Up the Creek (1975)

About this game

An interesting card game where players try to complete three canoes using various cards with parts of the canoes on them. These include: Indians or empty sections of the canoe, Prey or Booty (Birds, Skins, Tobacco, Firewater, Teepees, Powder Kegs), Hunters (Bear hunter, Buffalo hunter, Cowboy, Gold prospector, Lumberjack, Soldier), Hunters Prey (Bear, Buffalo, Horse, Gold, Log, Cannon {each prey coming split on two cars}), Medicine Man, and Totem Pole. Players strive to finish the game with the most valuable canoes where length of completed canoes, prey and booty, Hunter with Prey and special cards all add to your score. Players can use Indians with a bow or lasso to affect other players canoes. They can also use completed canoes to attack others with devastating results. The original Pelikan edition (Ogallala), in their flat box series, included player mats and allowed for 2 to 4 players. The Waddingtons edition (Up the Creek) also includes player mats for 2 to 4 players.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 5.
• Rules load. At 1.2/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 5 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.