Wangle

By Jesse James Games
Price $29.95
Age 10 +

Wangle is pure action, with a little sneakiness and lots of laughter thrown in for good measure. Players each hold a hand of 5 cards dealt from the Wangle deck, which has six special theme-based suits. The Dealer starts the action by drawing a card from the deck, which he can either pass to the player on his left or keep (in which case he passes one of his other cards). Continuing clockwise, each player does the same, keeping or passing the card handed to them, until the last player discards one. Meanwhile, the Dealer keeps drawing and passing, fueling the rapid-fire action. Players aim to be first to acquire either 4-of-a-kind or a run of 5 of the same suit. Now this is where the red, mini-dumbbell-shaped Wangle Sticks (perfect for grabbing) come in. There's always 1 less Wangle Stick than the number of players. The first player to get one of the desired hands inconspicuously sneaks a Wangle Stick off the table, continuing to pass cards as if nothing has happened. Those players savvy enough to keep their eyes on the table amidst all the action quickly grab one themselves, until the last player to notice grabs thin air. The first player out scores 100 points, the others holding Wangle Sticks score 50, and the poor Wangle-less player earns - you guessed it - zero. The player with the highest score after a designated number of rounds is the winner. Pure, unfettered fun! For 3 to 8 players.