Trick-taking with multiple twists
✨Stella Quest is a trick-taking game from @korea.boardgames . Or rather, a great trick-taking game! There are many special rules and nuances that elevate it from being “just another” trick taker, so let’s go through them one-by-one. 🔍
The first twist is that the card backs show the color of the card. So even though you won’t know what values your opponents have, you do see the colors, which adds a lot to the strategy. 😉
The cards go from 1 to 6 and you have them twice in each color. This is interesting because of how the trump color changes. Usually the color of the top card on the discard pile is the trump color, but ☝️ if you play the same exact card (color & value) then you have a super-trump. And if you play the same exact card that someone else already played in this trick, that is another kind of super-trump.
If you win a trick, you can choose one of the cards from that trick and keep it. 🧐 This is important, because to win the game you have to collect all 6 values. 🥇 You can also choose how to discard the other cards, so you have control over the next trump color.
So theoretically you want to quickly win 6 rounds and win the game right? Not exactly. 🖐️ If you win a trick you get the Black Star marker - win the next trick too and you lose one of your 5 lives! Lives are important because whenever your hand is empty you get to draw as many cards as life you have. And the more cards, the better the chances to control tricks. You can also sacrifice a life to draw 3 cards. Oh and that’s not all! If you have to take a card value that you already have, you lose additional lives! 😱 You see, timing is important! Special gray cards help you with that - you can take a “Break” by playing them and making sure you won’t win a trick!
If someone loses all 5 lives that is another way for the game to end. 🏆 If that happens, you see who has the most points by counting remaining lives and collected cards.
2-player games have an automa that randomly plays cards from the top of the deck. This is neat because you can somewhat plan for it, as you see the color on the back. Of course the game will shine most at the full 4-player count.
