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Fluxx

Author: Andrew Looney
Category: Card Game
Company/Publisher: I.C.E.
Cost: $8.95
Page count: n/a
ISBN: 1-55806-366-8
Playtest Review by Patrick Riley on 06/30/98. Genre tags: none
Fluxx contains 84 cards (though one is blank and one displays the basic rules) plus a rules pamphlet the size of 4 cards (including a diagram). The cards are of decent quality and easy to read, though after only a few days our cards started getting that gummy feeling you get with a well-worn deck of playing cards.

There are 4 types of cards, plainly differentiated by color, symbol, and title print:

  • Keepers, which you collect and keep in hopes of matching the Goal.
  • Goals, which state what Keepers you need to win.
  • New Rules, which modify the number of cards drawn, played, etc.
  • Actions, which have an instant, yet temporary, effect.

Fluxx begins with the Basic Rules of "Draw 1, Play 1" and each player starts with 3 cards. Through the course of play, the rules change, so that after a few turns, the rules could be Draw 4, Play 2 with a Hand Limit of 1 and a Keeper limit of 3. Even with all the rule changes, the game remains simple to play.

Play is fast-paced, and we could generally play many hands in an hour. Some hands are incredibly quick, taking on only a few turns while others go through the deck once or twice. The game can bog down to simple no-brain card playing, but typically this only last a few turns until more New Rules come into play. Some of the goals do allow for an easy win -- my wife has more than once won before I even had a turn in a 3-player game. Winning is often just a matter of drawing the right card at the right time, so most of the strategy involves keeping your opponents in check, keeping your options open, and recognizing the time to strike.

Fluxx is so simple that it is very easy to make house rules and new cards for play. Steffan O'Sullivan has proposed several changes. I hope that I.C.E. will print expansion cards and/or make more blank cards available.

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

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