How it plays
Fifty number cards (1 to 10, in five colors) are played onto two piles: one rises from 1, the other falls from 10, and jumps of any size are allowed. Everyone holds two cards, plays at least one per turn and then draws. The backwards trick: a card in the color of the top card of a pile may be played in the opposite direction. Naming specific numbers is forbidden, but “a high blue one” is allowed. If all the cards have been played, the team wins; if someone cannot play, everyone loses.
What it can help develop
Where should the 6 go if the rising pile is at 4 and the falling pile at 9? From 4 to 6, only the 5 is lost; from 9 to 6, the 8 and the 7 are: gaps become costs. Whether to play the second card straight away or save it calls for planning and a little impulse control. Because numbers are forbidden, clues such as “a small red one” practice phrasing and interpreting from the others’ point of view.
Especially suitable for
- School-age children from age 8 who like working with numbers
- Children who cope badly with competitive pressure
- Short games, ideally several in a row
Less suitable for
- Experienced groups who quickly find it too easy
- Children who find it hard to cope with bad luck when drawing
Our verdict
The Game: Quick & Easy is a worthwhile choice for families with school-age children from age 8 who would rather play together against the game than against each other. Its pace and simple rules make it a frequent recommendation for beginners. Its limitations are that the luck of the draw decides some games and that experienced groups quickly find it too easy.
Getting started
- Show the backwards trick early on: a card in the color of the top card of a pile may be played in the opposite direction, which works more often in this version.
- Before the first game, practice describing cards, for example as “a medium red card”, without naming a number.
- After one game, start the next straight away: games are short and often end because of bad luck when drawing.
In detail
Variants and player count
According to Wikipedia, The Game: Quick & Easy is by Steffen Benndorf (NSV, January 2020); Luding and Roter Dorn give 2 to 5 people from age 8 and about 10 minutes. According to Wikipedia, there are number cards from 1 to 10 in five colors and two piles; players hold two cards in hand and play at least one per turn. According to Brettspielblog.ch, players may talk about colors or how high the numbers are, but never about specific values. Brettspiele-Magazin and Brettspielblog.ch describe a professional variant with a one-card limit, in which only colors are mentioned, not how high the numbers are.
What reviewers say
According to Wikipedia, the base game The Game was one of three games nominated for the Spiel des Jahres in 2015. Brettspiele-Magazin finds The Game: Quick & Easy easier and faster; according to the review, it is too easy for experts but ideal with children and family, and a loss tends to come from bad luck when drawing. InGame says that the backwards trick can be used more often and calls the game beginner-friendly and a touch too easy for connoisseurs. Brettspielblog.ch names a luck factor that can make games end early. Spielevater writes that after more than 50 games, successes are rather rare and that “Easy” only applies to the rules.
How it compares
Zombie Kidz Evolution (from age 7, 2 to 4 people, about 15 minutes) shares with The Game: Quick & Easy the skill areas of cooperation as well as logic and planning; The Game: Quick & Easy also has numbers and arithmetic. Bandido (from age 6, 1 to 4 people, about 15 minutes) also shares cooperation as well as logic and planning with The Game: Quick & Easy and can also be played alone. The Game: Quick & Easy suits school-age children from age 8 who like working with numbers, children who cope badly with competitive pressure, and short games. The Game: Quick & Easy is less suited to experienced groups who quickly find it too easy and to children who find it hard to cope with bad luck when drawing.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What age is The Game: Quick & Easy suitable for?
The recommended minimum age is 8. Children who like the numbers from 1 to 10 and can cope when a game is lost because of the cards drawn, through no fault of their own, are ready.
How long does a game take and how many people can play?
A game takes about 10 minutes. The game is for 2 to 5 people, who play together as a team: everyone wins or loses together, which removes competitive pressure. Because games are short, several often follow one after another.
What skills can The Game: Quick & Easy help develop?
It can help develop cooperation, logic and planning as well as numbers and arithmetic. If, for example, there is a 4 on the rising pile and a 9 on the falling pile, the 6 skips only one number on the rising pile but two on the falling one.
Are players allowed to talk about their cards?
Yes, but only roughly: hints about color and size such as “a high blue one” are allowed, but specific numbers are forbidden. This is a chance to practice describing cards in a way that the others interpret correctly.
