Card games are wonderful because they can be played quickly with little setup time. Even with a standard deck of cards there are hundreds of variations available to gamers, including these three simple family cards games from R&R Games.
Lately, it seems that pandas are making a splash in gaming circles. Panda Head is a light trick-taking card game for two to five players featuring cards with panda heads on funny bodies. The cards also show a number between two and 11. Players are dealt seven cards, and one person begins by playing a card. Each player must play a card equal to or greater in value or they must play their lowest valued card. When the seventh round ends, the person who played the highest card collects all the cards played that round and must score those points. But players don’t want to collect points. The lowest score wins. Playtime is about 10-20 minutes. Keep in mind this is a simple card game with few rules and is great for kids and families to set up and play around the table. The artwork is OK, but the card quality is very good.
Simple and educational, Flipping Flags is a fast-paced card game for two to five players. Each card features three world flags. Players turn over cards and quickly try to match the flags of the same country from two different cards. That pairing crates a match and scores a point for that player. For example, cards are turned over, and players quickly scan the table trying to see a pairing. How fast can a person identify the flag of the Czech Republic? Those who are able to quickly identify flags will do well. Play continues by flipping cards and creating matches. The person with the most matches at the end wins. Keep in mind this game is simple and takes only 5-10 minutes to play. This is great for kids and teachers.
Face Chase is an interesting card game, and the most diverse of these three. The cards in the game show a person’s face highlighting noses, eyes, hairstyles and mouths. Each one of those facial features has several variations and are put together in various combinations. Play begins when a card is placed on the center of the playing board, and then players cycle through a hand of cards trying to find a match of one of the facial features. For example, the first card played is a gray haired woman with a warty nose, wide eyes and crooked smile. All players begin to frantically search their cards. One player finds a card showing a man with a warty nose. The player plays the card immediately to match the warty nose on the woman and then continues to cycle through more cards trying to get more matches. The first person to get rid of all of his or her cards is the winner. Again this game accommodates two to five players and plays about 10 minutes. Again, this is a simple and fast game great for families and children.