Sequence is a board and card game that requires creating “sequences,” which are rows of five chips of a single color. It is often referred to as a tabletop game and can be played with 2-12 players.
The basic gist of Sequence is each player has 4-5 cards, and they must place a chip on the board that corresponds to a card in their hand. Two interesting mechanics of Sequence are that players from a single team cannot sit next to each other – teams sit in alternating order, and there is no tabletalk allowed.
These two latter mechanics lead to a multitude of dynamics in the game of Sequence. For instance, there is the dynamic of strategization as players create sequences. At the same time, players must consider blocking other teams from creating their own sequences. Similarly, there is the dynamic of risk management. As players build their sequences, they risk other teams also successfully building their own sequences without obstruction. And as players block other teams’ sequences, they leave themselves vulnerable to being blocked by other teams as well. This is difficult since there is no tabletalk, so the dynamic of “team telepathy” emerges. As a team works together to build sequences, they may develop a shared understanding of each other’s playing styles and strategic tendencies. Team members may also communicate nonverbally through cues and signals to convey their intentions to one another.
The mechanics and dynamics of Sequence foster an environment of both fellowship and competition. The fellowship can be observed among team members as they coordinate their chip placements to create their sequences. In doing so, they compete against other teams to successfully create the required number of sequences in order to win.
