Gambler x Gamble!!

 

Gambler x Gamble!! (two exclamation marks) is a game from Japan released in 2024. It is a reimplementation of a 2016 game called Gambler x Gamble! (one exclamation mark), which won the Group SNE Contest in 2015. We all know what it will be named when it gets a third edition, don't we?

When I read the rules, the first thing that comes to mind is this is Machi Koro without dice! Instead of rolling dice to see which cards generate income, players collectively play cards and you add up the card values. Now I'm a big fan of Machi Koro. I think it's lovely. It doesn't mean I'll like a near clone of the game. It just means I like this kind of gameplay. I played this with Jon, who dislikes Machi Koro because he was traumatised by a gruelling 2-hour session with too many red cards. Our game was a little skewed because it was a little rushed. He wanted the pain to end quickly. So I feel I have not fully experienced Gambler x Gamble!! yet. I need to play again. 

Here's how the game works. You start with some money. You get to pick two different cards. Cards are gamblers you recruit. When the sum of the round matches the number on your gambler or gamblers, they make money for you. You can spend that money to recruit more gamblers, hopefully to help you make more money even more quickly. The end goal is money. The game ends when someone has $20 or more, and the richest wins. 

Every round, every player will contribute one card to the sum of the round. In the beginning, you only have two number cards, 0 and 1. That means you will be contributing either 0 or 1. The start player of the round plays his number card face-up. The rest play theirs face-down. You can discuss and tell others what you have played. Being honest is, well, not mandated by the rules. After everyone has committed a card, the start player has one chance to increase or decrease the sum by 1. Then all cards are revealed, and you calculate the sum. Whoever's gamblers match that sum makes money, as specified on the gambler cards. Pretty straight-forward so far. 

There is more to the game, of course. Every gambler card has a normal side and a lucky side. Every round, you have the opportunity to spend money to recruit an additional gambler. Alternatively, you can flip one of your gamblers to the lucky side. The main difference of the lucky side is it earns more money. Each time the lucky side scores a hit, it is reset to the normal side. 

There are two special gamblers, 4 and 8. If they get flipped to the lucky side, and they then score, the owner wins the game immediately. Some gamblers give you additional number cards when you recruit them. You may get the -1, 2 or 3 number cards. This lets you manipulate the sum in different ways. 

I have a feeling the game is more than meets the eye. The game we played was pretty short. The things you do are simple. However I don't think the game is simplistic at all. I realise that you may not always want to buy lots of cards (recruit lots of gamblers). In our game, Jon and Ji Li assembled a large team. By having a bigger team, you can have a wider range of numbers, and chances are one of your gamblers will score. However spending so much money on recruitment is also slowing you down in reaching $20. The ROI might not be quite right. I didn't have a big team, and I tried to upgrade my gamblers more to earn more. 

I think managing vested interests is important. You have to watch what your opponents want because it helps you better guess what numbers they will play. During the game you can discuss, and even collaborate. If someone buys one of those instant win gamblers, you suddenly find everyone else nervously cooperating to avoid the sums of 4 or 8. Negotiation and deception can play a big part in the game. 

Some parts are indeed like Machi Koro, but the overall play experience is different. I need to play this again to explore the strategy space more. Also the player interaction. I think the group mentality will determine which strategy works better. For example whether the players are pushing the sum to be higher. If most people go higher and you are the only one with low cards, you will be in trouble. Your choice of what to buy depends on the group mentality. 

I realise I have played quite many games by Kaya Miyano - Trio (originally Nana in Japan), Panda Panda (originally Cat Poker), Dog Poker, Trick & Snipers, Shady Lady and Zombie Tower 3D. I enjoy many of them.