Ketch Up (1998)

About this game

In Absacker, everyone's trying to grab as much as they can — but you need to close the deal to get the goods. To set up, deal the deck out to all players, with each player creating a personal draw deck, then drawing three cards for a hand. The deck consists of cards numbered 3-7. On a turn, a player lays down 1-3 cards in the center of the table, creating a pile for each number played or adding to an existing pile for that number, so the 3s go on a three pile, the 4s on a four pile, etc. When you play the third 3, the fourth 4, the fifth 5, etc., you take all the cards of that number from the table and place them in a score pile. At the end of your turn, you refill your hand to three cards. When one player has no cards remaining in their draw deck and hand, the game ends, and whoever has collected the most cards wins.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 5.
• Rules load. At 1.1/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 7 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.