We played Aurum at Compulsory Merriment last week. It’s a trick taking game with cool artwork and suits of Gold and base metals like Copper and Tin. Everybody starts by bidding (guessing) on the number of tricks they’ll win. Then the hands are played–and this is where Aurum is different–you can not follow with the same suit played on any hand. Gold beats everything so you can win a trick by playing a Gold card or you can save your Gold for points later. Losing a trick gets you more Gold. Simple enough, right?
It is but this is a trick taking game with very little luck involved. You’ll be scheming the whole time because you can earn points by winning or losing a hand. The game is played in no more than 3 rounds. Each round winner gets a little gold jewel to demonstrate their accomplishment. Mandi won the first one (of course.) Then Mandi and I tied on the second round so we decided to invoke the house rule, which is: Mandi always wins.
Aurum can be played with 3 people or with 4 in teams. If you like card games like Spades or Hearts, or if you like quick games with lots of strategic thinking, we think you’ll love Aurum.
30-45 minutes playtime, 3-4 players, Ages 7+