Change of Heart

Change of Heart is a collection of trick‑taking card games that reimagine the classic Hearts with fresh twists and a dash of humor. Each title in the line‑up introduces a brand‑new rule that reshapes the way you play, turning the familiar card game into something more unpredictable and strategic. The premise is simple: 4 players, 20‑45 minutes, released in 2023, with a 7.3 rating on BGG. Instead of a single spade queen carrying a hefty penalty, all queens are worth five negative points, and jacks earn points based on how many tricks they win. That already gives the game a distinct flavor, because players who normally try to dodge queens now have to rethink their approach.

One of the series’ secrets is the complete lack of luck. Rather than relying on a shuffled deck, every player has access to all the cards at the start of the game. The first player to choose a hand is the one behind, creating a catch‑up mechanic that balances the table. This guarantees a fully deterministic match, letting skill and strategy dominate.

The designers also added variants such as “Look Ma, No Hands”, where the entire deck sits on the table and players pick tricks from limited information, and “Go Shoot the Moon”, which introduces an auction for the player who will try to “shoot the moon” each hand. There’s even “The Tin Man”, which brings in an automated character that can win tricks and flips the scoring of hearts and queens based on how many hearts a player captures. Each variant keeps the core of Hearts—avoiding hearts and queens—while adding layers of new mechanics, such as positive or negative trick scoring.

In short, “Change of Heart” delivers a card‑game experience that blends the familiarity of Hearts with the excitement of novel rules and the promise that luck won’t throw you off balance. If you enjoy card games that demand attention and planning, this line‑up is a great pick to roll the dice and test your skills against friends.