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Ah, sibling conflict. Nothing quite brings out the worst in kids like wanting what the other has, or arguing over who something belongs too. If like me, you have quite an age gap between yourself and your next sibling, or if you’re an only child this might be a foreign concept to you, certainly was to me… that was until I had my own argumentative goblins.
Over the years I’ve seen them argue over things like whose spade is whose at the beach, who a tiny piece of tin foil belonged too and who was responsible for a… deposit in the toilet (both my older kids’ proudly claiming ownership) Most recently there was an argument between my teen, and my youngest over who should hold a cleaning brush on the way home – I’m not sure when it ends!
Well should you be after a game to emulate said territorialism over belongings, then may I suggest grandpa becks game, Cover Your Assets, it will produce the same whinges from your loved ones of ‘but that’s my house’ or ‘why are you always picking on me’ as monopoly but at a much simpler quicker pace!
Its net worth getting yourself worked up…
Cover your assets is essentially a set collection game where you’ll need to match cards in sets, in an attempt to increase your assets and end up with the wealthiest pile of cards at game end. In the classic rules you’ll initially be taking one action by forming sets of cards, either pairing up two matching cards in your hand or taking one from your hand to pair with the top card on the discard pile. These pairs will start to create your ‘stack’ which will involve placing the cards face up in front of you for all to see and admire.
Different cards have different values in dollars, meaning some sets will be more worthwhile than others, and of course like any good card game there are wild cards too. Wilds are even more valuable than standard treasures, and while they can be used in place of any other card, you cannot pair two wilds together to form a set.
Once you have one set in front of you, you can then attempt to challenge other players for valuables that top their stack. To do this you simply need to have a card that matches any other players uppermost set at which point you can thwack it in the centre of the table with gleeful relish whilst pointing at your chosen victim, I mean if you want to behave like that…
Of course the challenged player can attempt to defend themselves by playing another matching card from their hand, and then you can also do the same again. This little back and forth goes on until one player has no more matching cards and the other player is victorious. The winner takes the uppermost set and any played cards whilst smiling manically and mouthing loser at their opponent… players’ choice to react like that obviously…
mine, mine, Mine – MINE!
Rounds go on like this until there are no playable cards or sets left and everyone tots up the value of their assets. The rules to cover your assets suggests a few ways to end the game so it really is down to player choice, but the classic way is to keep score and the first player to pass $1,000,000 (yes I held my pinky to my face and said that Dr. Evil style) is the winner.
Of course like all grandpa becks games, you can ramp it up with some advanced rules and extra cards. For the advanced rules your hand size will increase and you’ll now perform two actions, with new possibilities. You can now choose to do things like add single cards to your stack or challenge for a set that isn’t on top of an opponent’s stack.
What about those extra cards? Well there's another wild to use for challenges, it’s not worth much but it needs to be rebuffed by using two cards instead of one, and theres some action cards that allow you to swap sets with another player or move your top set to the bottom so it’s safe from those greedy, jealous, self-indulgent adversaries… or… opponents as some would say.
Makes cents to me
Grandpa Becks has produced another great little game with Cover Your Assets, the classic rules are easy to grasp and lots of fun with bucketful’s of player interaction, you might never choose to even use the advanced ones! Best played at higher player counts just because the scope for underhandedness and treachery is better and the shock reactions of your fellow players will be louder.
Some alterations are included within the rules for 2 and 3 player games which are well thought out, but this is so much more fun when maxed out player wise. Quick, fun and a great way to get your kids arguing with each other more. Because we don’t get enough of that do we?
