Small box card games are the easiest games to get to our table. PASS is a ladder climbing game the was brought to the US from Grand Gamers Guild toward the end of 2024. The game from designer Wang Yu supports two to five players with mechanics and card combinations that feel pretty traditional. So is this game a keeper or will we pass on it?
Follow the Leader
In each game of PASS, the cards will be dealt out evenly among the players at the table. Over the series of rounds, players are trying to shed cards from their hands by leading or following the card arrangement that was played. The player who was dealt the number “2 start” card will go first and can play any arrangement they would like.
You can play a single card, pair of cards, three of a kind, run of five cards, or a full house. Players can also play four of a kind and five of a kind, but might want to hold these for a critical moment since they will beat all the other card arrangements.
After the leader plays a card(s), players must follow in beating the previously played card(s). Player A plays a pair of fours, Player B must play a higher pair or they are forced to pass.
Each card in PASS is double-sided, giving players two options. Players are rarely out of options because of the range of values on the cards.
Tokens
In the game of PASS, choosing to pass during a round gives you more flexibility in your card play in the future. When you pass, you earn a two-sided PASS token that can be used in future rounds. Each token gives you two options.
Use the Upgrade (yellow arrow) side of the token to flip as many cards as you want when you play. Use the Augment (multi-colored plus) side of the token to play a better version of the same card that was previously played. You can use as many tokens as you want when playing cards.
I really like how the Augment side of the PASS token works. If the player before me played a pair of threes, I can also play the same value cards and spend an Augement token to increase it’s value. Players can continue playing pairs of threes, augmenting them with one more token than the previous player if they’d like.
The more PASS tokens you accumulate, the more flexibility you have. Cards follow a traditional range of Ace through King, with the Ace being the lowest card or the highest card in a run. PASS also gives the Ace cards a yellow value of a double digit number that can be played as a high single card, or as a pair of numbers. Aces can be very powerful in the right hands.
Empty Handed
The ultimate goal of PASS is to be the first player to empty their hand. There are two options when it comes to scoring. The player who goes out first gains a crown token, with the first player to earn three crowns winning the game. Or, players can earn point tokens with 4 points being awarded to the first player to go out, 2 points going to the player with the least cards in their hand, and 1 point to the player with the second least about of cards. The first to have 10 points worth of tokens wins the game.
In our plays of the game, the point scoring system is absolutely the way to go at five players. When playing with three or four players, the crown scoring tokens work just fine. The point scoring variant usually means a shorter game in our experiences.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoy the ladder climbing genre of card games. It reminds me of playing cards with my grandma and PASS is no different. I was able to teach my Mom how to play the game on a recent family trip and she immediately connected with the gameplay. Following the standard hierarchy of a deck of cards also means it’s accessible to a wide range of gamers.
It’s tough not to compare PASS to Scout which was released in 2019. They both have this double-sided card layout but in a lot of ways, PASS feels less restrictive. In each game we’ve played, PASS tokens are readily available when you need them. Because they carry over from round to round, it’s not unusual to have half a dozen tokens at your disposal at some point in the game.
There’s also a variant in the rulebook where players have to spend a PASS token for every card they want to flip. This is nice for gamers who are wanting more of a challenge.
PASS has a classic card game feels that has been very easy to introduce to new players. The gameplay is smooth and each card giving you two values allows you to pivot quickly in the game.
This is a card game that will absolutely stay in our collection. I’m not sure I would choose it over Ladder 29, my absolute favorite ladder climbing card game. PASS is definitely a solid entry into this genre of card games and has enough twists to keep players engaged.
PASS is available at your local game store, or online through the Grand Gamers Guild webstore today.
This game was provided to us by the publisher for review. Read more about our review policies at One Board Family.
Highs
- Double valued cards give players more control
- Passing gives players more options in future turns
- Using a token to Augment your cards keeps players in the game.
Lows
- Games can drag at the highest player count
Complexity
Time Commitment
Replayability
