FIVE CROWNS -- Set Enterprises

Card Game
2-7 players -- 8+
publisher: Set Enterprises
list price: $12.99
designer: Marsha J. Falco

Five Crowns is rummy, with a twist. The set collection aspect of rummy is basically the same; with groups of 3 cards in either runs or denominations making a valid meld. The difference is that in each hand the number of cards increases, from 3 cards in the first hand to 13 in the last. The game, therefore, consists of 11 hands. In each of these hands, in addition to the 6 Jokers, there are other wild cards. These are determined by which hand it is. In the first hand 3s are wild in the second hand it's the 4s, and so on until in the last hand the Kings go wild. This is made easy to remember because the wild card is the same as the total number of cards you hold. (ie. in the first hand 3 cards, 3s are wild). A hand finishes when someone can meld all cards in their hand (after the discard) and, as the designers say, "the game isn't over 'til the Kings go wild!" [from BoardGameGeek.com]

*****

This is one of our favorite card games!  It's a good family game, the rules are basic and don't need much reviewing (even if you haven't played in awhile) and it moves along pretty quickly.  We like to play this as a family when we feel like doing something but are too tired to think too hard (so many of our favorite games require a great deal of concentration and strategy (which is normally a good thing).

The artwork on the cards themselves is nice, and color for the suits!  How great!  Blue diamonds, green clubs, red hearts, yellow stars!  Yes ... there is a fifth suit, which is what makes this a nice deck to have, and why it isn't all that easy to play this with an ordinary deck of cards.

It doesn't cost too much.  It's portable, which makes it a handy game for us to pack for away trips and camping.

Rating: * * * * 1/2