geek
The Hotness
Games|People|Company
Dominion - Stash Promo Card
Runewars
Dominion: Alchemy
Thunderstone
Dominion
Dungeon Lords
Alexander the Great
Agricola
Twilight Struggle
Murder at the Four Deuces
Stronghold
The Republic of Rome
Race for the Galaxy
Small World
Arkham Horror
Founding Fathers
Race for the Galaxy: The Brink of War
Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization
Vapor's Gambit
Battlestar Galactica
Chaos in the Old World
Le Havre
Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game
Mystery Express
Puerto Rico
Endeavor
Power Grid
Vasco da Gama
Warhammer: Invasion
Descent: Journeys in the Dark
Space Hulk (3rd Edition)
Pandemic
Hansa Teutonica
Carson City
Campaign Manager 2008
War of the Ring
Livingstone
Cosmic Encounter
Stone Age
Le Havre: Le Grand Hameau
Tobago
Cosmic Encounter: Cosmic Incursion Expansion
Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition
Summoner Wars
War of the Ring Collector's Edition
Macao
Carcassonne
Dominion: Prosperity
Neuland
Steam
Dense Board games using 60ish cards
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
Recommend
6
I'm coming to realize that there's a decent genre of dense little board games that come with a pack of ~60 cards, rules, and nothing else. These aren't really card games (in the sense of being like Bridge, Tichu, Poker, Rummy etc), but only use cards (and maybe a scoresheet or somesuch) as a component. I started to think about all the ones I'd played (or owned) ... You could get quite a nice little collection of games into a very small space.

Please add any games. Remember the criteria --
1) Cards only, and capped at 60-75 cards (& maybe some generic tokens)
2) At least moderate complexity
3) Not a 'standard' card game (Trick taking, set collection, etc).
4) A reasonably good game. .
Your Tags: Add tags
Popular Tags: [View All]
Posted Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:55 pm
1. Board Game: Verräter [Average Rating:6.84 Overall Rank:421]
[Shop]
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
Is Verrater the first game like this? Offhand I can't think of any that are older, but that's probably just me. I enjoyed this the few times I played it, but haven't played often.
2. Board Game: Meuterer [Average Rating:7.12 Overall Rank:219]
[Shop]
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
Sort of a sequel to Verrater. May people claimed it improved the game, although I haven't tried it. I just noticed these are both by
Marcel-André Casasola Merkle.
1
Preston Fuller
United States
Ashland
New Hampshire
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron050809
mbmbmbmbmb
Great game as long you play with exactly four people.
3. Board Game: Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg [Average Rating:6.74 Overall Rank:611]
[Shop]
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
Probably my favorite of the 'dense' card games. A tight little deduction (induction) game with no table-talk (if player by the rules). Also works with a wide range of players (so the box claims) although we usually just play with 6.
1
Dan Blum
United States
Wilmington
Massachusetts
flag msg tools
It wasn't much fun with 10.
4. Board Game: Masquerade [Average Rating:6.29 Overall Rank:2316]
[Shop]
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
Proving that not every title on this list is by Adlung (although the majority of them are). I just got this for a deep discount and there's a lot going on here. Maybe too much. But it certainly fits. I hope to play this soon. I think this goes slightly over 60 cards, about 75 or so.
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
I've liked this the two times I've played it. Got to get it to the table again...
5. Board Game: Palastgeflüster [Average Rating:6.83 Overall Rank:692]
[Shop]
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
One of the latest by Adlung. Played once and liked it, but not enough to purchase it.
6. Board Game: Vom Kap bis Kairo [Average Rating:6.40 Overall Rank:1036]
[Shop]
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
A cute little auction game, using paper (or poker chips) for keeping track of money. Played this a half-dozen times before the shine wore off; not bad for a $10 game.
7. Board Game: The Battle for Hill 218 [Average Rating:6.86 Overall Rank:514]
[Shop]
Preston Fuller
United States
Ashland
New Hampshire
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron050809
mbmbmbmbmb
This certainly fits.
2
8. Board Game: Space Station Assault [Average Rating:5.88 Overall Rank:3756]
[Shop]
 
Preston Fuller
United States
Ashland
New Hampshire
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron050809
mbmbmbmbmb
Another by "Its Your Move'
9. Board Game: Battleground: Fantasy Warfare [Average Rating:7.21 Overall Rank:355]
[Shop]
Preston Fuller
United States
Ashland
New Hampshire
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron050809
mbmbmbmbmb
This plays like a minutres game but it is just a deck of cards and you need only one dry marker pen.
10. Board Game: Citadels [Average Rating:7.31 Overall Rank:92]
[Shop]
Preston Fuller
United States
Ashland
New Hampshire
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron050809
mbmbmbmbmb
Citadels
Cold War CIA vs KGB
Mag Blast 3rd Edition

All are cards. Citadels has some generic markers for money. Cold War two scoring markers.
2
0 comments
Edited Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:21 pm
Subscribe  sub options | Comment
11. Board Game: Lifeboat [Average Rating:6.38 Overall Rank:1419]
[Shop]
United States
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
flag msg tools
Avatar
mbmbmb
Kind of like Mall of Horror, without a board.
12. Board Game: Oriente [Average Rating:5.88 Overall Rank:2505]
[Shop]
United States
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
flag msg tools
Avatar
mbmbmb
Multi-role game along the lines of Verrater/Meuterer/Citadels, although more complex and meant for larger groups.
13. Board Game: Red Empire [Average Rating:5.85 Overall Rank:3716]
[Shop]
United States
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
flag msg tools
Avatar
mbmbmb
Sort of like Republic of Rome without a board.
14. Board Game: Die Fugger [Average Rating:6.52 Overall Rank:947]
[Shop]
Ron K
United States
Marcellus
New York
flag msg tools
Avatar
0406070809
mbmbmbmbmb
I think this fits the specs. Nice game with a couple of twists.
1
15. Board Game: Monad [Average Rating:6.51 Overall Rank:2227]
[Shop]
Huzonfirst
United States
Manassas
Virginia
flag msg tools
designer
Avatar
patron05070809
mbmbmbmbmb
Here's an oldie that fits. It isn't a standard card game because it isn't even a standard game. It was totally unique for its time (late sixties) and it's still pretty unusual today.

It's a trading game, with three types of trades possible. Like just about all of Sackson's trading games, the trading is done exclusively with the bank (outside of I'm the Boss, Sid was not the king of player interaction). Using some simple rules, the players trade up, taking advantage of the known order of the different types of cards. The first player to obtain a set number of Monads (the highest valued "card") wins. It's a nice little cerebral affair.

Sackson was incredibly ahead of his time when it came to exploring the boundaries of card games. Venture is another card game of his that fits all of your requirements, except it has too many cards. But when it was published 40 years ago, it was probably the closest thing we had to a "card game that plays like a board game".
1
William Hostman
United States
Eagle River
Alaska
flag msg tools
designer
Avatar
0506070809
mbmbmbmbmb
Venture holds up well, too.

I've never seen Monad. But I know RIGHT where my Venture box is: right next to Tom Jolly's Camelot, Carc: New World, and Myth Fortunes.
16. Board Game: Are You the Traitor? [Average Rating:5.61 Overall Rank:4253]
[Shop]
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
Really just a werewolf variant, but you have more than just the one card for role ...
17. Board Game: Shadow Hunters [Average Rating:6.96 Overall Rank:356]
[Shop]
Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
flag msg tools
Avatar
patron06070809
mbmbmbmbmb
This does have a nice board and a few wooden bits, but these are all either placed on cards or just counting hit points...basically just a card game.
0 comments [Hide]
Front Page | Welcome | Contact | Privacy Policy | DMCA | Advertise | Support BGG | Feeds RSS
BoardGameGeek and the BoardGameGeek logo are trademarks of BoardGameGeek, LLC.