American Bookshop

American Bookshop, also marketed as Corta!, is a card game for 3‑5 players that blends the classic trick‑taking mechanic with a surprising twist: if the total value of the cards played in a trick exceeds a threshold (14‑17 depending on player count), the trick ends immediately and the player who played the last card claims it. There is no trump suit, so players must follow the lead suit whenever possible. Because of this rule, hands can become uneven as the game progresses. A round finishes when one player runs out of cards; the remaining participants simultaneously reveal which cards they still hold and decide whether to add them to their personal collection. Each card taken normally scores –1 point, but if a player ends up with more cards of a particular suit than every opponent, they earn +1 point for each card of that suit. The game repeats for as many rounds as there are players, and the highest total score wins. With a playtime of 30‑50 minutes and a light weight (1.4/5), the game is easy to learn yet offers meaningful strategic choices: you can push the trick’s value limit, try to empty an opponent’s hand, or focus on dominating a suit to flip negative cards into positive points. The components are simple cards housed in a book‑shaped box, reinforcing the bookstore theme. Perfect for fans of light trick‑taking games who want a quick, tactical experience without heavyweight rules.