You can crack a new card game, deal out cards for an evening
and have a low cost per entertainment hour which as budgets tighten is
important.
And if the game is terrible you have not invested huge
dollars.
That card games are generally rather flexible in terms of
the number the number of players is an added bonus.
EKKO is a card game that meets the criteria or player
flexibility to a ‘T’ playing two-to-eight – quite well for two which is
surprising and gratifying, but fun does tend to climb with more.
From designer Xavier Jauneault, artist Allison
Machepy and publisher The Flying Games (check ilo3-7.com in
Canada), EKKO is incredibly simple to play, yet manages to be fun too.
EKKO is a discard game in which you will have to get rid of
your cards before your opponents, which is about as simple as a card game goal
can get.
A player lays down a card, and depending what it is, the
next player must play a card of a higher or lower value. Don’t have one you can
play, you draw one!
Yes the core rules are that simple.
But there are a few twists that help keep EKKO more
interesting.
Play a card that is divisible by 11, and you can take an
extra turn – in a shedding game that’s big.
And, then there is the ‘mirror’ card play.
The mirror card of a card is the one whose numbers are
reversed compared to this card. For example, 73 is the mirror card of the card
37. Playing a mirror card allows you either to make all players draw or to get
rid of a card.
Most of the time it will be making others draw.
The mirror mechanic adds some nice spice and comes into play
more often as player counts rise – more cards in hands which might be a mirror
card to one played. The impact of having opponents pull a card increases with
higher player counts too.
Now EKKO won’t win fans on art – it’s OK at best.
And if you are looking for a deep thinking card game – well
EKKO isn’t that either.
But for a relaxed group gathering EKKO rates high praise
from The Meeple Guild.
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