Jeromie Rand
United States
Denver
Colorado
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I'm fairly new to BGG, but I've already gleaned a ton of information and want to contribute something back to the community. A review of The Great Dalmuti seemed to be the place where my gaming experience is most able to add something to the site. Here goes my first review!
Overview
The Great Dalmuti is a fantastically fun card game for 6-8 people. With the right group of people, the game is significantly more fun than the sum of its parts might suggest.
Components
The Great Dalmuti is played with a deck of 80 cards consisting of one 1, two 2s, three 3s, and so on, up to twelve 12s. There are also two Jesters that serve as wild cards during the game. The cards are beautifully illustrated with characters from a medieval theme; you'll find yourself playing with peasants, knights, cooks, masons, and other interesting characters. You could, theoretically, construct a Dalmuti deck from a few decks of regular playing cards, but in my opinion the attractive cards add enough to the game to make a purchase worthwhile.
Gameplay
The rules of the game are very simple. Players draw cards to determine who gets to lead in the first hand. Players are attempting to get rid of all the cards in their hand by playing them in sets of the same rank. The leader puts down any number of cards of the same rank - three 12s, for instance, and the player to his or her left (play proceeds clockwise) has the opportunity to play the exact same number of cards of a lower rank. Three 11s, three 10s, three 9s, etc. would all be valid moves. Players never have to play; cards can be reserved for later rounds if a player's strategy so dictates. For the duration of a particular round, each player must continue to play the exact same number of cards of continually lower ranks. If the second player played three 9s, the third player would have to play three 8s, 7s, 6s, etc. A round ends when all players can not or choose not to play, and the last person to lay down any cards that particular round get to lead for the next round. The Jester acts as a 13 on its own, but can be played with any card to increase the number in a set. The person to run out of cards first is the Great Dalmuti in the next hand. Play continues until all positions around the table have been determined by the order people run out of cards. There is no scoring in the game; play continues until someone gets tired of the game!
Life isn't fair
You may have noticed that the play mechanic favors whomever gets to lead each hand. Rather than try to balance this disparity, The Great Dalmuti makes it part of the medieval theme of the game. The player who gets to lead each hand is known as the Great Dalmuti and the player immediately to his or her left is known as the Lesser Dalmuti. At the other end of the spectrum, the last person to get a chance to play is known as the Greater Peon, and the next to last is known as the Lesser Peon. All players in the middle are merchants. To further simulate the lack of social mobility in the Middle Ages, the Peons are "taxed" at the beginning of each hand. The Greater Peon must give his or her two lowest ranking cards to the Great Dalmuti, and the Lesser Peon offers his or her single lowest ranking card to the Lesser Dalmuti. The Dalmutis choose any two or one cards from their hand, respectively, to return to the peons.
There is also the chance for a "revolution." If any player is dealt both Jesters, that person can choose to call a revolution and suspend taxes for the turn. If the Greater Peon is dealt both Jesters, a Greater Revolution leads to an immediate switch in position for all players - the Great Dalmuti becomes the Greater Peon, the Lesser Dalmuti becomes the Lesser Peon, and vice versa.
At first glance, it seems that all the unfairness might lead to frustration. In practice, it makes it hard to move up ranks but thrilling when a great hand leads to a significant change in position. There is enough mobility to keep things interesting, and while I enjoy being the Great Dalmuti I still have fun when I find myself stuck as the Greater Peon for a few rounds.
Strategy
The game isn't terribly deep, but there are enough strategic decision to keep things interesting. There are a couple of strategic points to consider - should you separate sets in order to have a chance to play or keep them together where they may be more useful later? (Most of the time it is better to keep sets together, but there may be some exceptions.) Do you lead with your low cards in the hopes that nobody can play or get rid of the higher, harder to play cards first? Do you play now or pass until someone has played a card of a lower rank so the low card in your hand can give you the opportunity to lead? Those who take the time to count cards (at least among the lower ranks) will find themselves at a significant advantage.
While I think the game is great fun, it's the player interaction it encourages that makes it worth pulling out time and time again.
A Note About Number and Type of Players
The box says the game works for 4-8 players, but it works best with at least 6 players, which puts it comfortably in party game status. (There are, however, suggestions for modifying the deck for 4 or 5 players.) I've tried to play with more, but the game doesn't work very well with more than 8; there simply aren't enough cards for any interesting sets to be built.
Like most party games, the players involved will make or break the game. If you have a group of enthusiastic folks willing to be a little silly and have a good time, this game is a blast. It is particularly fun when played with the optional "status" rules that offer the Great Dalmuti preferential seating and the opportunity to issue decrees to those of lower status. Among my friends, these orders involves such things as wearing silly hats or singing the name of the card you're placing down. (Plus the occasional request for a drink refill.) This rule could obviously be abused by a mean spirited member of the group, so know who you're playing with before adding these types of status perks.
Conclusion
The Great Dalmuti is incredible fun with the right group of people. It doesn't seem nearly so clever as some of the other games in my fledgling collection, but with the right group of people it is at least as fun to play. Even people who hate other games have come to love (and buy their own copy of) The Great Dalmuti. The open ended nature of the game is great - games can last for 20 minutes or several hours depending upon the time allowed and the mood of the group. It's not the game to buy if you're looking for the next great strategy game for your regular gaming group, but if you're looking for a fun game to play when you've got a bunch of friends sitting around it may be just the right item.
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Thomas Staudt
Germany
Rutesheim
Baden-Württemberg
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Nice review.
There is some kind of scoring in the rules but I can't remember exactly what it was.
Probably because this is always the game that we play on New Year from 1 a.m. to whenever the first players start to fade into sleep.
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Bryan Maxwell
United States
Burtchville
Michigan
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This is one of my favorites. We've always played that whoever leads can't play on their own lead. That is, it goes once around the table only. I don't have a good reason for this, it's just the way we've always played. Presumably someone got a rule wrong Way Back When.
We also play a rule were the 2 merchants may pass each other one card of their choice if they wish. It makes the merchant seats a little more interesting.
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bestia immonda
Italy
bologna
Unspecified
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Have you ever tried "drinking Dalmuti"?
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Jeromie Rand
United States
Denver
Colorado
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ashman wrote: Nice review.
Thank you.
ashman wrote: There is some kind of scoring in the rules but I can't remember exactly what it was.
Yeah, there are some optional rules for scoring in the rule book. They're completely unnecessary, though, and I think they are counter to the silly spirit in which the game is best played. That said, I've never tried them out and they are there for those who would like to give it a shot. Whatever your group finds fun!
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Ernesto Cabrera
Mexico
Mexico
D.F.
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Good review!
I've been playing this for years and it is always fun with 8 people, and I've found out the hard way that the more the merrier. This is one of those games that I don't hesitate to take out of the shelf whenever there's 8 people willing to do something else than stare at each other.
It works great as an ice breaker along with other 6+ players games: Cash n' guns, Bohnanza, Diamant...
This games has made me friends with 4 girls that I would otherwise have ignored or was to afraid/ashamed to talk to them...
Great game the Dalmuti or as we call it (if you have seen the "Death to Smoochie" movie): Dalmoochie
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Vaughn Sandor
United States
Eastlake
Ohio
The BBC series is far better than the excellent NBC one. Now go watch it.
This is not me but I have been known to dance like David Brent on occasion.
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My friends and I have been playing Dalmuti since its release.
It must be played with 8 players and you must never keep score.
Cruel rules and funny hats optional but recommended. 
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David Fischer
United States
New York
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I was introduced to his game tonight and unfortunately found it to be a dreadful. The worst sort of game: the game where the first 10 minutes of my first ever experience I do nothing.
My experience was this:
(waiting...)
"Pass"
(waiting...)
"Pass"
(waiting...)
"Pass"
(waiting...)
"Pass"
(waiting...)
"Pass"
(waiting...)
Play a card
(waiting...)
"Pass"
(waiting...)
And so on.
I'd lost interest in the first few minutes and it never improved.
It is very poorly designed, where there are long stretches of not playing. The rules talk about trying to hold your rank orove up a rank, but there is nonlegacy in the merchant seats. Each hand is random; theres no sense of building on a position to move up a seat.
This ranks among the worst party games I've played. I'd recommend Phase 10 or UNO over this tedium.
"Pass"
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Vaughn Sandor
United States
Eastlake
Ohio
The BBC series is far better than the excellent NBC one. Now go watch it.
This is not me but I have been known to dance like David Brent on occasion.
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David,
You were definitely playing with the wrong group.
When we play the chatter never stops, especially from the Dalmutis and the peons.
Bad hands do happen from time to time but griping about them in The Great Dalmuti is encouraged unlike in "serious" games.
I'm dusting off my deck and will be teaching it to a new group tonight.
You can be sure a greater peon will be getting my refills. I just hope they don't spit it in too much. 
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Jeromie Rand
United States
Denver
Colorado
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Vaughn wrote:
You can be sure a greater peon will be getting my refills. I just hope they don't spit it in too much. :p
My favorite interpretation of a request for a drink was when my peon friend brought the Dalmuti her drink in the smallest possible container he could find in the kitchen. Technically the command was obeyed... :-)
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