Trick-taking

Icarus & his friends have crafted handmade wings. Day and night, jubilant with their newfound freedom, they fly higher & higher... A trick-taking game of flying, flipping, & trying not to soar into the hot, hot sun.

With competitive (2-5p) and co-operative (3-5p) modes, players win tricks to fly higher in the sky. The winner of each trick moves to the next open space above them on the scoring track unless they fly into the sun, in which case they will plummet to below the bottom-most player.

Every card has two different values which alternate - along with the trump suit - whenever a 5-card is played. With rules simple enough to teach in a few minutes, Trickarus is accessible for those unfamiliar with trick-taking, while also having enough challenge for more experienced trick-takers to experiment with different strategies.

US EDITION Changes:
Smirk & Dagger Games has made the following adjustments for the English edition.
The Lightning Bolt card has a new function. It no longer causes the winner of a trick to fly down the track. 2 copies of the card now exist in the Stormy Weather rules.

Stormy Weather rules:
Add 2 Lightning cards and the second (new) poker chip token.
A Lightning card may be played at one of two times, as the first card of the round when you are the Lead player – or – if you are unable to follow suit during a trick.

Playing the Lightning card swaps the Day / Night chip with the one currently out of play. This will change the Strongest Suits (Trump) from Sun & Moon to Clouds & Raindrops and vice versa. Note: swapping the chip does not change Day / Night and cards are not rotated. If the Sun is face up (Day) it swaps for Clouds (also Day). If the Moon is face up (Night) it swaps for Raindrops (also Night) and vice versa.

This means that Clouds and Raindrops are no longer always “junk” suits but have the ability to be the
Strongest Suits.

---
New 2 Player game

A dummy score tracker token (Icarus) is added to the game. Icarus is dealt a three card hand, face up, so both players know what Icarus will play over the span of three rounds. Then, a new set of cards comes out.
Unlike the 3-5p mode, a player does not win by being highest on the track at the end of the game. Instead: One player has the goal of the game ending with Icarus either above or below all the other
players on the score track.
The other player has the goal of the game ending with Icarus between the two other players on the score track.
While both are tested as equally balanced ways to win, players will have personal preferences and strategies. This push and pull mechanic makes for a far more engaging two-paler experience.

It takes two to tango, but only one dancer will stand tall in this trick-taking game for two players! In Tango, players play cards (both from their hand and from their face-up display), in order to perform the best possible dance steps.
Plan ahead as best you can, but remember your opponent knows some of the steps you will take! Will you be named lord or lady of the dance?

Dearest Player, you have been invited, at the behest of your titled host, to make your debut during the 1851 social season of Victorian London.

Apistocracy is a 2-4 player game featuring worker placement, as well as a trick-taking game based on Whist. Each player has a season host with a unique ability. The hosts provide influence to open the first doors of the season, but players must make connections, thus building influence, to gain invitations to the most coveted events. Over the course of four weeks, players climb to the top of the social beehive to become Queen Victoria's favorite, commission painting sets in the gallery to become the artist's muse, make valuable connections in the ballroom to become the favored guest, learn secrets in the tea room, and curate their hand for the final whist game in the parlor. The player with the most Victoria points at the end of the season is named the "season's favorite" and wins.

The game offers players nuanced action selection, with opportunities for strategic decision making. Do you spend your resources to move up the beehive? Do you dance in the ballroom to gain a valuable card for your player mat? Do you commission your portrait and complete your painting set? Regardless of your choice, the main goal is to have fun! If you happen to create a buzz and become the season's favorite in the process, then bravo! If you do not achieve the coveted title, you need not give up — there's always next season!

Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard is a co-operative trick-taking game for two players that's a standalone spin-off of Jekyll vs. Hyde.

You're Dr. Jekyll, the kind doctor and valuable friend — but you're also the infamous Mr. Hyde, who is hunted by Scotland Yard for the many misdeeds committed in the City of London. Your objective is to maintain the balance in the duality of your personality, while staying ahead of Scotland Yard's investigation.

This is a story-based game in which you have to achieve the objectives of every chapter of the story to complete the game.

Your inner superhero is ready to emerge, one chapter at a time. Reveal your backstory, gather gadgets and allies, develop a grudge against your archenemy, and unleash an ultimate ability as you transform. Use a combination of brains, love, speed, and strength to craft your origin story.

Origin Story is a 1-5 player competitive tableau-building, trick-taking game played over 5 rounds. Each round represents a chapter in your development and grants a new card to add to your player mat. Charge your cards and use their abilities to score more points than your opponents.

—description from the publisher