Xactika

 XACTIKA
Review from Ruth B. Roufberg ©2002 Parents' Choice: “ Imagine playing bridge with cards that don’t belong to a single suit (& spades; & clubs; & hearts; & diams;) but 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. Get complete rules and play a sample game at www.xactika.com/ Ruth B. Roufberg ©2002 Parents' Choice ”