Numberwang

Numberwang is a deceptively simple trick-taking game with a twist of its own: before each round you look at all the hands at the table and estimate how many tricks each player will take, including yourself. Following suit is mandatory and there is a trump suit, which can only be led once it has been broken. You play with number cards from 1 to 13 in four suits.

The shared bidding is what makes it special. Everyone has seen everyone's cards, so you try to mislead each other with counterintuitive bids and surprising plays. You score points for bids that are hit exactly and bonus points if you force other players to miss their bids. The game works with 4 players, and there are variants for 3 players (with a bot) and 5 players (with extra cards). After four rounds the player with the most points wins.

A small and clever trick-taking game by Cardner Babakitis, with illustrations by Alex Babakitis.