Regicide^*

Regicide is a cooperative fantasy card game played with an ordinary 52-card deck: together you defeat twelve royal cards – jacks, queens and kings – before your hands run dry. For 1 to 4 players aged 10 and up, 10 to 30 minutes, and far harder than it looks.

How it plays

Every number card is an attack and each suit has a power: hearts shuffle discards back into the deck, diamonds draw cards, clubs double damage, spades weaken the counter-attack. If the enemy survives, it strikes back and you must discard cards worth its attack value. Anyone who cannot discard enough loses the game for everyone. The jokers bring teammates back in – because you may not discuss your hand.

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants an affordable, deep co-op game for travelling. The illustrated edition turns the court cards into monsters, the rules are free online, and the solo mode is among the best of its size.