas don't weigh much. But still fun, and offering some interesting choices. Do you choose to play safe and place sets of three on the table for a definite 10 points at the end of game? Or do you play risky and collect higher valued cards (5-7 points each) for more points at the end of the game, but at the risk of other players stealing from you? And do you turn over another card, in the hope than it will be better than what is currently available, but at the risk of getting nothing at all? It is probably this latter press-your-luck element that is the most fun element of the game. You can get burned, but you can also get lucky. This, combined with the different possibilities for scoring points, make it a fun light game for adults, yet simple enough even for children like Daughter #3 (age 4) to play.

Over all, the Flea Circus scratches the light filler game itch quite well, even if our first play was somewhat disappointing. The moral of the story: be careful when playing with trained fleas at church.

Thread: Re: Tiebreaker

jtj608 — 2008-02-14T23:07:02+00:00

I quote:

Circus Flohcati wrote:
If two players tie with the highest score, they rejoice in the shared victory!

That's the Rio Grande edition, which is the most recent.

Thread: Tiebreaker

Vaughn — 2008-02-14T20:07:55+00:00

I'm too lazy to look it up.

In either set of rules (Circus or Zirkus) does it say what happens when two players are tied at the end?

I ask because we had a game that ended 39-54-58-58.

Thread: Re: The Ultimate Euro-Card Game for Kids? Thumbs Up Knizia

gamesgrandpa — 2007-12-23T18:10:49+00:00

We've been playing this game since our grandchildren were quite young, and we still enjoy it now and then, with the kids at ages 10 and 12. Our granddaughter prefers to try for the Gala almost every game. With more players (we sometimes have 8 in the game), your strategy has to change a bit, since it is very difficult to achieve a Gala.

Thread: Re: language on cards?

Grimwold — 2007-11-23T01:25:02+00:00

As others have said, the 'English' edition is language independent.

The German edition looks to have text on the aktion cards, but there are only 3 types of those.... AND all cards are public to begin with (and action cards never go into hand, since you use them there and then!!)

edit: from your other post, I guess your group might be put off if there is German text on some of the cards...

Thread: Re: language on cards?

boltongeordie — 2007-11-22T22:21:13+00:00

My version is completely language independant - just pictures, even on the action cards.

Thread: Re: language on cards?

Dinky_Gnatbane — 2007-11-22T21:01:14+00:00

I have the German language version and it is language independent except for the action cards. They have German text on them, but I think the backgrounds or fonts may be different on each type of action card. In any case, there are only 2 or 3 different action cards in the game so the German text isn't really a problem. The action cards do simple things like randomly selecting a card from another player or forcing a player to give you a card of their choice, or flipping over cards until you get a duplicate.

You can see one of the action cards in this image. The top middle card is an example of one of them. The other 2 types have about the same amount of text on them.

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Thread: Re: language on cards?

sroney — 2007-11-22T17:29:34+00:00

There is no text on the cards, just a number and a picture.

The "action" cards also have no text, just a picture.

Thread: language on cards?

Milarky — 2007-11-22T17:12:12+00:00

hi there quick question is this language indpendent? i.e any text on cards
or is it safe to buy from germany/german /french etc versions?

Thread: The Ultimate Euro-Card Game for Kids? Thumbs Up Knizia

fehrmeister — 2007-11-22T06:55:12+00:00

I played Circus Flohcati for the first time with my 7-year-old game-loving son Adam, and 5-year-old daughter Julianna. I had heard some favorable reviews of this little card game, and was curious to see how well it would fly with my kids.

The kids were impressed with the cute flea-cirus artwork, and were willing to wait while I read the rules, which didn't take long. I then took a few minutes to explain it, and then we were off. Adam tried to collect as many sets of 3 of the same number as he could right away. Meanwhile, Julianna preferred to collect as many "girl" flea cards as possible, although she would let me dissuade her when I explained when it wasn't in her best interest to do so (since the point is collecting high numbers and sets of numbers and not sets of colors).

Adam really liked the "push-your-luck" element of flipping over cards from the draw deck, hoping for a high number to show up, while also hoping that a color already displayed doesn't show up (which ends the player's turn). He pushed his luck a little too a few times, but that tension was exciting for him.

Julianna ended up doing quite well collecting sets of numbers throughout the game, and laying them out in front of her, but she never really understood the idea behind scoring the cards left in her hand at the end of the game. (The highest card of each color left in one's hand scores its face value). But she still had fun. Fortunately, she's gotten good at holding a large set of cards in her hand at once, since a hand can easily grow to 10 or 15 cards in this game.

I didn't get much of a chance to acquire the "7" cards in this game, but I was able to lay down 6 sets of 3 cards each. This kept the game relatively close, as Adam was getting a lot of high cards, but wasn't playing quite as many sets.

The game ended a little sooner than Adam or I would have liked, (there were still sets we were hoping to finish). I like games where there feels like a real shortage of cards or resources and you have to make do with what you have, and this had a bit of that. We tallied up our scores, and here's how it came out:

Final Scores:
Me: 79
Adam: 75
Julianna: 70

Overall, I think this is a superb game for kids. It's excellent at teaching set collecting, and affords plenty of practice at making the difficult decision about which card to pick up to use in one of two different ways: part of a set of 3 (for 10 points per set), or as a card left in the hand to score its face value if it's the highest in its color there. The push-your-luck aspect adds a good dose of plain fun. It's probably a bit too light for most adults when combined with the child-friendly artwork, but it could work as a decent filler in the right environment.

Highly recommended for children: 9 out of 10 stars
For adults I would rate it a 6 out of 10 stars

Thread: Re: Smiles all around the table

denverarch — 2007-11-14T20:54:27+00:00

a favorite filler despite a theme I really don't enjoy.

Thread: Smiles all around the table

bnordeng — 2007-11-14T14:22:26+00:00

I surprised our game group with Circus Flohcati. Usually we all know all of the games that are available and we've let each other know what we are planning to pick on our night (we rotate who picks the games to be played). I brought out Circus Flohcati and it received a mixed reaction. Nobody had heard of the game and the group seemed hesitant to learn yet another new game. Still, they were willing...

Game 1
I quickly zipped through the rules (a little too quick as I found out later) and we were on our way. The quick-moving pace of this game was welcomed by the group. Everyone felt like they were fully involved in the game. D adopted a strategy of turning over a decent number of cards to get the one he wanted - he lost a fair number of turns this way, especially early. I practically never turned over a new card and just picked up something that was there. Mo and Ma took a more balanced approach and didn't push-their-luck too much. In the end, Mo knocked us all out with several sets of 3 and some large cards in her hand.
Mo: 58
Ma: 47
D: 41
Me: 36

At the end, I glanced at the instructions to make sure we didn't miss anything and realized that I did miss something... we were supposed to be making sets out of same-numbered cards not same-colored cards. OOPS! It was fun anyway, but everyone was eager to try again (the cards were being shuffled before I could even ask if anyone wanted to play again).

Game 2
This time, we followed the rules by collecting sets of 3 same-numbered cards to put on the table. It definitely changed how the game worked and we liked it better (the decisions were tougher). It took a few turns for everyone to adjust to the rule "change." This time the game was higher scoring and closer and two cards were drawn face up many fewer times...
Me: 66
Mo: 64
D: 61
Ma: 54

I think Mo and D will be buying this game and we will be using it as a regular filler when there are a few extra minutes.

Thread: Re: Simple Gameplay, Great Fun!

Mutombo — 2007-10-16T23:31:22+00:00

This one really is a raucous fun time! My friends and I all enjoy it.

Good review, btw.

Thread: Simple Gameplay, Great Fun!

maksum — 2007-10-16T20:02:46+00:00

If only games like Circus Flohcati could be found on retail store shelves as easily as the likes of Uno and Hit the Deck. This gem, designed by Reiner Knizia, certainly isn't any more complicated, but it is SO much more fun.

Gameplay
So here's the gist of Circus Flohcati... You have a deck with cards numbering 0-7 in each of 10 colors. On top of that there are just 3 types of special cards which I'll get to in a bit. Take the deck, give it a good shuffle, and place it in the middle of the table and you're ready to go. That's it. No dealing or anything.

On a player's turn she can take a card from the row of face up cards beside the draw deck (if there is at least one there - there won't be at the start and from time to time throughout the game) or can draw a card from the deck to add to (or start) that row. A player may continue adding to that row until she turns up a card she wishes to take, unless a card comes up that matches the color of a card already in the row. For example, let's say there are three cards in the row when a player starts her turn. They are blue, green and white. Instead of taking one of those cards, she draws another card... another blue card! That card is placed in a discard pile and the player loses her turn without the option of taking a card.

Besides the colored, numbered cards there are 3 special cards that come up every so often that allow you to do one of 3 things, depending on the card drawn. These are pretty simple. 1.) Select an opponent and draw one of his cards at random. 2.) Name a color and choose a direction to go around the table. The first opponent who has a card of that color in his hand must give it up to the player who drew the special card. 3.) This last one simply allows you to break the rule where you must forfeit your card selection if a repeat color comes up. Just keep drawing UNTIL you get a repeat and you STILL get to choose one.

Finally, at the end of your turn, after you have placed a new card in your hand, you have the option to lay a set of 3 cards on the table (3 different colors, all the same number). At the end of this game, this will give you 10 points, no matter what the value on the cards is.

Also at the end of the game the highest valued card in your hand of each unique color will score face value.

Besides one little rule that lets you end the game early if you have all 10 colors in your hand, that's it. I know reading this with no visuals may seem a bit confusing, but seeing it played through for a couple minutes clears everything up very quickly. It really is quite simple.

Why It's So Fun
So that's how it plays out, in a nutshell, but the decision-making and the press-your-luck aspect is what really makes this game shine. For example, you have 3 sevens in your hand. Do you put them down for 10 points guaranteed to hold on in hopes for it to be 21 points at the end of the game? Any time now, someone could draw a card to snatch one of them out of your hand! Or you just need one more purple card to end the game. Do you keep drawing those cards? If the next one is a repeat you're going to get nothing!

The game also rewards those that can remember some of the great cards that people have picked up. As soon as you draw a card that let's you name a color for an opponent to give you, you'll want to recall what color that "7" was that a player drew a couple of turns ago. Lots of fun elements like this will be enjoyed throughout every game.

Scalability
One of the greatest things about this game is how well it scales between the new and veteran gamers, young and older people, and casual and more serious players. My wife and I love playing this with another adult couple, but love pulling it out with our young children also. I can think of VERY few games that I can say that about.

Conclusion
I would say that Circus Flohcati should be in any collection of casual or family gamers. Likewise any serious gamer that likes to have lighter fillers around should have a copy on hand. I am just amazed how the designer pulled off a game with such simple rules and gameplay that provides such fun elements as press-you-luck, great decision making, memory, and enough luck to keep it light and interesting. I own over 100 board and card games and this is certainly among my favorites.

Thread: Re: Circus Flohcati - What names do you use for these colors?

boltongeordie — 2007-09-04T11:17:27+00:00

PieMan wrote:
blue (houdini), genie, magician. Yes, these colours can be tough to give precise names to, so we name the picture instead
Ditto, only we go for "underwater, belly dancer, top hat"

Karlsen wrote:
smithhemb wrote:
...you might argue for fuschia A blokey bloke would never use the word "fuschia", and certainly not correctly! Just as well he didn't. Unless you colonials have gone and wrecked the spelling for this one as well, that would be Fuchsia (as in the flower named for Mr Fuchs - no jokes please, he is sensitive about it).

Thread: Re: Circus Flohcati - What names do you use for these colors?

ellephai — 2007-09-01T14:16:11+00:00

What sort of deprived childhood did you all have that none of you have ever seen a box of 64 crayons??? I think the middle card is clearly MAGENTA.

Thread: Re: Strategy (or lack thereof) question..

wmshub — 2007-06-24T00:24:01+00:00

Ummm, not that I'm doubting your strategy, but you're implying that if you pick up a 3rd seven then you have to make a set.

You don't. Making sets is optional. Usually it is better to pick up that 3rd seven, but then to keep them as separate cards.

Thread: Strategy (or lack thereof) question..

DarkCelt — 2007-06-23T18:58:46+00:00

We played this game for the first time last weekend. We really enjoyed it, but after a few plays, all three of us found that the only real strategy was simply to pick up the first card you turned over every turn. The reasons being that continuing to flip increased your chances of "going bust" and getting nothing, exposing a line simply gave other players more options, and really by the end of the game, anything could be made into a set.

We did clue into the fact that near the end, holding on to two 7's would give you more points than picking up and making a set of three with those sevens.

Notwithstanding this last point, the game seemed to be an exercise in picking up every card, making as many sets as possible and optimizing some points in the last few rounds. This kinda killed the game for me; no push your luck element, and not too much fun.

Are we playing wrong, or has anyone else found this?

Thread: Re: Circus Flohcati - What names do you use for these colors

rossum — 2007-06-19T17:49:32+00:00

A little thread necromancy here for the updated link to the player aid:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/fileinfo.php?fileid=12366

MDK

Thread: Re: Rio Grande rules - gala

i7dealer — 2007-03-15T07:17:17+00:00

Actually, the German doesn't have anything to say about the bonus 10 points for ending the hand early by having all 10 colors in hand. Only the French rules do.

I was playing with a German and a guy who spoke French and we all three had a copy of the rules to read. Sadly, there were some descrepencies in the rules, we think the french ones were the most complete!

Thread: Re: Does it work with six?

PieMan — 2007-01-10T04:22:03+00:00

I've played with 6. Plays fine, but you're even less likely to have someone end it early with a Gala show, since 80 face cards / 6 players is not much > 10 cards / person.

Thread: Circus Flohcati: A Three Ring Review!

Tall_Walt — 2006-10-16T17:43:21+00:00

Come one, come all! Come to the Circus Flohcati, fresh from its triumphal tour of Europe! See the circus of fleas in all the colors of the rainbow, and more! Learn of the tricks of the fleas, and other interlopers! Hear the secrets of the circus! Experience the three ring Circus Flohcati review!

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Ring One: Where Dr. Reiner Knizia and Roy G. Biv Assemble No Less than Ten Distinct Colors into One Game, Astounding Publishers and Baffling Men of All Ages!

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We all know Those Games. The ones with--just for random examples, of course--blue and purple or red and purple or violet and black so close they are confused even in good light by those with perfect color vision, much less those with color blindness!

Those who remember their spectral colors will, at least if they are Americans, remember Roy G. Biv, that broad spectrum mnemonic which helps us remember the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. To these colors, Dr. Knizia has added white, gray, and brown (at the top of the image, above). In addition, each color has a unique flea circus performer, for amusement and those with color blindness.

To be sure, most men (including the author) are a little fuzzy on the whole blue, indigo, violet, purple, lilac thing. Fortunately, the thread http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/77627, while not presenting a statistical sample, gives some indication for the naming of colors for those of the male persuasion who cannot distinguish coral from salmon: Blue works well for blue; purple should be avoided as it is applied equally to indigo and violet; however indigo and dark blue are clear for indigo; and pink seems to be the least ambiguous name for violet (which puzzles the author greatly).

But wait! There's more! In addition to ten colorful suits aforementioned, in numbers from zero all the way to--and including!--seven, nine "action cards" are also included, for an 89 card deck, over half again the size of the ordinary deck of cards.

Ring Two: Where the Cards Turn, Turns Are Lost, Actions Occur, and Games End--All for Your Entertainment!

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No cards are dealt to players. The entire 89 card deck is shuffled and placed in the center of the table.

As demonstrated in the picture above, a player may draw cards, increasing the number of cards available in the "display". If the player reveals a card of the same color as one already shown in the display, this card is discarded and the player loses his turn. If an action card (see below) is drawn, the player must act on it immediately. At any time, the player may stop drawing cards and select one card from the display for his hand. A player who has not lost his turn may play one or more "trios," three of the same number.

Three each of three types of action cards are in the deck. Actions allow the player to: (1) request a color from another player face up; (2) draw a random card from an opponent's hand; and (3) draw cards until a color is duplicated and discarded, and then take a card without losing his turn; or draw until another action card supercedes the draw action card; or the deck runs out and the game ends.

Exhausting the deck is only one way to end the game. The other is for one player to put on a "gala show" by showing his hand contains one of each color card--ten different colored cards. Either way the game ends, players get ten points for each trio played on the table, and the number of the highest of each of the ten colors in his hand. (A "gala show" does not get a ten point bonus in the latest version of the rules, and the author agrees that choosing the time for the game to end is advantageous enough.)

Ring Three: Where Secret Strategies Are Spoken, Turbulent Tactics Are Told, and Officious Opinions Are Opined!

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In looking at Circus Flohcati strategy, the primary considerations are the number of players and how much of the deck is exhausted. The simplest case is exhausting the entire deck without discarding a card. In a three player game, the players should roughly divide the 5, 6, and 7 cards, averaging 60 points, plus trios. In a five player game, the players should divide 3-7, averaging 5, or 50 points total, plus trios.

If half the deck is exhausted, half the cards are available. If one has the ability to put on a gala show, having more than half the average values above (because only half the deck has been drawn) makes the show a good bet--if one is not behind on trios. The author opines that the first priority, before playing trios, is to gain the ability to perform a gala show, should the show appear likely to win, based on the number of cards played and the number of players. For example, if the deck is half exhausted with five players, a Gala Show of 25 points is average; the author would play a show of 35 points if he were even on trios.

The author enjoys Circus Flohcati. It's a light, gateway game with Dr. Knizia's typical mathematically-based balance. The author is somewhat annoyed by the (to the author) excessive randomness of the action cards which steal cards, but this is readily cured by eliminating these cards. Circus Flohcati plays quickly enough that the author believes two Circus Flohcati decks combined would be a suitable game for 6-10, cheaper than a single copy of many other games.

We hope you enjoyed the astounding, varicolored Circus Flohcati review! Now see the magnificent Egress! Simply click on the BoardGameGeek logo, and you will magically be transported to that next great wonder of the Circus Flohcati review, the Egress!!!

Thread: Re: Does it work with six?

Tall_Walt — 2006-09-13T16:41:43+00:00

I had a second thought: unlike Lost Cities, for example, the numbers on the cards of CF don't interact with the numbers on the cards of other players. The number is just an arbitrary measure of goodness. As such, nothing bad would happen if you combined two decks of CF. It should then play twice the number of players in much the same way: that is, a double deck CF game should feel a lot like a 3 player game, and it should be playable up to ten. Of course the game would take twice as long.

Obviously, the next step is a three ring circus!

BTW, I found the game was a little too random. I think dropping the action cards out would make for a better game.

Thread: Re: Does it work with six?

Tall_Walt — 2006-09-11T21:45:25+00:00

Hi Stephen,

I just played this recently with three. I think the effects of more players are:
1) the number of melds goes down;
2) you can't depend on a card getting back to you to make a meld;
3) with only 7(?) cards per suit, the chance of getting one of each suit to end the game that way goes down.

I see you have Alhambra, which is a great game capable of six players; numberous expansions are available for a change. If you're tired of Settlers, Seafarers reinvigorates the game enormously.

You might consider Liar's Dice / Bluff (I can bring this to El Toro or the Duck Club for you to look at). But it may not be the ideal social game.

As I imagine you are, I'm baffled by the propensity for Euro games to be 3-5 player.

Thread: Re: Misread the rules, like my way better!

davebo — 2006-08-28T17:47:24+00:00

tejasm wrote:
I enjoy Circus Flohcati and will be curious to try this out.

Of course it kills the strategy (that I've tried a few times) of collecting just enough cards to get one of each color and call a 'Gala' and end the game before others have had a chance to lay down much.

Good point, but I wouldn't say that it "killed" it, perhaps just neuters it a bit. It just means you wouldn't do a "gala" until you had some cards down. If you can end the game "prematurely", you may just catch your opponent trying to stockpile those ~~8s & 9s~~ 6s & 7s waiting to get a color down in a meld.

But, I get your point. It greatly changes the effectiveness of a gala.

Thread: Re: Misread the rules, like my way better!

davebo — 2006-08-28T17:43:58+00:00

Johan wrote:
8s and 9s? Never mind the rules, are you sure you are even using the right cards?

(The Flohcati cards in my deck are numbered 0 to 7).

What... you mean I wasn't supposed to get out a Sharpy and change the numbers around? Humph, another rule I got wrong.

Thread: Re: Misread the rules, like my way better!

Johan — 2006-08-22T19:49:54+00:00

8s and 9s? Never mind the rules, are you sure you are even using the right cards?

(The Flohcati cards in my deck are numbered 0 to 7).

Thread: Re: Misread the rules, like my way better!

tejasm — 2006-08-22T19:21:01+00:00

I enjoy Circus Flohcati and will be curious to try this out.

Of course it kills the strategy (that I've tried a few times) of collecting just enough cards to get one of each color and call a 'Gala' and end the game before others have had a chance to lay down much.

Thread: Misread the rules, like my way better!

davebo — 2006-08-22T17:33:00+00:00

I've been playing CF for quite a while, and somehow I completely misunderstood the rules.

Play is the same, however, cards in your hand are scored at the end only if you have that same color already down in a meld. That is, the 3 and 8 of "Purple" are worth 11 points combined, only if you have a purple as part of a meld down. Both the 3 and the 8 are worth points, however, not just the 8.

If you have two 9's in your hand at the end of the game, and they're of a color that you don't have represented in a meld, then they're worthless.

Melds score as usual, 10 points.

Yes, it's a bit harder to explain, but I find it more fun. You find yourself making some tough decisions: I've got the 5 and 9 of Grey in my hand, but no Greys down. I've got two other 5's, should I make a meld of 5's to make sure I can score those points? Or, do I wait, hoping to meld some lower valued cards to pick up the colors I need?

Thread: Re: Playing sets optional?

Kitescreech — 2006-07-30T12:16:53+00:00

My two penneth - HAVING to play a set makes the playing of the "request attraction" cards more risky (you could end up with 3 7's for 10 points rather than 14 points for 2), and puts a bit of a screwage factor into the game. That's how we've been playing it, purely because of the fact that there is NO POINT playing a set of 3 above a 3 in value.
I was going to ask this question anyway.

Thread: Re: Does it work with six?

sroney — 2006-07-30T07:13:38+00:00

Johan wrote:
sroney wrote:
I have played it with three and with four and don't see why it needs to cut off at five.....

Well, try with five and you'll see why.

Actually, I had already played with five (just had kind of forgotten that). Any way, we did try it with six, and it still seemed OK to us. Perhaps it was a little more random, but that works fine with my wife and adult daughter, in particular. We played twice, ending with a three-way tie with 49 points.

Thread: Re: Does it work with six?

Johan — 2006-07-26T10:13:25+00:00

sroney wrote:
I have played it with three and with four and don't see why it needs to cut off at five.....

Well, try with five and you'll see why.

IMHO it should have said 2-4 on the box, five just makes it too random/chaotic and I will probably never play on five again, never mind trying it on six.

On the other hand I can't understand why the official version doesn't say that two players are supported, it works very well on two.