Up or Down? is a card game created by the well-known designers Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling. While it looks simple at first glance, it’s actually quite a bit more challenging than it appears. The goal is to build up to three different sets of cards. The tricky part is that within each set, the cards must be played in either a strictly increasing or strictly decreasing order. The game uses cards that come in six different colors, and each card has a unique number. These numbers range from 1 all the way up to 126, though the specific numbers used will change depending on how many people are playing. Let’s start by looking at how you score points in the game.
To figure out your score for each set you’ve made, you take the number of cards in that set and multiply it by the number of cards of the color you have the most of in that specific set. For example, looking at the picture above, the three columns would be scored like this: the first column has 8 cards, and the most common color is yellow with 3 cards, so that’s 8 times 3, which equals 24 points. The second column has 2 cards, and the most common color is just 1 card of any color, so that’s 2 times 1, equaling 2 points. The third column has 8 cards, and the most common color is blue with 5 cards, making it 8 times 5, for a total of 40 points. On your turn, you have to pick a card from the middle of the table and add it to one of your sets. Remember, the cards in each set must stay in order, either going up or going down. If you get a card that you can’t place into any of your current sets, you have to get rid of one of your existing sets and start a new one with the card you just picked up. Any cards you discard go into your own personal pile. They still count for points, but they’re only worth a small amount, just 1 point each.
Here’s how a turn plays out. You’ll always have three cards in your hand. During your turn, you must choose one card from your hand to place in the center of the table.
There will always be six cards laid out in the middle of the table, arranged in a circle and ordered from smallest to largest. When you play a card from your hand, you put it into this circle, finding the right spot to keep the numbers in order. After you place your card, you then have to pick one of the two cards that are right next to the card you just added. This is how you take a card from the center. Once your turn is over, you draw a new card from one of the two piles of cards in the middle. One of these piles has the top card showing, while the other is face down.
The game continues until both of the draw piles are empty. After that, everyone plays out the rest of the cards in their hands. Only when all cards are played do you add up your scores to see who the winner is.
So far, everything sounds pretty straightforward, right? But after actually playing the game, I realized it’s a bit more complicated than the simple rules suggest. Even though the rules are easy to understand, figuring out the best way to play is not so simple. What’s a good move, and what’s a bad one? I have to admit, after playing twice, I still haven’t completely figured it out. My first idea was to try and have one set going up, one set going down, and the third set could be either. But I quickly learned that might not always be the best approach.
Which card should you choose to play? At first, I only thought about whether the card would help me get another card that fit well with the sets I was building. Then I started to realize it’s also important to pay attention to what cards other players are collecting. You want to try and avoid putting out a card that they really need. The card you play also changes the circle of cards in the middle. It might become a card that you can grab on your next turn. Or, it might block you from taking a different card you wanted on your next turn. These are all things you need to consider. When you need to pick a card from the draw piles, even though there are only two choices, it’s not always an easy decision. My first thought was that it’s best to have a wide range of numbers in my hand so I always have more options. But later, I felt that might not be the right way to go. Depending on the numbers I’m trying to collect for my sets, I might actually need to pick cards that are close to those numbers.
I think the best way to get a high score is to collect many cards of the same color for a single set. This means you really need to watch what other players are trying to collect. If they are going for the same color as you, you’ll have some competition. You also might want to deliberately take colors that others want, just to stop them from getting them. I’ve learned that it’s important to keep an eye on what numbers and colors are useful to the other players.
One strategy I considered was focusing on making just two sets that would score a lot of points, and using the third set as a place to get rid of cards that didn’t fit anywhere else. You try to keep those two main sets as clean as possible, while the third set is just for dumping cards that don’t work. You can expect this third set to be discarded often and not score much. I tried this, and it worked okay, but I’m not sure if it’s the absolute best way to play. There might be other good strategies out there.
The end of the game can be tricky. You have to play all the cards in your hand eventually. Ideally, you want to avoid having to discard any of your sets, because discarded cards are worth fewer points. If you’re not careful when the game is winding down, you might be forced to get rid of a set, and you could end up with fewer points than you had earlier in the game.
Up or Down? reminds me a bit of Take 5 (also known as 6 Nimmt), which is another popular game by Wolfgang Kramer. I find the way this game works really interesting, and I’m eager to figure out all its secrets. I think in the end, you can’t have complete control over how well you do; luck plays a part. However, there are definitely tactics you can use. An experienced player will most likely do better than someone who is new to the game. I enjoy Up or Down? because it gives my brain a good workout, and it offers something fresh. I’m finding myself liking smaller games like this more than those typical big, complicated games that involve collecting lots of different things, changing them into other things, and completing tasks.
