If you’re a fan of bridge, I’d almost certainly wager that you’re also a lover of several other games out there. Bridge is best known as a mind-sport and trick-taker, and there are many other board or TCG games great for a mental workout.
Time for a game night where you want to check into some other trick-takers?
Here are 5 other board & TCG trick-taking games that are great for bridge players.
1. Autobridge
Autobridge is a combination of bridge and tabletop game, first designed in the 1930s as a means to play solitaire bridge or learn the mechanics of the game.
Original Autobridge sets were released with an accompanying issue of Charles Goren’s The ABCs of Bridge, and different refills where hands could be inserted. It made a great teaching tool, and eventually production was overtaken by Parker.
Many Autobridge sets are still available online. Refills can also be found online, if players have the time to dig through a handful of supply shops who still sell them.
If you can’t find a complete Autobridge set, try another variety of bridge on BBO, like Just Declare, Bridge Bingo, or Bridge Master.
2. Red dragon TCG
Red Dragon is published by A-Games, and mixes the flair of a traditional trading-card-game together with the elements of a trick-taker that bridge players are all familiar with.
It relies heavily on myth, and isn’t based on any of the stories containing the notorious fictional cannibal Lecter (just in case you were wondering).
Tricks are played with 60 cards, and instead of “suits”, players rely on four colours to make up their tricks.
It happens to be great for introducing a TCG player to tricks for the first time, too.
3. Bottle imp
The Bottle Imp (sometimes just referred to as Bottle Imp) is played surrounding the short story of the same name by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Players don’t need to know the story to play the game, but it helps to read it just for that extra background on why you’re playing a game about a bottle or an imp in the first place.
The game was first released in 1995, but the license was later snapped up for a re-release in 2010 by Z-Man Games. Players play their tricks with 37 cards, with an accompanying bottle-accessory.
See?
There’s no need to call bridge complicated.
4. Anansi
Anansi is a trading-card trick-taker released by HeidelBAR Games in 2020.
It’s another great TCG which relies heavily on mythological aspects – in this case, the story of Anansi. Gameplay is elaborate without being complicated, and the game’s “tricks” are represented by the mythical stories of Anansi.
Suitingly, Anansi is known as a mythological representation of the trick-taking archetype.
Fans of great stories, have fun!
5. French tarot
The tarot deck isn’t just used for telling fortunes in rooms with candles, incense, and really weird tablecloths. It was originally meant to be a trick-taking game – and if you’ve never played it before, it’s time to try.
Rules for tarot as trick-taker isn’t complicated, and you can find a summary available at Pagat.
https://www.pagat.com/tarot/frtarot.html
Your choice of tarot deck is up to you.
The Tarot de Marseille is one of the earliest decks, and still a popular choice. There’s also the Rider-Waite deck, on which many subsequent deck designs were based. Again, have fun!