A recent game that I am enjoying is called “Oh Hell!”, a card game that is played in a group setting. The premise of “Oh Hell!” is that in each round, there is a “trump” or superior suit (either spades, clubs, hearts, or diamonds). Depending on how many cards the players have at the beginning of each round, there are “mini” rounds in each round (a round for each card). In each mini-round, players will take turns putting down one card – with the first player of that mini-round choosing the suit that other players must put down. At the end of the mini, the player who puts down the “highest” card of that suit wins the mini-round.
The exception is that if a player decides to play a card from the “trump” suit, whoever played the highest card from the trump suit wins that mini-round. Any cards that are not from the trump suit or the first player’s suit cannot win.
At the beginning of the round (overall), each player can bet how many mini-rounds they think they will win. At the end of each round, each player who successfully guessed the mini-rounds they win gets that number of minis + 10 points.
The overall dynamic of the game leans toward challenge – even though almost every player can achieve the number of mini-rounds they bet (the sum of the players’ bets is equal to the number of cards they have at the beginning of the round minus one), the mindset of playing the game is to win yourself. The challenge is also created by the kinds of cards you have for that round and the cards that the players have put before you. This lends itself to an overall unpredictability in playing – skill can only take you so far, if you have an exceptional hand, then your chances of winning that mini-round are higher than that of a skilled player with a bad hand.
The challenge dynamic leads to a more narrative aesthetic – drama-filled fun. I think perhaps with another iteration the game would still keep the same dynamic and aesthetic, but it would be interesting to see some changes to the overall mechanics (changing the rules to enhance the narrative experience, etc.)
