The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Renfield, the latest offering from Cheapass Games, follows in the grand tradition of Whist while appealing to modern sensibilities by including gambling, bug-eating, and corpses. While a Victorian Dame might have balked at trumping a grave stone with a disembodied hand, she probably also balked at bathing, so her opinion should carry less weight with the post-PVC-plumbing player. In this thematic sequel to Parts Unknown, each player is a grave robber, taking a break from chores and trying to bilk her or his fellow diggers out of some cash while maintaining the lowest diet of bugs.

The game is composed of 54 cards in three suits (stones, tools, and parts) and a typically efficient rules sheet. Besides a suit, each card has a rank, a "bug" value, and a dollar amount.

After dealing hands of six cards, players bid money to decide who will set the trump suit for that hand. That money goes into the pot, and the high bidder leads the first trick. Each hand, players take tricks while trying to avoid taking too many bugs. Players must follow the suit led by the first player if they can. The highest ranked, or numbered, card takes a trick and the winner leads the next trick. If a player can not follow suit, she can play a card from the trump suit to take the trick.

Each trick will have a total dollar value, which the player who takes it must pay to the pot. At the end of a hand, the player who took the fewest bugs, but had taken at least one, wins the pot. Players can fold after taking one bug, giving up the pot while minimizing the amount they must pay during the hand. The game ends when the players run out of time or money.

One of the strengths of a whist game like Renfield is its flexibility. The rules come with eight variants and the potential exists for many more. Cheapass' web site may become home for further, twisted themes such as "Rigor Mortis" and "Worm Food."

The cards for Renfield are of a significantly higher quality than past Cheapass games, but they are not quite as sturdy as a standard poker deck. Each features a unique, black and white cartoon depicting items within the suit. Your first few games may be slow as players giggle at each card.

Recommending Renfield is easy. If you like trick-taking card games, and have a bit of a twisted sense of humor, then this game will amuse you and your equally twisted friends. The gambling element adds a new dimension to whist games and the potential for variants will keep it from becoming stale quickly.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Renfield
Author: James Ernest - art by Mike O'Connor Category: Card Game Company/Publisher: Cheapass Games Cost: 6.00 Page count: n/a Capsule Review by Brad Weier on 03/29/99. Genre tags: Horror Comedy	Renfield, the latest offering from Cheapass Games, follows in the grand tradition of Whist while appealing to modern sensibilities by including gambling, bug-eating, and corpses. While a Victorian Dame might have balked at trumping a grave stone with a disembodied hand, she probably also balked at bathing, so her opinion should carry less weight with the post-PVC-plumbing player. In this thematic sequel to Parts Unknown, each player is a grave robber, taking a break from chores and trying to bilk her or his fellow diggers out of some cash while maintaining the lowest diet of bugs. The game is composed of 54 cards in three suits (stones, tools, and parts) and a typically efficient rules sheet. Besides a suit, each card has a rank, a "bug" value, and a dollar amount. After dealing hands of six cards, players bid money to decide who will set the trump suit for that hand. That money goes into the pot, and the high bidder leads the first trick. Each hand, players take tricks while trying to avoid taking too many bugs. Players must follow the suit led by the first player if they can. The highest ranked, or numbered, card takes a trick and the winner leads the next trick. If a player can not follow suit, she can play a card from the trump suit to take the trick. Each trick will have a total dollar value, which the player who takes it must pay to the pot. At the end of a hand, the player who took the fewest bugs, but had taken at least one, wins the pot. Players can fold after taking one bug, giving up the pot while minimizing the amount they must pay during the hand. The game ends when the players run out of time or money. One of the strengths of a whist game like Renfield is its flexibility. The rules come with eight variants and the potential exists for many more. Cheapass' web site may become home for further, twisted themes such as "Rigor Mortis" and "Worm Food." The cards for Renfield are of a significantly higher quality than past Cheapass games, but they are not quite as sturdy as a standard poker deck. Each features a unique, black and white cartoon depicting items within the suit. Your first few games may be slow as players giggle at each card. Recommending Renfield is easy. If you like trick-taking card games, and have a bit of a twisted sense of humor, then this game will amuse you and your equally twisted friends. The gambling element adds a new dimension to whist games and the potential for variants will keep it from becoming stale quickly. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)