Brimble

About

Brimble is a climbing and shedding card game in which the rules change each round based on player choices. With four players, the game is played in fixed partnerships. With three players, it is played 2-versus-1. Before each round begins, players take turns selecting special rule options from a shared menu. These options can alter card rankings, introduce new combinations and bombs, grant jokers, or unlock special card playing rules. Because only a handful of options are chosen each round from a much larger menu, every round develops its own unique flavor. Some options completely redefine the value of cards. For example, one option causes any rank 7 played to immediately end the current trick. Another inverts the ranking of pairs, so that low pairs outrank high pairs. Several options revolve around unusual card manipulation: aces can be attached to other cards to increase their rank, while another option allows aces to “shovel” pairs, triples, and quads back into a player’s hand. While each option is powerful on its own, the most interesting moments emerge from how the options interact; whether by synergizing to enhance power or by countering one another. Both the three and four player games each have their own carefully designed option menus which are catered to that specific player count. In the four-player game, some options allow teammates to exchange cards, reveal a teammate's hand to the entire table, or enable passing the lead between partners. Players select only one special option each round in the four-player game. In the three-player game, however, the solo player gets to select two options, giving them greater influence over the rules that will shape the round. Despite these varying rules adjustments, the goal of every round remains the same: be the first player (or team) to shed all your cards. —description from the designer

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