(Note: This review originally appeared on BoardGameGeek -- Cedric. aka. Washu! ^O^)
One of the more interesting personal comments about this game is that it grows on you. I normally don't think much of UNO variants and trick-taking, but have to make an exception for Spooks.
Spooks is essentially a suit-and-rank game with the objective of emptying your hand by playing cards. Each suit has eleven ranks, 1-M. The suits are:
- Spiders (Blue)
- Spooks (Blue)
- Bones (Red)
- Bats (Red)
- Goblins (Green)
...plus one Wild card, a Black Cat.
What card you may play depends on the last played card (ie. the card on top of the discard pile).
- If the last played card was Blue (Spiders and Spooks), you may only play a card of any suit with a number one higher than the last played card.
- If the last played card was Bats (Red), you may only play a card with the same number or color as the last played card. If you cannot play a card, each player hands you a card from their hand.
- If the last played card was Bones (Red), you may only play a card with the same number or color as the last played card. If you cannot play a card, the player who played the Bone card may discard a straight (ie. one or more cards of any suits in sequential order).
Additional rules:
- If you play a Green card, all players play a trick. The highest Green card wins the trick. It becomes his turn and he may play any card.
- You may always play the Wild card (which also wins a trick).
You do not have to play a card during your turn.
That's all the rules in the basic game -- which I heartily advise you *not* to play!
If you're a "beer and pretzels" gamer, you've already played more complicated games, and the "Masters" variant gives a special effect for each Master card when played. My favorite effect is the Bat Masters card. If this card is played, for the remainder of the game, if a Blue (Spiders and Spooks) card is the last played card, you may only play a card of any suit with a number one *lower* than the last card played. Now, all those high-numbered cards become less playable. In other words, you have to play the game and plan your hand anticipating this card -- or if you start the game with this card, you have some control over its play. Planning ahead has become a little more important.
This is where the scoring variant comes in. Based on a BoardGameGeek player's recommedation, strategic players will prefer this variant. Your objective is no longer to play a card each turn. It's more important, for example, to find some way to get rid of that 20-point Master card from your hand than to simply play a lower-point number card. -- except that the Master card may have an effect that works well with the cards in your hand!
I should also note that the cards only have suits and ranks printed on them. Players of Fluxx will immediately know the usefulness of text printed directly on the cards. During our first game, we had to refer to the rulesheet *many* times to know how to play a card, and the Master card's effect. However, with no text, you can now easily add your own variants. Change the card effects, or even the rules for each suit! Players of Cosmic Encounters already know how dramatic and fun this can be in a game.
The art is gorgeous. Cards are nicely eerie, with eleven different illustrations. The card art is shown on the box and website.
Once you get past the complex rules, Spooks is nifty fast-playing "suits and ranks" card game that is accessible to non-gamers, "beer and pretzel" gamers, and more serious players. At $10, it's a pretty inexpensive game -- and should take care of your friend with a Halloween fixation. (Hmm... I wonder how well it would play as a poker deck...)
Review Summary