Brian Bankler
United States
San Antonio
Texas
Modified Limited Rampage!
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[This review originally written in 2002. -- Brian]
I've tired of traditional card games. I respect Mu, but in general I'd rather play Bridge. Most of the other trick taking games leave me cold. But recently there have been a batch of card games that I've liked. The Gnumies, Vom Kap bis Kairo and now Gargon.
None of those are trick taking games.
Gargon has six suits of 17 cards each (0-15, with two zeroes). One trick is that the back of each card shows which suit the card is. Players can inspect the card backs of other players.
In a round of Gargon, the start player leads 1-3 cards. The only restriction is that the start player may not lead three of a suit. Then each player, in order, may play the same number of cards with the same distribution, or pass. So if I lead a pair, then each other player must either play a pair or pass. (All cards are played face down). Players are free to play whatever suit they like, except for the last player, who cannot introduce a new suit.
All of the undealt (at the beginning) cards are placed into two stacks. Whenever a player passes, he can take the top card of either stack. (The stacks are spread out so that players can see the ordering). The player may take up to three cards that way, and almost always do. When either stack empties, the game ends at the conclusion of that hand.
Once everyone hasplayed (or passed), then all cards are revealed. 'Tricks' resolve by high card. The start player resolves his cards in any suit order. When a suit is called, each player pushes their highest card. High card wins and gets to keep his card. All of the other cards lose, and are discarded. However, losing player(s) get to take a single card from the stack.
Once all of the cards have resolved, the start player passes and you repeat.
At the end, 10 points are given to the player with the most cards in each suit. Then each player scores their 'Amulets.' Each card has 0-5 amulets, with lower cards having more. In each suit, a player scores their amulets, and doubles them for each 'zero' in that suit.
That's the game.
It works well because the strategies don't seem difficult, but there are subtle implications. If you have a pair of yellows, and nobody else does, lead the pair of yellows by itself. You are guaranteed two cards. If they are both very low (or better yet, zeroes!) you make out like a bandit. Of course, the other players should be trying to prevent you from doing just that. Since you get 'compensation' for battles you lose, it can be worth tossing a middling card in a suit you don't care too much about to fight someone. If you win, you get some amulets and stop someone from scoring even more. If you lose, you get a new card. And your opponent didn't sneak a low card or zero past you.
Gargon's weak point is that, because of the last player's restriction, a player can swing someone else's results wildly around. If the player who sits to my left (and therefore, leads when I go last) plays in such a manner as to block my possibly plays, and no other leader does, I'm at a disadvantage. Many games have this "Seating order issues" and "one weak player throws the game" problem.
Production quality is good, although I have slight trouble telling the red from purple cards apart when looking at the backs. The color-blind will have problems, since the backs only show suit by color. A symbol would have been nice.
Overall, Gargon is fine. Not only is the game interesting, it's inexpensive. A little too long for a filler, but long enough to be filling.
Variant
Taking both zeroes in one suit quadruples your score. This leads to games where someone completely crushes opponents. Try playing that having both zeroes should simply triple (instead of quadruple) your amulet total.
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