Disclosure: Meeple Mountain received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review is not intended to be an endorsement.
It’s hard to take seriously a game which proudly touts that its artwork is done in MS Paint. And so after several requests I semi-grudgingly accepted a review copy of Payback Card Game. Without giving away the entire review, I’m really glad I did, it’s a blast. Let me tell you why.
Small Box Card Games Are My Kryptonite
I’ve got a love for the small box game: No Thanks, L.L.A.M.A., Jalape-NO!, Tucano, etc. They’re usually a mix of short play time, simple rules, and enjoyment in inverse proportion to their size. Not to mention that I can almost always get my family members to play; and Payback Card Game is just such a game.
Payback Card Game Overview
Payback Card Game is what’s commonly known as a “card shedding game”, your goal being to get rid of all your cards—popular games in this genre being UNO, SCOUT, and The Crew.
In Payback Card Game players start with a hand of 9 cards, as well as 6 cards on the table in front of them; 3 face up and 3 face down. As you play cards to the discard pile you must either play a card the same number or higher than the current card (or play a special card), and then you draw from the deck. Once the deck is empty, and your hand cards are gone, you can play from your face up cards, and then your face down cards. Continue playing until only one player has cards, and that player is the loser. Then start another game!
If that’s all there was to the game it would be boring, so thankfully there’s more to it. In addition to cards numbering 1 through 10, Payback Card Game also has a number of special ability cards which allow you to pass, skip, temporarily reverse play, reset the deck, and burn the deck. If you ever have multiple of the same card you can play all of them at the same time. If 4 of the same card are ever played sequentially, by yourself or multiple players, the entire discard pile is removed from the game (or burned). If there’s ever a time you can’t play a card from your hand you must draw from the deck. And finally, if there’s no draw pile, and you can’t play, you must take the entire discard pile into your hand.
It’s also worth pointing out that for a first time designer/publisher, Payback Card Game is remarkably well produced. The box has a folding lid with a magnetic clasp, thick oversized cards, and that MS Paint art I mentioned…it really works here, giving the game a semi-retro feel.
Payback Card Game isn’t a deep game; the goal is fun and it accomplishes that in spades. Games are fast—5-10 minutes is about right, which means you can play it a few times in a row without it getting old. This game would make a great stocking stuffer, a gift for someone else who loves card games, or just anyone who enjoys fun!
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