I tried Gang of Four today, at the game web site. It was pretty fun and as with Queen’s Necklace the system worked well.

The game was pretty much as I expected: an easier version of Tichu. The problems are pretty much the same, how to empty your hand as fast as possible being the main idea, but the game is little less complex. There are fewer different combinations, no partnerships, easier special cards, simple scoring, all those things work to make Gang of Four easier to play and thus more accessible.

I like Tichu more than Gang of Four — it’s nine versus eight on the Geek scale. Both are good games, and if you play irregularly or with random people, Gang of Four might just suit you better.

My game today started quite slowly, I lost few rounds in the beginning. Then I got it all working better, and managed to do pretty well. I didn’t win a single hand, but usually ended up with just few cards. I think I took the multiplier two from holding more than seven cards only once or twice. So I’m quite satisfied with my first game. I came third, with a quite distinct point spread (something like 15-25-65-100).