I recently ventured into the captivating game of Clubs. This is a card game crafted by the imaginative mind of Dominic Crapuchettes. I found myself seated across from a fellow adventurer, embarking on a journey not of distance, but of wit, amidst the clinking of our evening tea. This game is for two to six players.

Clubs is a refreshing twist on classic trick-taking games, where the goal is as clear as a starlit sky: to be the first to shed all your cards, but with a clever nuance – the clubs are the stars of the show.

Each of us begins this journey with a treasure trove of 10 cards, our arsenal in the gentle battle of wits that lies ahead. Our shared quest? To weave through the tapestry of choices and chances, casting off our cards with joyous speed, lightening our load until our hands are as free as the morning breeze.

The spark that sets our adventure alight comes from the first among us, the one who, with a choice as simple as it is profound, decides the path we shall all tread. Will it be a solitary venture, a single card laid down like a lone star in the night sky? Perhaps a pair, two of a kind, standing side by side in solidarity? Or maybe the call is for a trio, three of a kind, a small gathering of like-minded souls. And let’s not forget the dances of strategy and foresight: a run of 2 or a merry trio in a run of 3, each a step in the dance of our game. Here is a page from the game’s manual of Sample Plays.

Let us revel in this game of swift decisions and joyful abandon, where each card played is a note in the symphony of our gathering, and every pass a pause in the melody we create together. May our journey be light, our choices be bold, and may the laughter that fills our hearts be as plentiful as the cards we seek to shed. This was one of my plays.

The beauty of Clubs, especially in the intimacy of a two-player game, lies in its ability to transform the table into a field of silent communication, of unspoken strategies and playful rivalry. Each round is a new opportunity, a fresh canvas on which to paint our tactics, to learn from the past and to anticipate the future. It’s not just the thrill of the game, the rush of a well-played hand, or the satisfaction of a trick well won; it’s the laughter that fills the air, the lightness that accompanies each round, and the gentle warmth of sharing a game that asks us to think, to adapt, and to enjoy.