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Kabale und Hiebe (Ruse & Bruise)
Author: Lutz Stepponat
Publisher: Hans im Glück (Rio Grande Games)
year: 2006


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Some wishes can be quite difficult to fulfil the honest way. Luckily, a lot can be accomplished with some gossiping, bribing and backstabbing. In Kabale und Hiebe the players try to gain status and influence in six different areas. This involves a lot of dirty business in dark alleys with our uncanny associates.

Each player receives a set of 25 influence cards in his colour. Each card depicts a character, and the number of influence points the character scores. In addition, most cards possess a special property. The influence cards are shuffled and each player draws three cards from his stack. There are goal cards to be won in six categories: chemistry, fighting, agriculture, trade, religion and music. These cards are worth 1 to 5 points.

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The game plays in six rounds. Each round, a number of goal cards equal to the number of players is placed face-up on the table. In a turn, a player places one card face-down in a row below one of the goal cards. If there is already a face-down card in this row, played previously either by him or an opponent, he turns over this card and places it face-up. This way, as the game progresses, a row of influence cards is formed under each goal card, and the bottom card always lies face-down. If applicable, the special property of the card that was turned over comes into effect. At the end of a turn, a player draws a new card from his personal deck, refilling his hand to three cards.
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The round ends when all the criteria for the goal cards have been met. This means that the number of cards played in the row of the goal card is greater than or equals the value of the goal card (1-5). As soon as the number in the last remaining column for a goal card is met, the round ends immediately.
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All face-down cards that are still on the table are turned face-up, and special properties of all cards come into effect. Subsequently, it is determined for each goal card (row) which player scores the most influence points. This player gets the goal card. After six rounds, the players add up the values of their goal cards, and the player with the most points wins. If a player possesses at least one goal card of each of the six different categories, he may even double his total!
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That all sounds rather straightforward, but the ‘real’ game involves all the special properties of the cards. There are two different kinds of properties; some come into effect immediately when a card is turned over, so, during the round. Other properties only apply during scoring, at the end of the round. Of the first named category there is the assassin; when he is turned over, he murders the card beneath him and this card is removed from the row. Or the traitor: when he is revealed, his owner may switch two goal cards, while all the influence cards that the players had already placed remain in place!
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Another nice character card is the explorer. When turned face up he moves to the bottom of the next right column where he is placed face-down again. When he is turned over in his new column, he moves to the next right column. As a consequence, the explorer moves between the columns, and even his owner sometimes is not sure where he will be when the round ends…
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