Find Sets of Three Around the Table in Light Card Game Trio

Reveal cards one at a time, either from the table or players' hands, searching for sets of three. But you can only reveal the highest or lowest card from a hand, and if you reveal a card that doesn’t match, your turn immediately ends.

Published by new game publisher Happy Camper, Trio is designed for 3-6 players and has a game time of 15 minutes.

Gameplay

Cards are numbered 1-12, and there are three copies of each number. The goal of the game is to collect sets of three. In simple mode, you are trying to find any three sets of any three matching numbers or a set of three sevens. Or, in the spicy mode, this is any two sets of three matching numbers where those numbers are connected. The bottom of each number card shows which numbers are considered connected. So, for example, two is connected to five and nine, and three is connected to four and ten. In spicy mode, a set of three sevens once again automatically wins.

During setup, each player is dealt a specific number of cards, and each player must organize their hand of cards from lowest to highest. All remaining cards are placed face-down in the center of the table in a row.

On your turn, you reveal cards one a time. You may choose to either reveal one of the cards in the center of the table, or you may choose to reveal the highest or lowest card in any player’s hand (your own included). You continue to reveal cards until you either make a set of three matching cards, in which case you take the trio and place them in front of yourself, or you reveal a card that does not match, in which case all revealed cards are returned to where they came from (cards go back into their respective player’s hands or are flipped face-down again if they were in the center of the table). Either way, your turn ends. When revealing cards, you may reveal cards more than once from the same player’s hand. So, for example, you can have a player reveal their highest card, and then their next highest card.

The first player to collect the required trios wins the game.

Review

Trio is beautifully simple and has an excellent combination of memory elements and push-your-luck, and also just plain simple guessing. It feels so satisfying when you have two matching numbers revealed and you’re able to guess who has a third matching card of that same number.

In this game, you are not totally working blind. You build up a little information about players’ hands each turn, as their lowest or highest cards get revealed, and you log this information against what you know is in your hand or what cards have been revealed from the center. This means you’re always paying attention, even when it’s not your turn, and gaining information to help you on your own turn.

The box could be smaller, making it more portable, but the cards are bright and colorful. They’re nicely made, and go well with the light-hearted, easy gameplay.

Trio is an excellent twist on the set-collection genre and a well-designed light card game. There is also a team mode that adds an element of only allowing teammates to communicate with an initial, single-card pass. This is a game families can easily play and people without a lot of gaming experience. Very simple and very enjoyable. Recommended!

Pros: Light game play, players are involved even when it’s not their turn, great mix of luck and memory

Cons: Box could have been made more portable

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game.