Matthew BaileyGame 2 of our “Halloween Half-term Spooktacular” is…
“Trio” played by myself, Jack(.8.) and Toby(5)
Now let’s get this out of the way and say 2 things…
1) Trio is an identical game to Nana that I reviewed almost exactly a month ago (I didn’t realise this when I bought it).
2) I now can’t stop thinking about the Trio adverts from the 80s/90s.
https://youtu.be/lFd5EhyyiXE?si=Tsz_3C96Ck5L6BiA&t=8
“Trio” is a relatively straightforward yet unique (apart from its Japanese namesake) card game with the main objective being to reveal and collect sets of numbers.
In this game, each player starts with a hand of cards, while the remaining cards are arranged in a grid in the centre of the table. On your turn, you can choose any three actions from the following options:
- Ask any player, including yourself, to reveal their lowest card.
- Ask any player, including yourself, to reveal their highest card.
- Reveal any of the cards in the grid.
The primary goal is to uncover three identical cards from anywhere on your turn. If you successfully achieve this, you keep that set of cards, and they go into your pile.
The game concludes when either one player has obtained three sets of cards, two sets that add up to or subtract from 7, or a set of cards with the number 7.
Games are incredibly quick, typically lasting no more than 15 minutes at most. What’s particularly intriguing about “Trio” is that it starts off somewhat challenging, especially with more players. However, as the game progresses and players become more familiar with each other’s hands and the cards in the grid, it gains momentum and becomes more engaging.
The cards themselves are well-crafted, with a pleasant texture. I like the “el Día de los Muertos” theme but they aren’t as visually appealing as the cards in “Nana”
“Trio” is a simple yet remarkably engaging memory game with a touch of social deduction thrown in.
While I prefer the theme of “Nana” this is readily available and cheaper to obtain in the UK so this is a 100% recommendation from me.
