Ah, trick-taking games. Many of us grew up playing them. The game of my childhood was Spades – we played it at family events from time to time, but really it was at after school programs and camps where it really went down. I also played Hearts… but that was just on our first computer when I would get board of Minesweeper and Solitaire. I’m still not really sure I know the rules to that one.
Trick-taking games seem to be having a revival over the past few years. Lots of people are putting their spin on the genre, changing how players interact. I’ve enjoyed several of these titles and their unique characteristics. Macaron adds an “anti-trump” suit and provides a ton of different ways to play. The Crew lets you do trick-taking cooperatively, which might seem impossible for those whose families have come to blows over games of Euchre. And Bob would probably punch me if I didn’t mention Skull King.
Designer Ashley Hauenschild throws his hat into the ring with CVLT (pronounced ‘cult’), a trick-taking game that incorporates card drafting and a unique scoring mechanic. After a few playthroughs, I can say that the game certainly sets itself apart, and trick-taking fans should look to add it to their collection.
Give me a “C”!
In CVLT, players are… okay, so there’s a back story, but I’m going to be honest. I don’t quite get it, and really, it’s hard to convey a story in trick-taking. It’s something something gods, something something offerings.
That being said, I’m a fan of the artwork depicting gods in an interesting style. I’m sure someone who knows more about art would be able to tell me exactly what it is, but from my perspective, it’s a modern spin on Greek classical pieces. You’ll see what look like busts of Greek gods wearing sunglasses, or sitting over a background of plants… it’s all unique and fun.
Give Me a… “V”?
Anyway, back to the gameplay. The game plays, for the most part, like a pretty standard trick-taking game. A player starts the trick, and other players must follow suit if they can. The highest value card of the starting suit wins, unless an off-suit card has the same value as the first played card. In that case, the last played card of that value wins.
Once the winner is determined, they get to draft whatever card from the trick they want, followed by the rest of the players in clockwise order. Drafted cards can be placed in one of two places. If it’s in the tableau face up, it will be used for scoring at the end of the round. Otherwise, the card is placed in the dream pile face down, where it can be used to score Vision cards (more on those later) and will be a part of their hand in the next round.
Give Me an “L”!
I don’t want to go into too much detail about scoring, but basically you want to be able to place cards onto stacks of their suits in order from least to greatest. When you place a card, if all of the values less than that card are already in the stack, you get points equal to the value of that card.
Meanwhile, Vision cards give you bonus points for meeting certain conditions. It might be for having the most or the fewest cards of a particular suit, or maybe it’s a card for being the last person to win a trick. These provide a nice secondary option for scoring if the trick-taking isn’t really going your way.
CVLT is a pretty simple rules set that hides some nice wrinkles that lead to interesting strategies. As the game progresses over three rounds, you’ll have to think differently about what cards you want to place in your tableau instead of in your dream pile. Early on, you may want to get those lower number cards stacked so you can get quick points. Later on, you’ll hopefully score higher points because the lower value cards have been placed.
But here’s the thing – there are going to be cards that aren’t placed in stacks at the end of the game. You can get strategic with this – at the end of the game, if you’re holding the white 1, you can prevent EVERYONE else from scoring that suit by placing it in your dream pile instead of your tableau. It can be fun to be able to play a little on the “take that” side, and while you might get some dirty looks, you’re certainly going to have that smug grin of satisfaction.
I also like the fact that cards are drafted clockwise from the winner. This adds even more strategy. You might not be able to win, but if you’re next to the person that will, you still might be able to draft a good card. The drafting can also lead to some interesting moments. In one scenario, the winner of the trick had to take a lower number to ensure that particular suit would score some of her other cards, but the people that followed her in drafting were able to get high point value cards that she couldn’t take. It’s a fun mechanic that gives you an experience you won’t have in any other trick-taking game.
May I Please Have a “T”?
Appropriate strategy is super important if you’re wanting to be successful in this game. That being said, the luck of the draw can mess up everyone’s plans. No matter how much you plan and how many alternatives you draw up, you can still end up with a bad hand and have a very hard time getting anything you might need. We also found that, in the second half of a round, the same person ended up winning most of the tricks. This is mostly due to the card distribution, since you’ll have about half of the cards in the deck in play at any one time.
Overall, CVLT is a fun experience. I believe that it’s a great option for people who have really gotten into trick-taking games and are looking for something new in that space. You’ll do things you won’t see in any other game. While luck can certainly get in the way of your strategy at times, you’ll still have a good time and try to play it again, seeing if another approach might serve you better.
I don’t believe that this is a good starting place for less experienced gamers, and those who aren’t a fan of the genre aren’t likely to get all that excited about what this has to offer. But if you’re one of those who loves a deck of cards, a trump suit, and a few tricks, this one might be for you.
CVLT, from Long Tail Games, can be found on Kickstarter starting in September 2024.
A prototype of the game was provided for this coverage. Components and rules covered in this preview are not finalized. Read more about our preview policies at One Board Family.
Highs
- Interesting combination of trick-taking and drafting
- Lots of opportunities for different strategies
Lows
- Bad luck can ruin your plans and your fun
- Best suited for those who already are fans of trick-taking games
