99 (2017)

A game of escalation where everyone can lose.

Inspired on the one hit wonder song 99 Red Balloons by Nena.

Our second month of One Hit Wonders is based on 99 Red Balloons, which was a one hit wonder in the US, but one of many in Nena's native Germany. Other hits include Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann and ? (Fragezeichen).

Designed by Suzanne Zinsli (of Cardboard Edison) this is a neat trick taking game where players are trying to reach the end of the cold war track (9 spaces) before the world war track reaches 9, with 9's being trump!

—description from the publisher

A standard deck of cars is dealt evenly among the players.

A token for each player is put at the beginning of the Cold War track, and another token is put in the World War track.

In each round, every player clockwise takes an action:
- Escalate: play a higher card in the same suit, or any card if you don't have any in suit.
- Stand down: pass until next round.
- Challenge: Play a 9 card (trump, black 9s, and super trump, red 9s).

Play continues until all but one player passes, or if two same-color 9s are played. The player who played the highest on-suit card (or trump or supertrump) takes all the cards played this round.

Set aside all 9s played each round. When all four 9s are played, the hand is over. At the end of the hand, discard any cards in your hand, then add up points for the cards you collected by winning rounds.

If your score was positive, advance your token in the Cold War track. Then, if any player has negative points, take the lowest score and add it to the World War track. If any player reaches the end of the Cold War track, they win. If the World War track reaches its end before any player wins, everyone loses.

99 is a postcard game sent to Board Game of the Month Club subscribers in the February 2017 package.