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(More customer reviews)Turn the Tide is probably the most enjoyable and easy-to-learn card game I have ever played, and I have played plenty. The concept is fairly simple, even though it might seem a bit complex when first hearing it explained. This is the way I play it, which is distinct from the official rules of the game in a very minor way, but in a way that I think actually makes the game easier to understand and play. I will explain why this version is a variation of the official game at the end.
There are two decks of cards, one containing sixty cards numbered 1-60 (which we'll distinguish as 'hand cards') and another containing twenty-four cards numbered 1-12 (which we'll distinguish as 'wave cards'). In the former deck, there is one of each number (one '1', one '2', etc.); in the latter, two of each (two 1s, two 2s, etc.). The first deck is distributed to players.
Depending upon the number of players (3-5), you can decide whether to deal out all of the `hand cards' or just twelve to each, which is the minimum number required to play (and the reason the game has a five player limit). This last bit isn't that important, but I'm just clarifying that if, for example, you play with 3 players, you could either deal out 12 cards to each player or go ahead and deal all the 60 cards out, leaving each of the 3 players with 20 cards. No matter what, the players will only use 12 of those cards, so if they start with 20 they will be left with 8 extra cards at the end of the round (this variation is only important for people who have experience playing the game).
Anyway, now that each player has at least 12 cards, he looks at the top of each card for either 1.) a lifebuoy 2.) half of a lifebuoy or 3.) no lifebuoy. The player adds up all lifebuoys, for example: 1 + 0.5 + 0 + 1 + 0.5 + 0 + 0 + 1 + 1 + 0.5 + 0 + 0 = 5.5 and then takes that sum (5.5) and rounds it down (to 5). The player then receives that number of lifebuoy's (small circular cardboard chips) to use as 'lives.'
Once each player has his `hand cards' and correlated lifebuoys, the game begins. It's probably a good idea for all players to organize their 'hand cards' numerically at this point--it does not matter whether they are ordered low to high or high to low. Now, the 24-card 'wave cards' deck comes into play. The deck is shuffled and two cards from the top are flipped over to be seen by all players. Since cards are numbered 1-12, and there are two of each, either two different numbers can come out (e.g. 1 & 12 or 3 & 5), or the same number (e.g. 7 & 7). Let's start with the first possibility.
When these two 'wave cards' come out, each player has to choose from his 'hand cards' (the cards distributed earlier that number 1-60) and put one face down in front of him. When all players have chosen a 'hand card,' they flip it. Whoever has played the lowest 'hand card' (the '1' for example) takes the higher 'wave card'--in this case the 12--and puts it in front of himself face-up so all players can see. Whoever has played the highest 'hand card' (the '60' for example) takes the lower wave card--in this case the 1--and does the same. Now all played 'hand cards' are put into the players' personal discard piles (cards must be kept separate).
This is the end of the turn. At this point, whoever has the highest wave card in front of himself (the player who played the lowest 'hand card') loses a life by flipping over one of the lifebuoys he was allotted. But his 'wave card' stays in front of him for the next round. The only way to get rid of that penalty before the end of the next round is to cover up the `wave card' by receiving a different 'wave card' in the next round.
For example, in the next round, a '1' and a '2' emerge. The player with a '12' in front of him will surely lose a life if he stays with the '12.' But he will also lose a life if he plays the lowest card and receives the '2' to cover it up, because at that point the '2' will be the highest 'wave card' on the table. So that player must play the highest 'wave card' in order to get the '1' and prevent his losing a life. This may or may not be possible depending upon what cards he was dealt at the beginning of the round.
So the round plays out until all 'wave cards' have been flipped (or, under some circumstances, until all players but one have lost all of their lives). Since there are 24 cards and 2 come out in each turn, there are normally 12 turns per round, which explains why players need a minimum of 12 'hand cards' and why players will be left with extra cards if they start with more than 12.
But here's where things get tricky: at the end of the round, players return all `wave cards' (received for playing either the highest or lowest `hand card' in any given turn) to a single pile which is shuffled for the next round. Their `hand cards,' which have been kept in separate discard piles as noted above, along with their correlating lifebuoys, are passed to the player to their left (or right) for the next round.
In this way, each player is able to play with each other player's hand as it was dealt in the beginning of the game, and cannot charge that he lost simply because of how the cards were distributed. Of course, in later rounds ,players have the advantage of knowing, to some degree, who holds certain `hand cards' either because they have already played with a distribution or because they have seen that distribution played with by another player already. The game lasts as many rounds as there are players.
A few things to note: if two players have the same 'wave card' showing and that 'wave card' is the highest card on the table, they both lose a life. This could happen either because duplicate 'wave cards' came out (a '12' and a '12') or because a player receives a 'wave card' equal in amount to the highest 'wave card' already on the table (in front of another player) from a previous turn.
Also, 'death'--that is, elimination from the round, sinking--does not happen until a player must 'lose a life' but has no remaining lifebuoys to flip over. That is, if you only have 1 lifebuoy left, and you must pay the penalty for having the highest 'wave card' showing, you are still in the round, floating. Only at your next penalty payment are you eliminated from the round. If a player is eliminated from the round, his showing 'wave card' is flipped over or otherwise discounted from the game and the player showing the next highest 'wave card' must pay the life penalty and flip over a lifebuoy.
This game may sound complex, but it only requires that players know how to count from 1 to 60 and generally understand the rules (at least one person must understand the rules well, but I suggest that at least two do so that one is not charged with `making things up' or `cheating,' since some of the rules aren't intuitive and are too complex to be explained before first playing the game.
It also may seem quite mathematical, but I would argue that it depends more upon one's ability to 'get into people's heads' and figure out how and what they are thinking rather than one's mathematical aptitude--though I don't doubt that those with the ability to count cards absolutely dominate this game. In any case, it is a thoroughly enjoyable and simple game that can be played anywhere, in any language, with many different age groups, etc., and is always spontaneous and exciting. Whether for people who love card games, people looking for a fun way to pass the time with family and friends, or teachers looking to stimulate students minds and exercise their brains, I highly recommend 'Turn the Tide.'
Please note that I have no affiliation with Gamewright, that company that makes this game, or with any other game-making company or company that sells this product. I simply discovered it through a German friend in Spain, where we found ourselves regularly consumed with this and another German board game while out in an off-the-grid cabin in the middle of the woods. It was called `Land Unter' in the original, and it was equally fantastic.
I mentioned at the start that this is a variation to the original rules. The official rules (at least in the English version I recently purchased upon returning to the U.S. from Spain) state that when players flip their 'hand cards' during each turn, the player with the highest 'hand card' takes the lower 'wave card' (just like how I play) and the player with the second-highest 'hand card' takes the higher 'wave card' (rather than he who played the lowest 'hand card,' which is how I play). The reason I use this variation is primarily because it is the way I was originally taught in Spain. But more importantly, I think it is easier to remember this rule and understand the game this way. High gets low, low gets high, end of story. But play however you like, it's all about the fun!
Turn The Tide - The Sink or Swim Strategy Card Game
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Turn The Tide - The Sink or Swim Strategy Card GameShape up or sheep out! A huge storm is threatening Shepherd's Island and it's up to you to stem the tide. In this captivating card game, try to outwit your opponents by playing number cards wisely to stay afloat. Hang on to your life preservers to win the game. However, be careful what you play or else you could end up in deep water! A great strategic game for the not too sheepish. Includes 60 weather cards, 24 water level cards, 24 life preserver tokens and rules of play. For 3 to 5 players.
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