Pairs

Forget the complicated stuff, this game is straightforward: in Pairs, the goal is the opposite of what the name suggests – you want to avoid making pairs!

The game comes with a special 55-card deck, where each number from 1 to 10 appears a number of times equal to its value (one 1, two 2s, three 3s, and so on, up to ten 10s). To start, shuffle everything, secretly remove five cards, and deal one card face-up to each player. Whoever receives the lowest card goes first.

This player has a tense choice: push their luck and ask for another card (take a 'hit') or pass their turn and get rid of an immediate problem. If they ask for another card and this new card doesn't match any they already have on the table, the turn passes to the next player. But, if luck is on their side and the card matches one they already have, the round ends right there! They take one of these matching cards as penalty points, everyone discards their cards, and a new round begins. If they decide not to risk it and pass their turn, the round also ends, but they accumulate the lowest-valued visible card on the table as a penalty.

These penalty points pile up, even if the deck is reshuffled. The game ends when someone exceeds a set point limit, and guess what? That person is the big loser of the game. It's a quick game, full of 'is it worth it?' decisions that can be played with many people, perfect for breaking the ice or for those who want something light and fun.