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I was recently sent a lovely little card game from the good people at Fireside Games. I had seen an advert on Facebook for it but that is about it. I do believe it's due to come out sometime in June though. It looked bright, it was co-op, there were numbers and it was a small package. So what do you think I did with it? You got it, I took it to the pub in the glorious sunshine. I could not think of anything better this Bank Holiday weekend.
Gameplay - The Setup
So I grabbed a drink, unboxed this little box and started reading the rules, of which there were not many. Perfect pub fodder! In Ultimatch, you must, as a team, remove all the cards on the table which are arranged in a 7 Wonders Duel-like pyramid. You know the one, where only the bottom row is revealed and as you clear them you flip other cards, also revealing them.
After you have set up the pyramid, size depending on the player count, you deal an amount of cards to each player and you are ready to Ultimatch. The deck in Ultimatch is made up of six colours with numbers ranging from one to eight. The first thing you all do is donate a card each to the ‘alta-hand’ which is a shared hand of sorts all players can use. Then Starting with the first player, you take turns in a clockwise fashion.
Simple Turns
Your turn is very simple, pass and pick up a new card from the deck or make a match. To make a match you can use one or two cards from either your hand, the ‘alta-hand’ or a mixture of the two. These cards or card must match either the colour or the number of one of the revealed cards in the pyramid. Let’s be honest, that sounds like a very simple and an average game at best. There are a few little things though that elevate Ultimatch to a very entertaining, quick game for families or adults in a pub. Hahaha.
Before you make a match, other players can offer you a trade. This trade is slid towards you face down but the card cannot be revealed or talked about. You can only make gestures, noises or weird faces to indicate how good it may be for the other player. Picture this, two adults and my daughter who is twenty-one huddled around the table at the pub grunting, throwing arms around and laughing offering each other cards. It was hilarious.
ULTIMATCH!
The other wrinkle to this game is that if you perfectly match the card, both in number and colour, then you make an ‘Ultimatch’, clever eh? But if there is only one of every card type, how do you make an ‘Ultimatch’ I hear you shout. Well hold onto your trousers, this is where things get
spicy. The two cards you pick can be added together or subtracted to make the correct number and primary colours can be mixed to make the secondary colours. I know, mind blown!
So an ‘Ultimatch’ for an orange five, could be an orange one and an orange four or a red one and a yellow six or even an orange two and an orange three. All three of these sets make an orange five by adding, subtracting and sometimes, mixing colours. Of course, you can just play one card to match a five or any orange card but that’s detrimental to the whole team. If you make an ‘Ulitmatch’ you get to draw two new cards, adding one to your hand and one to the ‘alta-hand’. Otherwise, you don't draw at all. Reducing both the sizes of your hand and the ‘alta-hand’.
Round and round you go, moving further up the pyramid, matching, trading and making stupid noises. If you remove all the cards you win, if everyone passes in a row you lose. Ultimatch is quick and has just enough interaction and quirkiness to make it enjoyable. We all had a rip-roaring time at the pub and I have since played it at home many times with the family.
Components
Basic but Nice Thick Cards
From a component standpoint, there is not much to talk about really. The cards, however, are very thick and seem very well made. They should live through a lot of plays and seem really sturdy. The rulebook, or pamphlet in this case is well laid out and easy to understand, which is sometimes overlooked and undervalued in the medium. Also, the cards do have what colours mix together, in case some people are unsure. Which is nice, especially for some younger players.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this is a game that will be sticking around in my collection. Today in fact, we are going for a walk in the sunshine on this fine bank holiday and may end up for food somewhere. I was told “We must take that new matching card game” by the family and I will certainly do that. Ultimatch is fun and you could do a hell of a lot worse for the price, form factor and rules complexity. Right, I am off for a walk, some food and some Ultimatch. Laters gamers!
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