Ostfriesenlauf (2005)

About this game

Each year the young and old meet in East Frisia at the '"Ostfriesenlauf" in order to determine the fastest Ostfriesen! Ostfriesenlauf is a silly race in which these dimwitted persons sometimes run the wrong way around the track! The cards are separated according to color into four piles from which each player may draw five cards of any color. Each player plays one card per turn face down in a pile in the order of last player to first player according to their place on the track. When all have played a card, they're turned over and dealt with in the order played. Depending on the color of the card, one of the pawns moves forward or backwards — fourth place is red, third is blue, etc. — so each player must foresee where his character will be in the race at the time his card is used.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 1.0/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.