Matthew BaileySince getting into the board game hobby about 14 years ago, I have played a lot of games. Since having children, I have played even more.
However, I have never actually played the game “Old Maid,” a classic card game that you often see on the shelves in shops like Poundland. I think I even might have gotten a set once out of a set of Christmas crackers.
So Game 16# of the “Now & Then Summer Marathon 2024” is “Old Mermaid” a mermaid-themed “Old Maid” set played with Jack(9).
Today, we are going to be looking at “Old Mermaid,” a mermaid-themed version of the game by Professor Puzzle Games.
The game is simple: the deck contains 13 different sea creatures, with there being four of each and one Old Mermaid card. The goal of the game is to match creatures and then discard them from your hand. The player left with the Old Mermaid card at the end loses.
You start the game by placing any matching pairs that are already in your hand in front of you. The player to your left then fans out their hand, and you take one card. If by taking that one card you can now make a pair, you play that pair in front of you. If you don’t make a pair, your turn is over. The player to your left now takes their turn, and so on. You keep going until one player has the Old Mermaid card and loses.
You can also play a shorter game for younger children who find it difficult to hold so many cards. You can remove two of every animal before you start, making everyone’s hand smaller. The instructions also recommend you can take out the Old Mermaid card and use the deck to play “Go Fish.”
Now, some observations about my first go at “Old Mermaid”: the fact that this is a game from many years ago is pretty obvious. I’m never actually that keen on a game where one person loses and everyone else wins, as it seems a bit unfair to me. However, the kids actually enjoyed it, and to be honest, this is probably the nicest set of “Old Maid” you’re going to get. So, if you are looking for a set of “Old Maid,” this is probably one of the nicest versions you’re going to find. The artwork is lovely, the card quality is excellent, and the box it comes in is really nice with a nice little fin on the front. Sadly, the fin doesn’t appear in this picture because I had to take it off to get hold of the game, and at some point this afternoon, I managed to lose it. I have a theory that Henry “Poozles” Bailey might have had something to do with it, and I fully expect to find the said mermaid tail potentially in one of his dinosaur mouths in the next few days.
It’s a nice version of “Old Maid.” and it’s a fun classic game that non-gamer relatives will happily join in with.
Disclaimer: “Old Mermaid” was kindly provided by “Professor Puzzle” for the purpose of review. Our thoughts and opinions are, however, our own.
