GAP Card Game Review

I used to dismiss small card games as uninteresting or not worth my time, but as I get older and as we play more games as a group, I realize how valuable a quick card game really is. The other night was a great example of this – we were waiting for a 4th person to arrive to play Neotopia (review soon!) So while we waited we busted out GAP and started playing.

How to Play

This is not an indepth How to Play. Please consult the rules for the game when you begin your first game.

Gap is a pretty simple game to play, and it’s all about balancing the colours of cards in front of you. Each round your score will be the colour you have the most of (added together if there is a tie) minus the colour of cards that you have the least of. It can be really hard to balance this during the game, so the level of strategic depth is actually pretty deep!

Each turn you must play a card – you can either play a card that matches 1 or more numbers in the middle of the table, taking those numbers and the one you played and placing them in front of you. Or, you can play a card where either the previous and/or next card in sequence is on the table, and add those cards to your collection in front of you. The third thing you can do is play a card that doesn’t match any numbers, nor falls into a sequence – those cards are simply left in the middle of the table for others to gather.

Small Box, Big Strategy

This game can get away from you pretty quickly if you don’t properly control the cards in your hand. There are 5 different colours to think about, and numbers ranging from 0 – 9. With some deducing, you can think about what might be left in the deck versus what is in front of you and other players. But you also need to think about how you should best play your cards. Many will play this game and just let the randomness of the cards dictate how they play – others will establish a strategy, which is probably key to winning.

My favorite thing about GAP is how easy it is to play. Getting it onto the table is simple, and a complete short game (15 points) can be finished in less than 20 minutes. You can play longer games if you like, but I do actually feel that GAP is better played in short intervals, especially if one player gets behind by a substantial amount. 

Conclusion

Our reviews are often much longer than this, but I think this speaks to how quickly and easily you can play GAP. Still, there is a ton of depth here that will challenge even the most advanced card game players. If you are looking for something quick and fun to play this holiday season, we highly recommend you check out GAP!