Odin

Odin is a very simple card game, officially playing up to six players, but probably best with 3 or 4. In each round, you’re dealt a hand of cards and trying to be the first player to shed your entire hand. The starting player must play a single card, but after that players may either play a higher single card, or two cards of a matching suit or number: for example you start with a 9, a reply with a 33. Following players can always add one extra card if they choose, but the number the cards make must always be higher (to continue our example, someone follows the 33 with 53 (a 5 and a 3 of a matching colour) then the next player jumps to three cards, playing as always matching colours or numbers. Optionally you may pass – and if you cannot go, you must pass. If everyone passes back to the active player, the cards are moved to one side and a new turn begins.

The catch is that whenever you beat the previous number, you must add one of the beaten cards to your hand. This can be a pain – but it can also be a helpful route to building big numbers. As soon as one player plays their last card, everyone else scores a negative point for each remaining card in their hand, and a new round begins. When anybody hits a certain number of points – how many depends on the number of players – the game ends, and the player with fewest points is the winner!