We had some trouble getting to sleep last night, so instead of trying to sleep desperately, we made some late-night food and played two rounds of Anathema. The game certainly works with two players.

However, it feels a bit lucky — after all, many times the results depend on who plays a card first (say, if both players have a same-numbered card). There’s a significant advantage for the last player, I think. But then again, it also means the game is easy and relaxing to play. But that remains tested…

I also have to make a small correction here. Finnish Casino isn’t exactly Royal Casino. 2 of Spades and 10 of Diamonds (the small and large Casino, worth 1 and 2 points respectively) are worth 15 and 16 when they are in your hand and thus can capture more cards. They are also the reason why I think Anathema is actually necessary — you don’t have to remember which cards were worth extra points. I haven’t played Canasta, but I think I’d appreciate having a Canasta Caliente deck to play. All the special rules are fine, if you play the game regularly (and thus play little else), but trying to remember it all if you play every now and then can be quite painful.