Nothing brings my friends and family to the table as quick as a good card game. There are a number of games over the years that have really helped make that happen, providing memories that last a lifetime. A good card game is the perfect addition to a gathering that can really make it shine. Today we are going to look at a game that can do just that!
5211 is published by Next Move Games and designed by Tsuyoshi Hashiguchi with illustrations by Chris Quilliams. It plays 2-5 people in 20 minutes.
Contents and setup
This is a small box game that has 100 cards total with 20 cards of 5 different colors. The cards vary from 5 points down to 1 point. The 1 point cards all have a Kododo lizard on them instead of a 1.
Setup entails shuffling the cards and removing a set number of them based on player count. Each player is given 5 cards and a draw pile is placed in the middle.
Gameplay
The play for this game is simple and in the name: each round consists of 3 plays of cards to the table face down and then revealed each time simultaneously. Players will play 4 cards total and then determine the scoring cards. The play looks like this:
Turn 1: Each player will choose and play 2 cards then reveals and draws 2 more cards.
Turn 2: Each player will choose and play 1ndertmine card then reveal and draw 1 more card
Turn 3: Repeat Turn 2.
At the end of this turn each player should have 4 cards face up and 5 cards in hand.
Next you will score the round. First you determine if there are an exact number of Kododo cards in play. If there are based on player count, those score and all other cards are discarded. However if the number is not exact then you move on to majority of a color without going over. The limit is based on player count as well, which basically is 3 cards more than the player number. If the majority is at or above that number, the next highest will score. If the majority ties with another color, they are both out and the next majority scores.
Gameplay will continue to the next round, each being played the same way. The final round will occur when the draw pile is empty, where each player will have 5 cards in hand. 4 of those 5 are played as per the regular steps in a round just without the draw back up. The player with the most victory points in their pile wins!
Impressions
5211 brings an aesthetically beautiful card game to the table that is easy to play and quick to learn. Don’t let the idea that it is “easy” take away from the fact that it is a challenging game. It plays a different strategy at each player count, making it a new experience depending on the number of people at the table. I love the tipping point mechanic that this brings, I don’t have a card game in my collection with this type of style. Different players and their aggressive or guarded styles real change the dynamic of each match making it hard to settle on a way to play and giving good variety to the experience each time. The more I’ve played this, the deeper it has become in decision making and learning how to play the other players at the table.
5211 will be a game that travels with me for something quick, like waiting for dinner at a restaurant or to play when you transition between games on game night. This will definitely be a go-to choice for me for a fun, quick way to play something with friends and family when conversation and game play are “in the cards”. 5211 is a must have for my collection and one of the best card games I’ve played in 2019-make sure to check this one out!
Be the first to comment