The Icarus Club (2021)

About this game

バックハンダー (Backhander) is a trick-taking game from Japan. It follows on from the designer's previous game インヴァージョン (!nversion), and takes a theme of an illegal casino run by gangsters. The player who wins the most money loses the game, because they get picked up by the police. So the real winner is the player with the second highest score. Before play starts, a line of cards is laid out (similar to !nversion), and this dictates the lead suit for each trick. However, players can alter the line by paying bribes. In this way, players can win tricks unexpectedly.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 3 to 5.
• Rules load. At 2.0/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 13 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.