Scout
Review

Scout (2019) is a sequencing card game where you must play sets of increasing value from a hand you can't reorder. This ordering restriction is cleverly offset by being able to insert cards from the table to prepare runs and sets for your next go. This, and the ability to occasionally flip cards to change their numbers, creates a knife-edge tactics game with really well-balanced scoring.

Each turn you win points by playing cards higher than what's already gone. A higher single card beats a lower card, a run of two cards beats one card and two matching cards beats a run of two cards and so on. As the number of cards in each set builds you need to think about the long game as well as quick points. You do this by building high runs and sets for later by "scouting" a card already played and inserting it into your hand ready for a winning move on a later go.

But there's a twist. The cards each have two values: the upper value in play and the lower value you can access if you flip them. You can flip the whole hand at the start of the round. But also, you can flip a card you "scouted" from the table.

The result is a game that's interesting because of its limitations. Because you can't rearrange your cards you have to think tactically about future rounds. As the name suggests, "scouting" comes into its own not only as a means of building sets but as a way to reduce the value to beat on the table. This is topped off by a clever scoring system where you make points by playing cards and give points away each time you "scout".

Our examiner, Rob Prior, first checked Scout 18 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 9 months ago.