Those Pesky Garden Gnomes (2012)

About this game

Those Pesky Garden Gnomes is a non-partner trick-taking card game with a twist – in fact, possibly many twists! The game uses four suits of different lengths, with cards containing positive and negative point values. While using standard trick-taking rules – with players needing to follow suit and the highest card in the suit taking the trick and giving the lead – each player in Those Pesky Garden Gnomes has a different goal in hand each round – and these change randomly with each new hand. Thus, a player knows only his goal and not those of the other players. A player's score for a hand is based on how close he comes to achieving his goal. The points a player scores are added to his running total, and players in a worse position in later rounds are given more options each round. After a set number of rounds, the player with the lowest score wins!

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 3 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 13 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.