Circus Flohcati Review

boardgamequest.com:

Small box card games have been having their moment in the sun lately. Ranging from trick-taking to cooperative engagement, there’s plenty to discover. Sometimes these games pull us in with their intriguing theme or stellar illustrations. Other times, it’s the designer pedigree or unique mechanisms.

Circus Flohcati is a reprint of a 1998 release by designer Reiner Knizia. 25th Century Games has released this new version which takes designer pedigree and provides a new coat of paint with art from JBJ. It can be played from two to five players.

Circus Flohcati is a press-your-luck style card game that features ten suits of cards numbered from zero to seven. On a player’s turn, they add a card to a common face-up display and either choose to take one of the cards or draw again. Each player can keep drawing (and adding cards to the common pool) until they bust, which happens when two of the same suit enter the display, or can stop at any point by taking one of the face up cards.

The objective is to earn points by either acquiring three of the same number, called a trio, and adding this to your tableau for ten points, or seek diversity by collecting high values in each of the different suits. The first player to collect (at least) one card of each suit in their hand can trigger a “gala show” bonus of ten points and end the game. The other end game trigger is if the draw pile empties.

Once triggered, players score the highest number of each suit in their hand, as well as their trios. Player scoring varies based on how well they were able to press their luck and gain the cards necessary to efficiently score suits and trios. And as there is no hand limit, there is plenty of flexibility, though players who bust gain no cards on their turn.

There are nine action cards shuffled into the draw deck that provide a wrinkle. Give requires a player to select a card to give to you. Take allows you to take a random card from a player. And Reveal allows a player to reveal cards until a