February

February is a trick-taking game mixed with majorities in which players compete to schedule events at a popular venue. The game gets a new way to play each February. The original 2022 version was a decently cutthroat competitive game. The 2023 release is a friendly teams-based version. The deck consists of two each of cards numbered 1-28, with each card representing a day in the month of February (one card is daytime, the other is nightime). Each week (1-7, 8-14, 15-21, 22-28) is a different colored suit. Additional special cards (such as a "Leap Year" card and a "Reschedule" card) are included and worked in based on player count. 2022 Rules Players must follow either the colored suit of the lead card, or the must play a card of the same day of the week. Thus, the "1" card could be followed by either a card of that suit (a 1-7) or another Sunday (the 1st, 8th, 15th, or 22nd). The highest card played which follows wins the trick (cards not following can't win the trick); in the event of a tie, the nighttime card wins. The winner gets to mark the day on the calendar as theirs; if a marker is already there, it gets replaced. The card winning the trick is removed from the game. Once a full hand has been played, players shuffle the remaining cards, adding in a pre-determined number of special ability cards, and then play another hand, again competing for calendar space. Having the most markers in a particular week earns two points; ties are broken by the marker closest to Sunday. Having the most markers on a particular day of the week (i.e. Monday) earns one point; ties are broken by the earliest date. Most points wins; ties are broken by the earliest date. 2023 Rules Players must follow the colored suit of the lead card. Unlike in the original game, players cannot follow by playing the same day of the week. However, the latest day following either the colored suit or the same day of the week will win the trick. The winning team gets to mark a day on the calendar as theirs; if a marker is already there, it gets replaced. They can choose any space represented by a card in the trick. The card winning the trick is removed from the game. Once a full hand has been played, players shuffle the remaining cards, adding in the special ability cards, and then play another hand, again competing for calendar space. Having the most markers in a particular day of the week earns two points. Teams also get points for their largest contiguous set of markers. High score wins. —description from the designer