Bottom line up front: an easy to learn, easy to teach, co-op version of Spades that doesn't let one person dominate the table. If you sat me down and said "we made a thematic Hearts co-op variant where you don't get to table talk," I would would have laughed you out the door. Utter nonsense. My wife and I are about halfway through Crew's 50 missions. I'm not laughing anymore. I'm in awe. This is one of the most enjoyable games in existence. The basic gameplay is as old as Hearts or Spades. You play a card. The other players follow suit. High card in suit wins. Trump cards beat all. Instead of individualistic "winner take all" premise of Spades, however, Crew asks all the players to complete communal tasks by winning tricks in different ways. It's a co-op card game. Most of the time, these involve Player X winning the trick containing Card N in a certain order, but unique variations exist (for example: win a trick with a non-trump "1" card). Complete the tasks, and the group wins the game! And then Crew tells you that you the group can't table talk outside of: - one card reveal - per game - per player. Boom. So many good things to say about this rule. - It forces you to use your logic, not the group's. - It prevents the most charismatic or strategic or obnoxious person from dominating the game, a serious problem in all co-op games. - It adds gobs of tension. Why did they play that card? Are they trying to tell me something? - It forces you outside the box. - It drives your mom batty. This rule should become the standard for EVERY co-op game, bar none. To cap it all off, Crew comes with a campaign of 50 game scenarios, any of which you can simply pick up and play at any time. Tons of variety. Crew will have a place on my shelf in perpetuity. A brilliant, reasonably light game that can find its way to any table. Play it with your game group, play it with your parents, play it with your kids (once they figure out what the word "silence" actually means). ----------------------------------------------------------------- [2-Player review] Okay, so then you tell me that Crew has a 2P variant where one player controls a robot hand. I laugh you out the door again, more cautiously this time. Then the variant works, albeit differently than 3-5 player Crew. I'm in awe again. In 2P Crew, the robot is dealt 7 cards face down, then 7 cards face up, each covering on face down card. This means that you have 7 cards which at the beginning of the game are entirely unknown. The game turns into a even more of a puzzle. To explain: - Both players can, and should, play based on the face up cards. Some information is always known. - You need to dig for the face down cards. Some information is always hidden. - You have to be exceptionally cautious to avoid completing tasks out of turn. Digging for face down cards involves taking cards - some of which you cannot, or should not, be taking. Because of the puzzle-heavy focus, I don't recommend the 2P variant for everyone. You need to enjoy co-op games, card games, and logic puzzles, and you need to be okay with losing. Sometimes, there is literally no way to win. For my wife and I, we enjoy the struggle to make that determination. Others may not. Give this one some thought before you add it to your 2 player collection.
