日の出横丁ニャンばーわん (Top of the Hinode Town) (2021)

About this game

In 日の出横丁ニャンばーわん (Top of the Hinode Town), the players take on the role of rival groups of feral cats, fighting over territory in Hinode, with the local human population being ignorant of their endless battles. It is a "may follow" trick-taking game where in each trick, the lead player decides on an area of town where the trick will take place, and the color of the area card determines the "lead suit" for the trick. In evaluating the trick, each player is ranked, with the first and second highest players earning the right to place a marker on the card, the lowest ranked player collecting a cube of their choice from the card, and the remaining player collecting the remaining two cubes from the card. (Cubes can be used to trigger effects or saved for victory points.) Players earn points from yellow cubes, markers on cards, and groupings of their markers. After one hand, the player with with most points wins.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 3 to 4.
• Rules load. No complexity score has been recorded for this one.
• Age. The publisher suggests 14 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.