Xactika

“Imagine playing bridge with cards that don’t belong to a single suit (& spades; & clubs; & hearts; & diamonds;) yet have pips of all four suits on each card.

Each of the 81 Xactika cards has a unique combination of balls, cubes, cones, and stars that total the numeral on the card.

Consider, for example, the single card “7”.

It might show 1 ball, 3 cubes, 2 cones, and 1 star (1+3+2+1=7).

Another “7” might show 2 balls, 2 cubes, 1 cone, and 2 stars — that still adds up to seven.

When it’s your turn to lead, you call a shape (2 cones for instance), which everyone must follow by playing a card with exactly 2 cones on it.

Highest card wins the trick.

Although the rules of play are simple, understanding the strategy and its subtleties will take time to master.