Fluxx

Cute W loves playing games (we’ve mentioned a few before), so we usually get a few at Christmas. One of this year’s favorites is Fluxx. In this card game each player is dealt three cards, and the first player follows the Basic Rules: pick up one card, then play one card from their hand. One of the types of cards that you can play is called a “Keeper,” and the object of the game is to have two specific Keepers that will let you win. But which specific Keepers you need changes unpredictably, depending on the “Goal” card. So if the Goal card is “Squishy Chocolate” and you have the Sun and Chocolate Keeper cards in front of you, or if the Goal Card is “Lullaby” and you have the Music and Sleep Keeper cards in front of you, then you win. During a turn, a player might choose to put down a new “Goal” card, thus changing the object of the game for everyone; or put a Keeper card in front of them; or place a new “Rule” card, which might change how many cards everyone draws, keeps, can hold, or can exchange. Or there are “Action” cards with all sorts of possibilities, like stealing someone else’s Keeper or collecting everyone’s hands, reshuffling them, and passing them out again in random order.

Phew! Sounds a little complicated, and it is and it isn’t at the same time, because each of the cards explains exactly what you’re supposed to do. It’s supposed to be for ages 8 and up, and I think that’s about right. Players need to be very comfortable with reading because in the middle of a games you might have five or six different Rule cards on the table, so being able to look at them and re-read explanations is key.

One thing that we especially like about Fluxx is that you can jump in or out of the game. At any point, a new player can just start, and since things are changing constantly, they won’t be at a terrible disadvantage. Or if someone’s never played before, they can pick up the game pretty easily because the rules are right there on the table. Or if, say, a grown-up has to go cook dinner or a child stomps off in a huff, the rest of the players can continue playing without a problem.

The girls like that there’s both luck and strategy in this game, because the games Cute W favors are always all-strategy, all the time. Which is why he always reminds us of the number one rule whenever we start a game: “No crying when Daddy beats you.”

There are a bunch of varieties of Fluxx, and honestly? I totally see Zombie Fluxx in our future.

So, how about all of you? Anyone get a new game this year that your family’s loving?