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Wizard - A Five Second Board Game Review

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M Updated December 02, 2019
 
5.0
 
0.0 (0)
8705 0
Wizard Card Game

Game Information

There Will Be Games

Wizard presents itself in absolutely the same way that the most boring of mass market productions do, in an ugly box, sitting limply on a Walmart shelf, or introduced by your grandparents when they’ve run out of various political topics to run you through.

This is the single greatest tragedies in modern gaming. Wizard belongs on the highest pedestal in the most selective gaming collections.  It may be just a fairly straightforward trick taking game, with the added twist of just a few special cards and yet I’ve gotten more stand up and cheer moments from this than a hundred co-ops and ameritrash games combined. 

The strategy is difficult enough that mastery can be chased for a long time, but understandable enough that you can fully grasp when things have gone superbly or terribly for you and cheer or cuss appropriately.  It also begins with a slow ramp up, so that you can feel out the strategy while the point stakes are low enough.  The last hand having no trump is a subtle trick where a lot of variance gets added so that the ending is usually always in doubt, but it doesn’t feel like the strategy was stripped away.  The price point is also incredibly attractive. Even the “deluxe” edition is still more affordable than most hobby game fillers.  I know I’ve banged the drums for a lot of games, but out of everything I’ve reviewed so far, Wizard is the one I truly believes deserves more attention and the one I’m happiest to evangelize.


Editor reviews

1 reviews

Rating 
 
5.0
Wizard Card Game
Mason Sokol (He/Him)
Associate Writer

Mason plays games and has opinions.

Articles by Mason Sokol

Associate Writer

Articles by Mason Sokol

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Legomancer's Avatar
Legomancer replied the topic: #300077 26 Jul 2019 08:05
Played this the other day for the first time in ages and was reminded of why we used to play this all the time. It's so good and easy to teach and pick up. Definitely a top 5 trick-taker (Sticheln is still my top, I think.)
hotseatgames's Avatar
hotseatgames replied the topic: #300078 26 Jul 2019 08:20
The box leads me to believes that saltine crackers are inside.
Vysetron's Avatar
Vysetron replied the topic: #300079 26 Jul 2019 08:30
I did not expect to see Wizard today, and my day is better for it.
Ah_Pook's Avatar
Ah_Pook replied the topic: #300087 26 Jul 2019 10:44
Wizard is an all time great. They are some big wizard fans on my game group so it gets played with some regularity. Plus I have introduced it to my mom and her siblings and they all absolutely loved it (being old time card players, but less so players of modern boardgames). A friend has the bidding wheels for simultaneous bidding, but I haven't had the chance to try them out yet. Typically there are some new players when we play. Simultaneous bidding Sounds like a fun way to play once everyone knows the game though for sure.
quozl's Avatar
quozl replied the topic: #300091 26 Jul 2019 12:06
I'd love to have a thread discussing card games played with a traditional deck (or slightly modified like Wizard is). I've been trying out some of David Parlett's games lately and would love to talk about them.

www.parlettgames.uk/oricards/
ubarose's Avatar
ubarose replied the topic: #300093 26 Jul 2019 14:39

quozl wrote: I'd love to have a thread discussing card games played with a traditional deck (or slightly modified like Wizard is). I've been trying out some of David Parlett's games lately and would love to talk about them.

www.parlettgames.uk/oricards/


You should click the “new topic” button and start the thread. :)
Vysetron's Avatar
Vysetron replied the topic: #300094 26 Jul 2019 14:40
I love traditional/traditionalish card games. I've actually got a piece pending about Chimera and how it's probably the best card shedding game.

Not familiar with most of the games on that list! I'll have to do some research.
MasonSokol's Avatar
MasonSokol replied the topic: #300095 26 Jul 2019 15:35

Legomancer wrote: Played this the other day for the first time in ages and was reminded of why we used to play this all the time. It's so good and easy to teach and pick up. Definitely a top 5 trick-taker (Sticheln is still my top, I think.)


Extremely need to try sticheln, wish i was able to make it up there sunday :(

ubarose wrote:

quozl wrote: I'd love to have a thread discussing card games played with a traditional deck (or slightly modified like Wizard is). I've been trying out some of David Parlett's games lately and would love to talk about them.

www.parlettgames.uk/oricards/


You should click the “new topic” button and start the thread. :)


Would love to review some classic card games from the viewpoint of a hobbyist as well, if there is interest/I get permission, I’m always sad to see them arbitrarily sidelined as while many of them are just ok plenty are quite good and worthy of the same limelight as the best hobby games
mc's Avatar
mc replied the topic: #300099 26 Jul 2019 18:57
+1 to a card games thread! if quozl doesn't create one, or wants to focus purely on that set of games, I will.
Typically I use a Rage deck to replicate many of these games, which reminds me that I haven't tried Wizard and must do that.
Stichelin is great.
Pugnax555's Avatar
Pugnax555 replied the topic: #300100 26 Jul 2019 19:29
Wizard is such a simple yet terribly cutthroat game. My only complaint with it is that it sometimes overstays its welcome by a few rounds with some groups.

And +1 to more traditional card game reviews (and their derivatives, like Wizard).
birdman37's Avatar
birdman37 replied the topic: #300162 28 Jul 2019 19:58
Damn you, I've just gone and ordered yet another game!

Quick question though: it seems that the base unit of scoring is 10 points. (20 points for a correct prediction + 10 per trick, or -10 per inaccurate bid). So why isn't it simply 1 point? Or should I be asking this question in the QE thread ?
Ah_Pook's Avatar
Ah_Pook replied the topic: #300168 28 Jul 2019 22:06
Same difference, I've played with some people that did 1s and some people that did 10s.