Remember Rummikub?

[@shutupandsitdown]

Hey Humans - it's come to my attention that the comments made in this video about 'Rah100's reviews could come across as snarky or disparaging or mocking. That... wasn't meant to be the case! The tone struck was meant to be one of light awe at their ability to 'cut to the core' of a game - but perhaps the delivery seems sarcastic in tone! Oops!

[@Jeddontehweb5]

I thought the delivery was excellent! Didn't seem mocking at all. Just the usual Internet extremes...

[@ArthWoW]

Good clarification, thanks for adding this! No, it wasn't egregious in the video, but the perception of singling out someone without the same chance to respond for themselves can be tricky to handle. Cheers on this pinned comment, and the thoughtful video in general!

[@kaijuh]

"chess is hard".... Christ... lmao. I will send the burn unit to rah100s home

[@ithinkitsaurus]

Chess IS hard.

[@Maefyre]

I think you got a rule wrong. You can't do a set of numbers of the same value with multiple of the same colour. Those two red tens in your example couldn't be played. They'd need to be at least a set of 3 different colours

[@AxelMcFly42]

Yep, he's wrong !

[@martayharmay]

Thanks for this. Played this for the first time earlier today, and watching this I thought I got it wrong

[@ptellier]

Otherwise, a set of 8 10s. Not the hardest game here.

[@Pdhooge]

I was just convinced he was doing it on purpose. There is a lot of "one and a half star" going on in this video, also on purpose. Didn't think it would confuse new players though, so yes, absolutely incorrect of him.

[@shutupandsitdown]

oops! my family have been playing it slightly wrong for... about 15 years?! 😅

[@fairlyodd922]

Tom is the Brian David Gilbert of board games: each video is completely unpredictable but every one is something only Tom could've made.

[@tyleryoung3158]

I completely agree. And BDG needs more recognition.

[@TisiphoneSeraph]

100% agree lol

[@WilliamOfUrnge]

This is the crossover 2023 needs.

[@fairlyodd922]

@@WilliamOfUrnge Tom made a deep-cut BDG reference on a podcast once and the comparison has been rattling around my brain ever since.

[@titwarbler]

BDG needs to review board games

[@LelonStoldt]

Fun fact: the rules to this game are different depending on which edition you have. Great for fueling never-ending family arguments!

[@ThirrinDiamond]

😂😂 v funny that the comment right above you is about how he got the rules wrong

[@skunkboy72]

@@ThirrinDiamond I've never played a variant where you can have two of the same color in a set or multiple colors in a run.

[@LavenderPaws99]

Genuinely love the reviews tom has had where it's just like "My family reluctantly plays games but sometimes some weird family game is a hit and they just request it over and over." They feel like a fun inspection into what makes games fun at their core, and why games that have a lot of problems for people who play a Lot of board games, may still be generally more fun for those who don't. Excited to see more of these :3

[@jjudge001]

This was one of the last games I was able to play with my grandmother, who passed away last year. She was the one who got me into playing games as a kid. She was the only one of the adults who would sit with me and my siblings, playing Sorry or Trouble or Old Maid. Some of my earliest and happiest memories were playing games with her. A few years ago, she was diagnosed with dementia, and declined quickly. That plus the threat of COVID made getting together for games impossible, but my grandpa was able to set her up with the rummikub app and we were able to play over video chat. For that reason, this game will always have a special place in my heart. Thanks for reviewing it Tom.

[@dickoon]

*high five* My librarian husband really loved it likewise.

[@CyberGrape]

Sorry for your loss. Both of my grandmas are avid players too. And I will finally be able to visit them for the first time since the pandemic in a few weeks (living on another continent). So I can see a lot of Rummikub coming up for me. Good to be reminded about its value!

[@MarcoVaca]

Sorry for your loss. Never thought I would almost cry (remembering my grandpa) on a funny review for rummykub

[@connerthecat4758]

I have fond memories of playing this with my own grandmother as well a few decades ago. Game always has a soft spot with me because of this.

[@johanneswerner1140]

My grandmother used to play a very similar game (Romme), based on cards but tiles.

[@richardschwerdtfeger2765]

Rummikub was my dearly departed mother's favorite game, and we spent so many hours sliding around little tiles, and so often would she end up with one left over after too many swaps and switches. So I’m watching your video through tears, because I miss her very much. Thank you for bringing back these beautiful memories.

[@fionajackson8002]

This style of video is so nice to see. Just reviewing a game that you're luke warm on but is special because of family memories? That's gold. It'd be a treat to see more videos highlighting games like this.

[@toddlessness]

Oh man, laying out a simple three-star system and then giving it one-and-a-half stars is just... chef's kiss.

[@GaryHoward87]

Biggest laugh of the review for me. So good.

[@tychoclavius4818]

He was talking about the three star system in a recent podcast so it's a joke that developed naturally.

[@ragnarok1er840]

One thing I noticed watching it again is that he describes Rummikub as "alright, yeah" at 1:30, then when outlining his new 3 star system at 3:20, describes 2 stars as "yea" and 1 star as "alright or decent"... making the "alright, yeah" game a perfect 1.5 star :D

[@Ridnarhtim]

4:26 groups of the same value have to be different colours 4:34 you have to draw one tile if you skip your turn, not 3 6:45 you lose points equal to the value of the tiles you have left, so here that would be -44, not -7 Are you sure you were playing rummikub over the holidays?

[@pudicio]

Either they are trolling or they haven't really played the game and are contractually obligated to do a review on Rummikub.......

[@afaulconbridge]

"Family games" are games where each family plays by their own weird unique house rule combination because of historic rules lawyering and misunderstanding the rules (deliberately or not). "but last time we played my sister did ...."

[@JerzyMuller]

@@pudicio in another thread he said they were playing it wrong for 15 years 😁

[@buttonasas]

Are you sure about the values? Anyways, I haven't heard of anyone actually tracking points so I guess it doesn't matter.

[@Ridnarhtim]

@@buttonasas It's what the manual says. But yeah tbh we don't tend to bother with that either, we just say whoever empties their tray wins.

[@PotatoMilkshake]

Guys the manual states that it's pronounced Rummy-CUBE. My entire life has been a lie.

[@brettabraham]

This is actually a really fascinating question that I often forget when thinking about games. A pleasant little reminder that we don't just play board games for the games, but also for the people.

[@Bedwyr7]

That is an important insight. I’m distantly acquainted with a family in the northern Midwest US and they play a lot of Hand and Foot. The card game basically runs on its own, no thought involved. But it exists as the grease in the wheels of conversation, something for the hands to do while you discover what is going on in various communities. No real value as a game, but very appropriate for lubricating certain social scenes.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

So very true. Still, there is no reason to play a boring game when you can play a fun one.

[@brettabraham]

@@pinobluevogel6458 Perhaps, but if the goal is conversation then a "boring" game might be exactly what you need - something to fill the space in between conversations. I've had many game nights where we love chatting and would love to just keep doing so, but we all agreed to come here for a game night. Personally I have felt like just not playing games I *love* just because I want to continue talk. So that's the point: a fun game is great for the right environment, but if you get enjoyment out of one that just fills the gaps in conversation, then isn't it perfect for that situation?

[@AdamYJ]

@@Bedwyr7 Also, something to do other than eat while socializing with friends and family.

[@qwertyTRiG]

@@brettabraham Yes. I used to have a friend group that played a lot of Uno (also with some house rules, naturally). It's an excellent social lubricant. Sometimes, that's exactly the kind of game you want.

[@TheSludgeMan]

I love Tom taking a sneaky shot at Quinns for his galaxy brained "boards should either be too big or too small" take on the podcast

[@TisiphoneSeraph]

I loved this review. Rummikub holds a special place in my heart. My mom had a stroke a few years ago, the odds were against her but she survived with some paralysis on her right side. In her physical and occupational therapy, they taught her this game o help with her cognitive recovery and she really took to it. When I moved home, she kept saying I needed to play it with them. We've only played it a few times but those few times branched out in me showing her Splendor, Cascadia, Settlers of Catan, and many others. Turns out, Rummikub gives you a lot of the basic mechanics of learning how to play more "game" games. What to do during your turn versus another person's turn, how to manage "resources" and apply them to a changing board, etc. So I'm thankful for this game, cause I'm not sure we'd have a game night without it.

[@Hamm103]

I feel like a lot of card/tile games get described as "too luck based", as though the opportunities for strategic play that the game offers are nothing but a mirage, and what really matters in the end is just whether or not you got lucky. But really, rummikub, like many other card/tile games, has a large amount of strategic depth to it if that's what you're looking for. Being the better player in a game like rummikub isn't going to win you every game, but it'll certainly make you win much more often. I don't think "too much luck" necessarily makes a game bad; it's about whether or not the choices feel deep and satisfying to make.

[@Lsavoleo]

I really liked this. 'The balance of people and play' made me think about all of the things I try to do with people. Personal interests, intrapersonal situations. Thanks for being smart, Tom. Happy New Year.

[@Cow-Moth-With-A-CRT-Head]

Even across the sea in the States, I can mirror your stories of Rummikub: whenever I visit my parents, a round or two of Rumikub are inevitably played, and a lot more of our time is spent chatting and socializing than strategizing. 10/3 would activity with the family again.

[@jamestriplett5854]

Would be interesting to have retro-reviews for games people used to play

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Scrabble could be a good one, that is the only one for me that holds up, as it combines language skills with a little spatial puzzle and an element of luck to keep everyone in it. Also, easy to teach, hard to master.

[@jamestriplett5854]

@@pinobluevogel6458 I still play tons of Cribbage

[@pinobluevogel6458]

@@jamestriplett5854 Doesn't ring a bell, even when I look the game up. Seems very old school :)

[@MarjoleinVeenendaal]

The concept of games vs activities is brilliant. Also, I love Rummikub. Our set used to be my grandparents’ and it’s just so cool to see games being passed onto the next generation. Like, not the physical copies but the excitement for playing them too.

[@pikapomelo]

I've come to realize that many? most? people are looking for activities. The word game in an academic sense has a very particular meaning to do with interactions, but that's not what most people mean by it. The first definition when I Google game is just an entertaining activity. Who knows, maybe we can come up with new words that absent overloaded.

[@Bodyknock]

There seems to be a schism between the British and US in pronunciation. British advertisements for the game pronounce it "Rummy-Cub" as in this review, but in the US on the back of the game boxes in the 1980's it specified that it's pronounced "Rummy-Cube".

[@azmaniandevil]

The number of times I've been asked by my family to bring a game, but not a "game" game. Thank you this lovely, weird love letter to family "activities". You are a gem Tom.

[@Nullzone42]

Rummikub is fundamentally Chinese Mahjong at its heart - they just made the tracking much easier since sets are all public and there are no rules about when you're allowed to declare sets/go out. Which is to say, it's great, especially with people you like to just be around, since gameplay has no overhead and you can just zone out between your turns :)

[@hellboy7424]

True...but Mahjong is better!!

[@blackjacktrial]

I prefer Japanese Mahjong over HK/Chinese/American Mahjong. Much more knifeedge risk/reward even if it favours a defensive meta a bit more than I'd like, and the scoring system is frustratingly opaque.

[@hellboy7424]

@@blackjacktrial For me HK is better. It has the right amount of moves without being as complex as the Japanese variation. But I love both. Hanafuda is also an amazing "mahjong variant" game.

[@Painocus]

@@blackjacktrial Japanese feels a bit too luck-based to me, with it's heavy insentive to play concealed.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Mahjong is an actually halfdecent game. But it is pretty unknown to most European audiences.

[@sub7se7en]

So it's uno. It's uno with extra steps.

[@shanesaunders6156]

I've played hours and hours of rummikub with my grandmother. Soft spot in my heart, thanks for doing this video Tom.

[@michaelfinch510]

Played Rummikub with my grandparents, used a velvet crown bag for the tiles. Fond memories have kept it in my collection though I haven't played it in years.

[@mintysprigg]

Tom just cannot stop demonstrating his impeccable taste in music. The Five Leaves Left and 22, A Million vinyls in the background? The rad LCD Soundsystem poster? The Steely Dan shirt?? You're three stars in my book, Tom!

[@bradleenstra7753]

Rummikub is THE game I would play with my grandparents. Generally they didn't even ask, it was just assumed that when we're together we're playing Rummikub. Lots of fond memories. Excellent and accurate review Tom!

[@TorzyTheJer]

This is the board game I played with my Great Grandmother. I absolutely loved spending the time with her to sit down and play. It was slow. It took us a lot of time to get through. But it worked like a charm that I would calm down, sit, and play through the whole game until I won (as I never caught on she was letting me always win as a little child). I own my own set now as I did not get to inherent my great grandmother's collection of pieces. I don't get to play it anymore as I haven't met someone else who enjoys the game. So it's trapped as a precious memory.

[@wigoow1206]

Rummikub is just Rummy with fancy tiles and it's own set of house rules. Rummy and it's variant Canasta are the games my family played to death and yes, they are more activites than games. It's basically just an excuse to spend time together doing something and it does that very well.

[@Maefyre]

Yesssss we still love this game and have it still on the shelf alongside eclipse and hansa

[@nessen6531]

Rummikub has been a family favorite for generations now. It's one of those games we play at nearly every get together and we teach the kids to play with each other and eventually they join the big table where we combine two boxes for more players and a huge game. I taught my now wife on maybe our second date. It's a game I just love. Thanks for this one :)

[@shanebitner8991]

Absolutely killer video, Tom. Having some friends who aren't much of "game" gamers, but want to play board games is a challenge for me since I jumped into board games in the deep end. Looking at games that are more activity than game to help get everyone on board.

[@nic_olenomicon]

My parents' love of rummikub is actually how I got my family to start playing riichi mahjong!

[@moldyorangepeel]

This was one of my families favorite games growing up and my grandparents had a well used but still complete set in their games closet from when my mom was a kid too.

[@Tehnbar]

This one is very popular in my extended family... two house rules we've added to make it a little less luck based: 1) you can create runs "around the corner" like 13-1-2 and 2) The last person to meld can meld with no minimum (just any set or run will do).

[@strohutjunge2497]

i totally forgot about this game... i started the video and got a little feeling of familiarity looking at those tiles. When i saw the tile with the face it finally hit me that i have played that game as a child with my family and that i had completly forgotten it until this moment! Thank you for letting me remember this! :)

[@fgrunta]

I've watched and loved so many of your videos and never thought Rummikub would appear. I have so many fond memories of this game, it's special to know that you and your family do too

[@SpoonyBard88]

The absolute madness of pushing all of those hot new games out of camera to talk about Rummikub, my mother-in-law's favorite game.

[@Groovycathers]

I am so glad to see this review! My mum absolutely LOVES Rummikub and it's become a staple "activity" pretty much every time I see her. I bought her a deluxe version a while back. It's actually very replayable. One error, as highlighted by Spiteski, you can't have the same coloured numbers in the same set.

[@Zetsumaru]

Slightly above the 4:06 mark in the timebar (or below it, in mobile fullscreen) , there is a dead pixel. It is in every shot. No matter what device you use to look at the video, it is always there, looking at you, menacingly, questioning your sanity as a viewer, making you doubt the quality of your screen of choice. Great review btw.

[@vojtechpikal183]

Its definatelly originally a cardgame played with standard canasta set (108 cards (twice standard 52-card deck + 4 jokers)) called "american Jokers" here in Czech Republic.

[@NathienSK]

Rummikub som videl roky v obchodoch a nikdy nezaujal. Až teraz mi Tom odhalil, že to je hra, ktorú sme vlastne hrávali dávno pod úplne iným menom. :)

[@Hephera]

worth noting that you can play rummikub with 2 decks of cards. you dont need the box with all the little tiles, it works identically by just using cards. In fact imo it works better because you can hold the cards in your hand instead of using those silly plastic tile holder things

[@jdmhexagon2584]

We had Rummikub in the house as a kid, but it must have got chucked at some point. Really tempted to buy a new set for when I visit the folks at Easter. This is a lovely, small, weird video.

[@zacharylane6148]

You've hit the nail on the head with this review. Obviously we all love to see something new and flashy, but I really love watching you lot review the basics (e.g., chess, cards, etc.). Its nice! I have played a lot of Rummikub and it is entertaining to hear your thoughts on it. I laughed out loud a couple times while thinking to myself "you're right Tom, Rummikub really is like that". We all need activities to do with our families. Other games in this line of "activity more than game" thread are: Farkle, Sequence, SkipBo, and Scrabble.

[@garryknox1614]

I am not ashamed to admit I have played probably more than 100 games of Rummikub. It is a game that aunties love and kids want to learn. It is a holiday game with a few drinks and a few laughs, why wouldn't you want to play Rummikub? Thank you for shining a light on this terrific game, game on!

[@fobmon19]

Tom, I love what you do. Thank you so much for this.

[@007Kiristo]

Used to play this all the time with my grandma. Now all my family has a copy and we still play it from time to time. Definitely one of the best older games in my collection. Fun to pull off a huge combo, changing the entire board and going out.

[@incalescent9378]

And even slightly less fun (but in a more distressing way) to pull of a huge combo, change the entire board, almost going out and then suddenly spot the orphaned black 10 that escaped your attention.

[@rowboatcop4451]

I think the distinction of "activity" and "game" is really smart here and something ive been trying to vocalize to friends without sounding like an ass to avoid inviting them over for games, only to see the look of horor on their face as i point out meeple and spend more than 2 minutes explaining the rules

[@bradsnyder1350]

Wonderful review. I spent many happy evenings of my childhood playing Rummikub with my grandparents. Also, I just realized that I’ve spent my entire life calling it Rummi-cube…

[@DannyTwoCoats]

Rummikub holds a special place in my family's heart. My grandmother always played it with my mother and eventually as us kids were rolled into it (pretty early on) we played it all the time on our patio in the summer. I think it's very fair to say that is more of an activity, but I also think that's okay, and part of it's charm. Last I felt it was my duty to mention that the greatest part of Rummikub is when you complete one of those multi-level moves and the other player doesn't know that it's the one that's clearing your board. You do your tile gymnastics. You silently and smugly look them in the eye and take your tray/stand and dramatically flip it in any way of your choosing to reveal that your tray is in fact NOW EMPTY. My grandmother did this so well and eventually it became tradition when we played the game to slowly take your stand and turn it upside down facing the other players to indicate that you won. Bonus fun when it takes the others a second to realize you won.

[@MauriMahtava]

We always played this with my parents in Finlands and it was a thrill. It still is.

[@angelafortunato87]

This is actually the game my family played the most while I was growing up. I had a lot of good times with it and my family still loves to play it even now although I enjoy my more crunchy modern euro games at this time in my life but I understand my family's desire to play something we all know how to play very well. Thanks for reviewing it!

[@leahkoepp5335]

I love Rummikub and play online every day! Thank you, Tom, for recognizing the beauty of playing with these activity clackers. I do think you understated the extent to which they can cause one to break out in a sweat near the end of a round. But I love that for the coupay de grace, you got the Steely Dan T-shirt 😁

[@daveburck7076]

Great review. Our family loves playing this game together and we have used it to get our daughter to play The Crew with us. "After a few games of Crew we'll all play Rummikub" is how the negotiation goes. Love it.

[@runswithbees]

I can't believe I just watched a 12 minute video on Rummikub.

[@Helicoptro]

It's pronounced "Rummy-cube" according to the manual, but I love that Rummikub is so steeped in house rules that we don't even pronounce it the same way.

[@JustJoeBlogs]

Cordially disagree. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGKzpayNrc9jbLc kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZ6reHWOip2od6c kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqangayAhaZ-aLc

[@GothicPotato2]

He killed me every time he mis-pronounced the game. It’s even on the box he was specifically referencing!

[@GamesNTech]

He's playing 4d chess. He knows how you are supposed to say it, but now he has us commenting which makes feeds the algorithm and boosts the videos visibility. :) (I don't actually think that)

[@ivietheplant]

I’ve played this game through a card game called maneuver, with nearly identical rules. I was taught it by my grandmother, who passed away a few years ago now, and seeing the struggle to understand just what this game truely means to be played, and frequently played with your family and those you love, is very bittersweet. Whenever my grandparents would visit, they would suggest we play, although I ended up winning every time. I’m thinking now, that the reason for that was, that it served as a link from my grandpa’s days of playing blackjack in casinos and my grandma’s bridge club, to my collection of nerdy board games with bright colors and complex rules.

[@Duhad8]

I LOVE the Disco art and the framed picture of Kim! VERY nice!

[@21centurymagic]

Whelp that's my favourite childhood game about to be sold out and £30 more expensive. But yeah everyone buy it.

[@firstpersonwinner7404]

Rummikub is fairly mass produced. I doubt there is gonna be some kind of supply shortage on it anytime soon

[@nib71286]

@@firstpersonwinner7404 idk 🙃 using the tiles to make more art could be the next trend 😂

[@DeyaViews]

This is the only game my mom likes. She played board games a lot when she was a kid, but said she had a very competitive mom and a brother who purposefully explained rules wrong. Only last year during a family holiday did she try out Point Salad with the rest of us, which she said she liked. She says she likes games where she can strategize, but not games that are too complicated rules-wise. Rummikub seems a bit too luck-based than her stated preferences seem to suggest, but it has that level of player interactivity and Take That, and it certainly is far from "too complicated". It's a game where at the same time you can easily have a conversation over it unrelated to the game, which makes it great for many families.

[@TheDARKHAWX]

I think the scoring rule is slightly wrong - the negative values are the sum of the faces of the tiles with a joker being -30.

[@WillKrause21]

I FUCKING LOVE rummikub. Play it with my mom and her parents every christmas season.

[@captainsassy6966]

I got my mom a fancier set with wooden racks for the tiles off etsy for christmas and she loved it

[@goadfang]

Summers in the Ozarks on my grandparents' houseboat playing Rummikub is basically my childhood. It's actually a great ga- I mean, activity. I just recently bought the Black edition of the game, the tiles are much nicer and less beige, has a very good tactile feel. Satisfying "chunk" sounds when the tiles are laid down.

[@Peanuts87]

Totally agree with Tom's conclusions here, been playing Rummikub for around 30 years at this point, and I don't think we've ever actually bothered with the end of game scoring, someone wins and then we jumble the tiles up and play again.

[@mattsmith6558]

I'm calling it. Tom if officially now Mr. ShutUpAndSitDown™ Every video is pure gold and sets the standard for humour, insight and guile 👏🏻

[@anderskernel3894]

I see what you did there... Well played with that Bohnanza placed in the money shot in the end...

[@danielweitz6632]

During Covid my wife and I played 3 games every evening; that is approximately 1200 games ... We still play it every evening.

[@ThandrieDavis]

Literally actually loved this video.

[@K1llj0y214]

I had so much fun playing this with my mom and her family growing up, and right into adulthood. I also appreciate that I just learned we've been playing with runs that needed to be 4 tiles instead of 3, which I am sure has caused more than it's fair share of grief. Whether my family plays with runs that are too long, or yours plays with groups which double up colors, it's great that everyone can still get together and have a fun family activity! I really appreciate that this review will get the word out to more families looking for a light family game. Also, it's pronounced CUBE! Lol.

[@wheeler68]

I never played Rummikub, but it turns out it's exactly the card game my family calls Manipulation

[@bubblewandd]

Tom you are an excellent director. I wish we had long-form content from you!

[@ebasongaming]

Honestly, this is exactly what I needed it to be. I only get to play games with my immediate friends or family, and none of them are really into big strategic games. My favourite is Citadels, but I know I'll never play it with them. I've been trying to seek out more games like this. Immediately understandable and fun for everyone.

[@Zombiewski]

There's something to be said for games (and reviews of said games!) that you can play with people who aren't in the hobby. I've seen Rummikub in more thrift shops and closets than I thought possible but never pulled it out because "I don't like Rummy" and "If it's in the same bin as Monopoly how good could it be?" But it seems like the answer is, "It's fine! For when you can't do another game of Mexican Train but still want to play SOMETHING over Christmas".

[@graysonshipley929]

As someone who played this game since childhood whenever we had family reunions I feel so vindicated right now.

[@brianhall4182]

I haven't thought about Rummikub in years. Whenever my grandmotehr would visit from New York once a year or so, she'd spend a week or two down here and visit. We'd play Rummikub around the table with my brother and sister.

[@chessthecat]

This *was* the 1980 Spiel des Jahres winner. Love this review. More older games please! Very enjoyable.

[@SirHightower]

My mother and aunts LOVE Rumikub. They would come over and play for hours. It's an institution in my family!

[@imjustsomeguy72]

So, I came here 12 months late after playing a lot of Rummikub with the fam bam, and I got a lovely thoughtful review and a Steely Dan t-shirt. Yay for me!

[@davidwillems9904]

May I introduce you to the wide world of Mahjong. Rabbit hooooooooooooooooooole.

[@unrealed]

What this review makes me want is a review of Mahjong from SUSD, like you've done other classics, like this, chess, and go

[@seanfsmith]

Here for Tom reinventing the Michelin system

[@Eckendenker]

my mum loves Rummikub

[@chastermief839]

i love that brass birmingham is just the go-to game to make fun of when you guys need to pull a random board game for a joke

[@firstpersonwinner7404]

My wife got this for us because she used to play it with patients at an old folk's home. I was a bit sceptical since I'm one of those who prefers big complicated war games (Eclipse, Eldritch Horror, War of the Ring, etc.) But this is actually one of our favorites to play together now. It is quick and simple but very competitive.

[@elvaliente8772]

wasn´t the sets of the same number needed all to be of different color? you only take one tile when you cant play and the scoring is the negative value of your remaining tiles and for the one who finished their ships its the positive value of the other players

[@captainsassy6966]

Yes!

[@andredavids9324]

Just ordered a copy this week 😀 after buying it about 15 years ago and handing it over to my parents as I became a more 'serious' gamer. Stays gold!

[@JimboXiii]

just ordered myself a copy of Bohnanza 25th anniversary after spotting it on the shelf and thinking "what the heck version of Bohnanza is that?!", so thank you? I guess

[@Streetsy]

It’s a family game for us. It gets a lot of use. We play, but mostly it’s a thing to keep your hands busy while we chat and hang out together. 4 out of 3 pretzels from me.

[@johannesblank1552]

Rummi and variants are quite popular in Germany, played with 110 card decks. Rummikub is played by senior citizens quite a bit, as it is a bit easier to handle than cards when strength or pain become issues.

[@AhJong0]

Great stuff, love these looks at family classics which are neither “this game is trash” nor “this game is actually 10/10 and you just can’t appreciate the nuance.”

[@SocialDownclimber]

We house rule the 30 point minimum first play to around 15, makes the start much better and soothes childish frustrations that some of the players struggle with. Also we play with two sets because the tactility is the best bit and twice as many bits is twice as tactile 👍🏼

[@hatimzeineddine8723]

The big face is iconic

[@andymilan2]

Really enjoy Tom's reviews, they are multi-layered and thought provoking. We have over 500 plays of this one on bgg and I must agree that it is a super family game.. even better without your house rules hehehe

[@JohnnyRings]

Even with all the new board games that I have played and kept up with, Kickstarter’s and modern games…. This is the only game I go to my grandmothers and play with her still. An absolute classic.

[@joshuaronda2174]

Aren't sets made up of like numbers supposed to contain no duplicate colors? i.e. you could not have a set of 7s where there are two red 7s? That's how we always played but I don't want to look up the rules. :)

[@brianphipps442]

Thanks for reviewing. I had never played this before so I picked up a copy. Was quite fun and good for those evenings when you want an easy game to play but still has a little depth. Anyone who likes Gin and Rummy set collection card games should get a copy. I like the version where the player trays are tall enough to conceal the tiles so you don't know how close the other players may be to going out.

[@thejamesbrooks]

Is this an attempt at Tom trying to make sure Rumikub becomes the tile game of choice over Dominos, so Quins doesn't win the predictions.

[@cameronyoung8820]

I used to play this with the family almost religiously at one point and I always had a really good time playing it.

[@patrickabby2589]

I would love a series of Tom touching on these sorts of games. I can own every Root Expansion and Kickstarter Big Box but what makes it to the table are the things my entire family can play. 5/5 video. Do phase 10 next haha

[@AllieStrange]

I still love Rumikub, my grandmother was really into it and as soon as i was old enough to understand it i was playing with my parents and grand parents, we had a lot of fun times with it. Is it a great game no but i'd absolutely agree it does get people together and it is fun.