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Players: 2-6 (ages 8+)
Playing Time: about 30 minutes
The game gurus at Fundex Games just keep finding new ways to put a fresh spin on an old favorite. Like Phase 10 Dice and Phase 10 Deluxe, Phase 10 Twist builds on the basics of the original Phase 10 card game to create a completely different game. This time, they’ve added a game board.
At the beginning of the game, players place their game piece on the first space on the board. Then the card game portion of the game begins. Players are dealt 10 cards each, and they race to complete Phase 1. For the most part, play is the same as in the original card game (see my review for more details)—except there are three discard piles instead of just one.
When one player “goes out” by completing the phase and discarding all of his or her cards, the players then move their game piece around the board. The player who went out moves three spaces. Any player who was able to complete the phase moves two spaces. And any player who was unable to complete the phase still moves one space.
Along the board, there are a number of Twist spaces. If you land on a Twist, you have a couple of choices: you can choose to complete one of the phases on either side of the Twist space, or you can choose to draw a Twist card and complete the phase shown. If you complete the phase, you double your moves (six spaces for going out, four for completing the phase). But if you can’t complete the phase, you move back one space.
Play continues until one player reaches the end of the game board.
Phase 10 Twist is the perfect variation for players with a short attention span. The original card game is, after all, somewhat time-consuming. But by adding the board—and allowing all players to keep moving, even if they can’t complete their phase, makes the game go faster. This way, you don’t have to worry about getting caught up on one phase—because you’ll never have to work on the same phase more than twice. The Twist spaces, too, make the game move along more quickly—since they give players the chance to skip phases and finish sooner. Even the two extra discard piles shave minutes off the game—because they offer two more chances to get the exact card you need to complete your phase.
So if you’re a fan of Phase 10, you’ll love Phase 10 Twist, too—because it’s a quick and fun new twist on a classic card game. And if you’ve given up on the card game because it’s just too time-consuming, give Phase 10 Twist a chance. It’s every bit as fun as the original rummy-style card game—but with less time commitment.
