Banana Republic (1993)

About this game

Extrapolated from the Doris & Frank site. Very tactical bluff game that requires a good memory and features a great showdown at the end of every game. Essentially the game is very easy, the players use money to bribe voters. They can also use killers, bodyguards and journalists to affect the vote. All actions are done by placing cards face down! Though you can have a peek at some of those cards every turn, you're forced to act with incomplete information till the end. The game is meant to be played with from 2 to 5 players. It probably works best with 4 players, but it also plays pretty well as a 2-player game though it feels differently played that way. Half an hour playing time. Awards 3rd Place 1992 Hippodice Spieleautorenwettbewerb.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 5.
• Rules load. At 1.4/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.