Take A Number is a more advanced version of the classic game created by Wolfgang Kramer. The original game is called Take 5, but you might also know it as 6 Nimmt or Category 5. My copy of Take A Number was a gift from a friend named Allen. It is a special 2-in-1 version that includes the original Take 5 game as well. The instructions suggest that you should play Take 5 before trying Take A Number. This makes a lot of sense because the basic way the game works in Take 5 is just a smaller part of what you do in Take A Number.
Many people already know how to play Take 5, but for those who do not, let me explain how that part of Take A Number works. In Take A Number, the cards are numbered from 1 to 100. Every card also has a number of bull icons on it, usually between one and seven. These bull icons are bad news. They count as penalty points, and your goal is to avoid getting them. You start each round with 8 cards in your hand. Everyone plays a card at the same time. Then, the cards are placed in the middle from the smallest number to the largest. You must put your card next to a smaller number. If you have more than one option, you must choose the spot closest to your number. The rows have limits. If your card makes a row go over that limit, you have to take all the cards in that row. Your card then starts a new row.
In the game Take 5, any cards you are forced to take go straight into your personal penalty pile. However, in Take A Number, it is not that simple. When you are forced to take cards, you must first add one of them to a personal card row that sits in front of you. This row must also stay in ascending order, just like the rows in the middle. If you cannot place a card in your personal row without breaking the order, all the cards currently in that row go to your penalty pile. Then, the new card starts a fresh row in your personal area. You get penalized for the cards in your penalty pile, but the cards sitting in your personal card row are safe. Managing this row well is very important.
A round continues until one player runs out of cards in their hand. It is possible to take cards back into your hand during play, so the length of a round can change depending on what the players do. When a round ends, if you still have cards left in your hand, you will be penalized for those cards. The only cards that protect you from penalty at the end of the round are the ones in your personal card row.
The game is played for two rounds total. After both rounds are finished, you count up your penalty points. The player with the fewest points is the winner.
The main game mechanic from Take 5 is still here, but now you have that personal card row to worry about too. The biggest difference in strategy is that you can count cards. You know exactly which cards your opponents have been forced to take into their hands. This is something you can plan your moves around. You also know that they know what you have taken. This makes the game require more thinking. It is a much more strategic game than the original.
I personally prefer the simplicity of Take 5. It is a light game where you can use some strategy, but you also know that sometimes luck beats strategy, and that is perfectly fine. I also like that Take 5 can be played with up to 10 players. Take A Number, on the other hand, is limited to a maximum of 4 players. If you are looking for something more strategic and advanced, you should give Take A Number a try. It is a deeper game that offers a different kind of experience.
