Linko Board Game Review!

LINKO BOARD GAME REVIEW!

 Linko! is another interesting card game that I think all fans of the genre should try if they get the chance.

 I'm not surprised to see Kiesling and Kramer's names associated with this game, but I am amazed at how diverse their design portfolios are. I've tried 4 of their creations in the last 18 months, which is pure coincidence, but I've enjoyed getting to know these designers' games.

 Linko! has been around since 2014 and I would consider it an almost unknown gem. It was originally released as Abluxxen

 I learned that the word is made up, but it is roughly derived from the German word Abluchsen, which means to take away, rob or steal. Add a picture of a lynx and realize that luchs is German for lynx and you have Abluxxen (I prefer the name Linko!... much more). Anyway... language lesson over.

 Ignoring all that Linko! it's a fairly easy-to-explain card game that has plenty of options and room for tricky moves.

COMPONENTS

 Like many other great card games, all you need is Linko! it's a set of cards and some rules.

 Cards – there are only 110 cards in the game. Almost all (109) are used in the game, and one special card is used to keep track of whose turn it is...but we never use it because it's unnecessary.

 The deck itself consists of value cards and 5 jokers (X). Cards with denominations vary from 1 to 13, and there are 8 such sets in the game. Each value has its own color, mostly pastel. The meanings are clearly printed in each corner, and in the center is a nice image of a cartoon bobcat, smiling slyly at you the whole time.

 The colors do not affect the game, it all depends on the numbers.

 The 5 Jokers are very simple looking, consisting of an "X" and are grey/black to stand out against the rainbow that is the rest of the deck.

 All value cards feature a paw print on the reverse to emphasize the loose theme. Linko! The card (used to keep track of whose turn it is) has bright paw prints on the background. I'll say it again... we leave it in the box.

 Standard format cards, the only downside is the lack of a matte/linen coating. In my opinion, in a game like this (generally just cards) this should be standard. I wonder if there is such decoration in the German editions? Considering the game is otherwise language independent, I'd pay for the German edition to get that level of quality.

 Rules - The rules are very clear and offer good illustrated examples to clarify key points, which I found very helpful. Although this is one of those games where the rules still require a bit of reading to fully understand (since there are a few twists and turns in the game), once you play it they immediately make sense. The rules also include a simple and very useful flowchart on the back cover that describes what happens when you perform a Heist.

 Overall the quality of the components is good but not great due to the lack of high quality card finishing. Considering Ravensburger published the game, I'm a little disappointed as they are usually better than most at production.

PREPARATION

 The game will be ready to play in about 30 seconds. Shuffle the deck, deal 13 cards to each player and reveal another 6 cards face up to form a market.

 Select the first player in any convenient way and the game is ready to begin.

GAME PROCESS

 Play Linko! actually very simple. How best to play the game and what card(s) to play each turn is where the real fun and intrigue is to be found.

 The goal is Linko's goal! is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards...easy!

 The only solution is that a player can play one or more cards from his hand during a turn, but he can only play cards of the same value. Thus, a player could play one 6 or five 6s if there were any. A player may also play multiple cards of the same value that are less than the total they have.

 For example, a player may have five 6s, but decided to play only 3 of them.

 Card colors have nothing to do with the game. It is only intended to make the game more attractive and to help players recognize the cards on the table.

 Placement of cards - when a player plays cards from his hand, he places them in front of him in the shape of a fan so that it is clear how many cards of that denomination there are.

 If a player already has cards in play, the new card(s) should be placed on top of the last cards played, but not completely covering the previous cards. It is important for all players to know which cards are on top of a player's pile and also to know what is below them. The image below is a good example.

 Steal Draw – So far the game has seemed pretty random depending on what you're dealt, but now we've moved on to Steal.

 If a player is able to play the same number of cards as the cards drawn in the stack of one or more players, and the value of the cards drawn is greater than that of others, it means that the player must make a "Steal"!

 Example. If a player plays three 7s, he must "Steal" from any other player who has exactly three cards on top of his draw pile of 1-6.

 The active player must make a decision (indicated below), but after that their turn ends and play moves to the next player in clockwise order. The active player will reduce the number of cards in his hand and thus move towards his ultimate goal of getting rid of all the cards.

 Take it or leave it? Executing a Steal – When the active player initiates a Steal, they must first decide if they want those cards. If a player wants these cards, they can take them from the corresponding player and add them to their hand. In fact, a player can "Draw" cards from multiple players in one turn if they meet the conditions, but players make each decision on whether or not to take cards in a clockwise order.

 Now an obvious question arises: - "What? Hey, dumbass... you're trying to get rid of all your cards, remember?!'

 - It's true, it's true... everything will soon become clear.

 Consequences of "Theft" - of course, if the active player takes cards, they are added to his hand. In addition, the stolen player must then return to his hand the number of cards that were "stolen". These cards can be taken from the open row or draw deck in any combination. The only restriction is that any cards taken face up are not replaced until the end of the active player's turn.

 Now, if the active player doesn't want to take player cards that he could have taken, they are still considered "stolen" and the player owning those cards has two choices.

 He can a) poison them to reset and then draw that many cards again, or b) he can take them back into his hand, meaning they can be played again later.

 However, in any of the 3 outcomes, the reality of performing a Steal is that the Stealed player will end up with the same number of cards in hand as they had before their last turn. In other words, they did not advance further.

 Using Jokers – There are only 5 Jokers in the deck and they are quite handy. First they play like most games, add them to a deck of cards and they take on the same value.

 But if a player plays wilds by themselves, they are considered the highest value card on the table, meaning they have the potential to "Crush" even a 13-value set that otherwise cannot be "Crushed"!

 End of round\game and scoring - that's it Linko! is played when each player places one or more cards on the table each turn, potentially triggering a "Stealing", and then the players follow the consequences.

 Round of Linko! can end with someone starting a turn that leaves a player with no cards in their hand, or it can end when there are no more cards left in the draw pile or in the market (in case of confusion, both must be used). However, the duration of the game Linko! can be determined by the players.

 One game - win - the game can be played at a very simple level. As soon as someone exits, they simply win the game and no points need to be scored. You can play the next game or fold the game. I imagine there will be some tension if several players reduce their hand to 5-6 cards or less.

 One game per player (scored) - Alternatively, the game can be played over a number of rounds equal to the number of players, with each player being the first player once.

 At the end of each round, players tally up their points, which is very easy to do. All players earn 1 point for each card they had on the table in front of them. All players must then deduct 1 point for each card remaining in their hands. Of course, the player who exited will not have negative points. The values of the cards do not play a role in the actual scoring.

 At the end of the last round, the player with the most points wins.

 I prefer the second playthrough more because it makes Stealing even more important (reduces points in front of opposing players) and the game can ebb and flow in scoring throughout the game.

CONCLUSIONS

 For all the reasons already given, I think that Linko! this is another great card game that people should know about and I'm very happy to have it in my collection. It's relatively quick to play, with an accurate time-to-fun ratio, and can be played in a one-and-done or scoring format. For me, the only way to play is with points and if I want something faster, I'll reach for Fuji Flush or LAMA instead (although I think this game is better than both).

 But really the appeal of this game is the moves you can make, there are more than meets the eye, and this means you can keep exploring strategies within it.

 I also think the game is very accessible, able to appeal to gamers, but is also good for families and will probably be a favorite for years to come.

 I think it's best to play 3-4 (especially when scoring, as 5 rounds can be one round too many). The game for two does not look dynamic enough.

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