Canadian Sean Ross has become rather well-known in some game-design circles—particularly among anyone looking for interesting card games.
Ross, who now has nearly 35 design credits at boardgamegeek.com, has a knack for taking old card-game ideas (and dominoes, too, which are akin to cards) and twisting and tweaking them into something quite different and interesting. His two-player game Vidrasso caught the eye in a December 2024 review (SaskToday).
A new one from Ross is Dwindle—a fixed-trump, floating-bid trick-taker for two players.
Trevor and I gave this some play over coffee recently, and it was not exactly love at first play.
The game needs some time to reveal its quirks in a way that allows it to be appreciated.
The game is played with a deck of 40 cards in a mix that is itself different enough—six is high, and ace is low.
Each player gets 12 cards, and in each trick, you each play two cards, following suit if able.
After each trick, each player draws one card, so your hand is dwindling.
You play nine tricks, leaving each player with two cards in hand. You add the two cards together to get your trick goal—two to 12—with you getting points for being above or below the goal. Play through the deck four times, and the player with the lowest cumulative score wins.
The fun here is managing your hand. At the deal, you might have low cards and think about going for no tricks. Then, as you draw cards, you get sixes and trumps and can’t avoid taking at least some tricks.
Maybe you are targeting three tricks, so you have an ace and deuce of hearts in mind to hang onto. Then the opponent leads hearts, and you have to play the two cards and rethink what you need to do.
Rounds are quick, and scores seem to stay close. As you adapt on the fly, the fun comes out in this one. Give it a try as a new two-player gem in the rough. You can find the rules on boardgamegeek.com.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
Dwindle
Ross, who now has nearly 35 design credits at boardgamegeek.com, has a knack for taking old card-game ideas (and dominoes, too, which are akin to cards) and twisting and tweaking them into something quite different and interesting. His two-player game Vidrasso caught the eye in a December 2024 review (SaskToday).
A new one from Ross is Dwindle—a fixed-trump, floating-bid trick-taker for two players.
Trevor and I gave this some play over coffee recently, and it was not exactly love at first play.
The game needs some time to reveal its quirks in a way that allows it to be appreciated.
The game is played with a deck of 40 cards in a mix that is itself different enough—six is high, and ace is low.
Each player gets 12 cards, and in each trick, you each play two cards, following suit if able.
After each trick, each player draws one card, so your hand is dwindling.
You play nine tricks, leaving each player with two cards in hand. You add the two cards together to get your trick goal—two to 12—with you getting points for being above or below the goal. Play through the deck four times, and the player with the lowest cumulative score wins.
The fun here is managing your hand. At the deal, you might have low cards and think about going for no tricks. Then, as you draw cards, you get sixes and trumps and can’t avoid taking at least some tricks.
Maybe you are targeting three tricks, so you have an ace and deuce of hearts in mind to hang onto. Then the opponent leads hearts, and you have to play the two cards and rethink what you need to do.
Rounds are quick, and scores seem to stay close. As you adapt on the fly, the fun comes out in this one. Give it a try as a new two-player gem in the rough. You can find the rules on boardgamegeek.com.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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