Snakers is a card shedding game that is both charming and frustrating in some great ways. This is the second game from the team at Brothers in Games, publisher of the trick-taking game Slava. Will this colorful card game slither its way on to your game table?
Something Familiar
Players are given a hand of circular cards to start the game. The objective is to run out of cards before the other players at the table, or have the fewest cards once four snakes are built out on the table. Everyone will start by playing their round cards onto the current snake that is started in the center of the table. Players can start a new snake by playing a snake head from their hand if they have one.
You’re only able to play a card on a card with a matching color that appears at the end of any snakes that have formed on the table. Things will start slow, but ramp up as you play “hiss” cards on the table. These cards have a symbol in the center of the card that activates a special action. Most of these cards harm your opponents by forcing them to draw more cards, skip a turn, or exchange their hand of cards with an opponent.
Some of the actions on the hiss cards are reminiscent of UNO. You can reverse the play order or skip the next players turn. There’s even a hiss card that will allow you to block or deflect a card that targets you.
Snakes on a Table
Snakers is a game that uses your play surface in a unique way. Since players always have to play off of the end of a snake on the table, you want to leave your opponents with limited options. If a player is unable to play a card because there is no room, due to table space or other snakes being in the way, that player has been “snaked.” When this happens, the player draws five new cards into their hand.
There is some strategy to setting up an opponent to be “snaked.” Having a snake turn back on itself or run to the edge of the table could really mess up another player.
You can have as many snakes being built on the table as you want during a game. If 4 snakes are completed with a tail card, or cannot be played any further, the game is over. The player(s) with the fewest cards score a point for that game. If a player sheds all the cards in their hand, they are declared the winner and score a point for the game. The rules suggest playing until someone scores three points, but you can play as many or as few games as you’d like.
Final Thoughts
Snakers is a really easy game to pick up and jump right into. It’s intentionally built for families to enjoy together and has a little bite to it with hiss cards that have a “take that” element. The cards in the game are circular which immediately makes the game stand out. The round cards give players up to four edges that can be played off of when attached to the snake.
While Snakers is easy to understand and teach, it’s not doing anything revolutionary. I think the coolest aspect of Snakers is defining the play space, since a big part of the game is having an opponent get “snaked”. If you play on a small table or play space, this will happen more often and the game will be shorter. If you play Snakers on a larger table, it’s important to define the play area before starting the game.
I think Snakers will be a big hit for families that are looking to replace UNO or other overplayed card games during family gatherings. Since the game plays up to seven players, this is one that will travel with us as we game with our nieces and nephews during the holidays this year.
You can purchase Snakers from the Brothers in Games webstore.
This game was provided to us by the publisher for review. Read more about our review policies at One Board Family.
Highs
- Table space plays a role in the game
- Nice variety of hiss cards
- Supports up to 7 players
- Unique circular card design
Lows
- “Take that” mechanics aren’t for everyone
- Shuffling round cards can be annoying
Complexity
Time Commitment
Replayability
