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- A solo trick-taking game?!
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If you’ve been playing games long enough, you’ve definitely crossed paths with trick-taking.
But solo trick-taking?
Me, I’d never come across it. Until this adorable card game appeared on my table.
So yeah, when I first heard solo trick-taker, my eyebrows did the thing.
Skepticism activated. Curiosity through the roof.
Then I tried it, and it won me over way quicker than I expected…
The plot? You are stepping into a crumbling kingdom that needs unity, and you are the only one stubborn enough to sit down with eight rulers and talk them into standing together again.
For the kingdom. For glory. For Northwood!
I went in thinking… okay, win tricks, score points, move on. Easy come, easy go.
Wrong.
This is not just trick-taking. It is precise trick-taking.
The game keeps asking you to hit an exact number of tricks each round. Not “win as many as you can.” Exact.
Sometimes that number is comfortable. Sometimes it is 0. Sometimes it is 7. And the moment you see those extremes show up, you realize this is not a luck cruise. You have to steer…
That’s where the saviors step in. The allies.
If your scores are low and you are blaming the cards, you are probably ignoring your best tools. Your allies are not just cute helpers. They are the difference between barely surviving and successfully convincing a ruler. Use them well, and the game opens up. Use them casually, and Northwood stays a mess!
One of my favorite little moments in the game is when you realize how much control you have by timing an ally at the right moment. You stop playing tricks. You start shaping outcomes.
Also, there’s tons of variety. There are a bunch of rulers, each with their own specialty, so the game does not feel solved after a couple plays. Pair that with the adorable artwork, and you are in for a trick treat.
If you want a solo game to chill out, and you like the idea of trick-taking with a brainy twist, go read my full review here.
Oh, did I mention For Northwood is free?
- Tas.
PS: Our friend in the high places chose to sponsor this issue. A tip of the hat to you, ser. 🎩 👇
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