Small, lightweight and easy to carry, card games continue to be one of summer’s best travel companions.
With summer, those suspended moments that seem made especially for playing also return. Waiting at the station, afternoons under the umbrella, evenings at the campsite or on the terrace after dinner become the perfect opportunity to take out a deck of cards and gather friends and family around a game. After all, few pastimes have the same ability to bring different generations together: they take up little space, don’t need batteries and transform any improvised table into a place of challenge, laughter and conviviality.
Between novelties and great classics reinterpreted in a contemporary key, here are five card games to pack in your suitcase this summer.
Regional cards for those who love tradition
Dal Negro renews the historic Italian regional cards with a series of limited editions dedicated, for the moment, to the Trevisane and Neapolitan decks. What makes them special are not only the graphics, but also the cases decorated with famous dialect expressions that tell, with irony, the way of experiencing the game in the different Italian regions. A tribute to the culture of gaming that also becomes a small collector’s item.
Seven to Seven
Quick to learn and even quicker to play, Seven to Seven is built around a rule as simple as it is engaging: get exactly to seven without ever exceeding it. The deck includes cards with positive and negative values and a special “0” card that can completely reverse the flow of the game, making each turn unpredictable. Designed for large groups, it is the classic game that works both with family and with friends during a holiday.
Cheater Chess
Those who think that chess always requires long games might think again. Cheater Chess takes inspiration from the most famous game in the world and transforms it into a fast, dynamic and accessible experience even for the less experienced. In fact, strategic moves alternate with bluffs, sacrifices and hole cards that can suddenly change the fate of the game, creating an original mix of tactics and luck.
Scrabble Cards
The card game version of the historic Scrabble eliminates the traditional board without giving up the heart of the game. The letters combine directly across the cards and the goal remains to create the highest scoring words. Lighter to carry than the classic version, it is the ideal choice for those who love language games even while travelling.
Hanafuda
For those who want to discover something different from the classic Western decks, Hanafuda represents one of the most fascinating proposals. The cards, without traditional numbers and suits, are organized into twelve families inspired by the months of the year and the elements of nature.
