WBG Score: 8
Player Count: 2-4
Published by: KOSMOS
Designed by: Thomas Weber
This is a review copy. See our review policy here
I am a huge fan of clever little card games. I enjoy surfing, although I am not very good at it, but the vibe suits me just right! And I am always excited about anything portable to play with my friends and family in a cooperative way when out and about. Wave ticks all these boxes, but is it any good? Let's get it to the table and find out.
How To Set Up Wave
Separate the four special colour swap and number swap cards, these are used in a variant. Place the direction of play and colour value card face up on the table then shuffle the rest of the deck. Then deal each player three cards, ask each player to hold these as they normally would facing them. Then deal two more to each player and ask each player to pick these up in a way that they do not see the cards, and instruct them to hold them facing out so all other players can see them. Place the remaining deck face down in the centre of the table and flip over the top card to start the discard pile. You are now ready to play.
How To Play Wave
Players will now take it in turns to play one of the five cards in their hand face up on top of the discard pile. Cards must always beat the most recently discarded face-up card, either in number or colour. For example, if a "one" was played, then a card of any colour with a number of two or higher would be fine. Colour-wise, the Colour value card shows the order. White is the lowest, Blue is the highest. So a blue card with a value of zero would beat a five, (the highest number) of any other colour.
Players are doing this with limited knowledge as they cannot see all their cards. But other players can guide and assist with the cards they cannot see, giving suggestions as to when certain cards may be suitable. You cannot say that a certain card is a certain colour or number, but you can say when it would be good to play it.
When you play a card from your hand that was previously facing you, replace it with the top card from the deck and play the card facing out. Likewise, if you play a card from your hand that was facing outwards, when you replace this card, you can now add to your hand facing you so you can see it.
Play continues like this until all cards have been played, although a time may come when you cannot play a legal card at which point, the game ends. Count up the remaining cards in the deck and players' hands to check your score against the table in the rules. Zero cards remaining is the perfect score. 11 or more left is a Wipeout!
Note that some cards have a change of direction symbol. If you play a card with this on, flip the direction of play card and change the way you are playing. The change of direction card is shown on all white cards and all cards with a value of zero.
Variants
There are a few ways to play the game in different ways. One in which you can exchange cards in your hand with one that is face up on the table if you ever need some help. Another changes the order of the color value two times in the game, based on two cards being shuffled in the deck. They can come out at any time, so the direction of color value can shift at any point. You can also do with the numbers, changing the order of the value of the numbers. When the number of colour value change card is drawn, simply place it on the table so all can see the rule change, then draw another card to your hand so you have a full hand of five again.
There is also a final variant where cards are laid out on the table rather than into a common discard in the shape of a giant wave. There are six rows, the bottom one being ten cards in length, the next eight, then seven, six, three and one. Cards must be laid in sequence starting with the bottom left, then to the right of them, the directly above and so on. Cards must always be laid in a way so that they beat any cards to the left of it and below, if that is the case. This is much harder, needs much more space, less wind, and more patience!
Is It Fun? Wave Card Game Review
Wave offers a lovely mix between two of my favourite card games of all time, The Mind and Hanabi. Much like The Mind, players are working together to build up a discard deck, trying to play all their cards. But similar to Hanabi, they cannot see all their cards, and need to help each other in the process. The combination of these two elements makes for a very good, entertaining, and rewarding experience. However, it is perhaps a little too easy. Most games I have scored well in, and there is never really much thinking process, the right card to play is generally quite obvious. And you will either get lucky going through the process or not.
Now don't get me wrong. There absolutely is some skill and strategy required if you want a perfect score. But the difference in effort required between a bad score and a good score is minimal. The skill is required to get from a good to a perfect score. However, that is why the game offers variants to add more of a challenge, and the color and number swap cards bring a nice resh twist to the game. However, where the game really excels is in the expert version with The Monster Wave. Achieving this is difficult, I have not done it yet, but the process is generally thrilling. The game loses some of the portable charm of a simple card game. I won't ever play this variant on a beach, for example! But it is an excellent cooperative challenge that I will enjoy at home!
Overall, I am left very much enamoured by this little game. It has a lovely simple flow to it, with a theme that I adore. The variants offer exactly what I want with a game like this. And they are easily explained and implemented into any game that is suitable. I wish the expert variant was a little more portable, but understand the reasons why it cannot be. And enjoy the challenge it brings. The art of the cards is nice, a little functional and abstract. I think I would have enjoyed something more realistic, wistful, and calming. The colors are a little jarring and the art style practical over beautiful. But it works, is clear to see, and does help with the teach. I would recommend this game to anyone looking for a little simple cooperative card game to play with friends if they have any interest in games like The Mind or Hanabi.