Tabletop Tuesday - Sequence

Welcome to another edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck and more of the Tabletop world.

This week's game...the game of Wild Jacks and spades of black that is Sequence.

Players: 2-6
Time: 30-45 minutes
Genre: Casual Card / Family Game



Sequence is a unique mix of traditional playing cards meets Connect Four, except this game requires five in a row. to make what is known as a "sequence"  The game uses two decks of playing cards and a 10 x 10 grid depicting one of every card / suit twice (minus the Jacks).  Depending on the number of players, there will be either 2 or 3 teams in which each player will receive a certain number of cards (more players = less cards).  Players from each team will then alternate taking turns, playing one card and then drawing back to their hand limit.  Since every space on the board is represented twice, players often have two choices between each card as to where to place their chip.  Get five of your team's chips to line up, and you get a sequence.  Two sequences are needed to claim victory for your team.  There are however two caveats that complicate matters some.  First, players cannot communicate with their teammates as to what cards they hold, making teamwork a much more difficult task.  And then there's the aforementioned Jacks that are noticeably missing from the board.

Jacks come in two varieties: One-eyed Jacks, which allow players to take one chip anywhere off the board, and Two-eyed Jacks, which allow players to place a token anywhere on the board (like a Wild).  These Jacks can prove crucial in swinging the game, but when to play them is trickier than it may seem, especially when there's no communication between teammates.  Should you play conservatively and keep it to prevent victory for another team, or offensively to create a path for victory?  I should also mention that the corners of the board count as free spaces to be used by any team, and sequences can be made horizontally, vertically and diagonally.  With so many paths and means to consider sequences not only for your own victory, but preventing your opponents, there is a deceptive amount of strategy to be found in this simple little game.  Fortunately, the stress never becomes too much as the there really only so many plays to choose from in a single given turn.  I recommend this game for those who enjoy a bit of luck combined with some light strategy.

If you have any questions about Sequence, let me know in the comments below.  Otherwise, stay tuned to future installments of Tabletop Tuesday.  And happy gaming!

Bonus Tip: If you have two decks of playing cards, three sets of different colored poker chips, and some poster board, you can craft this game yourself should you want to save a few bucks.  Just do a quick Google search of the board to recreate the 10 x 10 grid on the poster board, and download the rules here.  Enjoy!