This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Tichu’s publication. In a hobby that is often defined by the “cult of the new,” Tichu is still a perennial favorite among gamers, and it is arguably the hobby’s favorite traditional-style card game. It is
the highest-ranked trick-taking or climbing game on BoardGameGeek, and it has long been in the BGG Top 100, a rare accomplishment among older games. Tichu has more than 100,000 logged plays on BGG (the most of any trick-taking or climbing game), and most major conventions have dedicated events for it. It has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and has been in-print continuously for 25 years.
Tichu is one of the earliest examples of “climbing” games to reach the West. Climbing games — which are arguably a subset of trick-taking games, and at a minimum appear to be derived from them — generally have a few common elements:
- Each player must play a higher card (or combination of cards) than the previous player. This means that the games must generally be played with ranked cards.
- Players are generally not required to play a card — they can pass — and the “trick” ends once all of the other players have passed or once no higher card can be played.
- There is generally a scoring bonus for getting rid of your cards early, and the earlier you go out, the higher your mock social status.
- The first team to 1,000 points wins.
- it has a medium learning curve
Contains 112 playing cards; 2 complete Tichu decks with different colored backs and 1 rule book
