0
0
Players: 2+ (ages 8+)
Playing Time: 15-30 minutes
I consider myself a staunch aficionado when it comes to the game of .nightsandweekends.com/articles/08/NW0800638.php>Farkle. And I have to be honest: when I first heard of the card game called Farkle Flip that was based on the original dice game, I was a bit skeptical. I wondered if the card game would deliver the same level of excitement and energy as the original or if it would simply be a tired sequel—so I decided to find out.
Farkle is a basic points-based game that uses dice to score. However, in Farkle Flip, your cards represent one side of a die (1 thorough 6). You collect combinations of cards, and these combinations are worth points. As with the original Farkle, the objective of Farkle Flip is to be the first player to score 10,000 points. But don’t worry if the point total sounds daunting; point combinations range anywhere from 100 to 3,000 points.
Players start with one card each, and they take turns drawing from the deck to try to score points using number combinations. Banking your points will add them to your score total. However, players need to be careful because drawing a Farkle card can end your turn and result in a loss of points in that round.
The interesting twist in this card game is that you don’t just use your own cards to score; you can use other players’ cards as well. This method of play introduces a new level of strategy that doesn’t exist in the original format, and it turns this version into more of a thinking game. You don’t just read the numbers on your cards, so you need to play with a higher degree of purpose.
Additionally, the Farkle cards serve a dual purpose. While they do end your current turn, the more Farkle cards you can amass before your next points bank, the more extra points you can collect in one round of play. These additional scoring combinations provide you with more options for winning the game, again changing the playing field enough to make this game different and unique from its predecessor.
The only frustration I found was that the rules are a little more complicated. Anyone who’s familiar with the original Farkle may need to read through them a few times to fully understand the differences in play (although watching the video rules with examples was tremendously helpful for me—and most likely necessary).
So does this game measure up? Very much so. If you’re a fan of the classic game of Farkle and want some variations on game play—or if you just enjoy a good card game—then Farkle Flip is a worthy addition to your arsenal of go-to card games, whether you’re at home or on the road.
