Greg J
Canada
Richmond Hill
Ontario
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When you assemble or buy the Decktet, you gain admission to a unique and fascinating game system. P.D. Magnus sums this up in the opening section of The Decktet Book:
“...the Decktet is not just another rank-and-suits deck. The fact that most of the cards have more than one suit makes a difference. A good Decktet game takes advantage of the Decktet’s peculiar features, rather than working around them or against them. A good Decktet game, like the Decktet itself, is something different”.
If this last sentence is true (and I believe it is) then how are the games different from familiar card games and more importantly, are they any good? These are the questions I will explore in this review.
Getting Started
image: PD Magnus
Where does one begin once there is a Decktet on the table in front of you? If you don’t have playing partners handy, then the first step would obviously be to play a Solitaire game or two, just to get your head wrapped around how the double suited cards work.
Adaman is a solid game that helps you to navigate gameplay with cross-suited cards and also to differentiate between the three groups of illustrations in the deck - Personalities, Locations and Events (there is a lot of detail about this stuff in The Decktet Book). At present, only a few games utilize this aspect of the deck, but if you enjoy this mechanic, then Chancellors and Hermit will probably be games that you will enjoy once you have others to play with.
To me, the obvious Decktet entry game is Quasenbo. This is a fun, simple game that my 4yo enjoys playing and is a great introduction to the deck. After a couple of games, you will have cycled through the deck a few times and gotten a feel for how the double suits interact during gameplay. The power (and limitations) of the single suited Aces and Crowns will also be introduced. If you are a card counter, then you will realise that each of the six suits occurs ten times in the deck. This is a nifty feat considering that the basic deck only has 36 cards.
Diving into meatier games
image: José Carlos de Diego
You can play traditional style card games with the Decktet, but they will feel entirely different. Bharg is a translation of Gin, but with lots of agonizing decisions to be made per turn. Each card that you pick up has the potential to reorder your hand and change the direction of the game. For me, this is the game that revealed how huge the deck is, despite the fact that there are only 36 cards in it. There are so many combinations of suit pairs on the 24 number cards that it feels as if there are many more cards in the deck than there actually are. I almost physically feel my mind working on different levels at the same time as I try to track numbers, top suits and bottom suits all at the same time. For me, this visceral feeling permeates every Decktet game I play and is the reason why I have so much enthusiasm for the game system as a whole.
The Jewels in the Crown
While it is true that there are good games where you can trump, take tricks and lay melds as with an ordinary deck of cards, there are a few Decktet games that have a real boardgame feel to them which adds further value and replayability to the system as a whole. These hit the table most often around here. While Emu Ranchers, Jacynth and Magnate were all inspired by published games, the Decktet structure ensures that they have a personality all their own.
Jacynth could be thought of as Carcassonne Express, but until you play it, you won’t feel your mind trying to pat it’s head and rub it’s tummy at the same time while it’s trying to keep track of all the paths the two suits you’ve just claimed are going in. Thricewise and Quincunx start with a similar tableau laying premise and go to entirely different places. All are worth learning and playing.
image: PD Magnus
Magnate has become my 2P game of choice and is reason enough to build or buy a Decktet in it’s own right. It strips Settlers down to its essence and reshapes it into a fantastic 30 minute contest that is often decided on the very last turn. I’ve yet to have a flat game in the 20 or so plays we’ve had. You can read the review that hooked me onto the game here.
The Story Continues
image: PD Magnus
The Decktet is an organic game system that continues to grow and evolve. Double Knot is one of the latest games to be created and will be one of the first trump games I try when I get my gaming buddies kitted up with Decktets of their own (decks on order!). Through the BGG and the Decktet Wiki, Decktet enthusiasts try out new games and help the creators playtest and tweak them into more polished forms.
The Decktet is the result of a very clever idea that actually went somewhere. P.D. Magnus came up with a simple idea (cross-suited cards) and followed through on this bit of inspiration to create something absolutely unique and is giving it away for free. What more can you ask for?
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