Select 5: Real Time Card Game of Streaks, Speed, and Snatching

Make streaks of five numbers in a row, as fast as you can, while keeping an eye on your opponent’s cards, waiting for the perfect moment to swipe from them.

Published by NG Tradings, Select 5 is a real-time card game designed for 2-4 players, with a 10-minute playtime.

Gameplay

The deck is shuffled and each player is dealt 10 cards, which they place face-up in front of themselves to form their open play areas. The rest of the cards are placed in the center of the table to form the draw deck. Most of the cards are either purple or blue, and numbered 1-8, but some are yellow, which is the wild color and can act as either purple or blue.

Gameplay is simultaneous, with everyone acting at once. The goal of the game is to make streaks, sets of five consecutive numbers of the same color.

On your turn, you can start a streak by moving any two or more consecutive numbers of the same color into your open streak area. You can have up to three streaks being built at a time. Whenever you have less than 10 cards in your open play area, you draw new cards immediately. You may choose to discard all the cards in one of your open streaks at any time. If you have four cards in an open streak, you may also steal your final card from another player’s open streak (but not their open play area). To add a card to a streak, it must be a consecutive number. When a streak is completed, you add it to your completed streak pile. If you have no legal plays, you can discard all the cards in your open play area to draw a new hand of 10.

Once the entire draw deck has run out, the game is over and points are scored. Each completed streak is worth 10 points. If you have more than five cards in your open play area, you lose five points. You earn three points for an open streak with four cards in it, two points for one with three cards, and one point for a two card one. The player with the most points wins.

Review

The simplicity of Select 5 is what makes the game so enjoyable and addictive. It’s so easy to teach, and with only two colors (plus the wild) you seldom get stuck. The challenge is in processing all of the information fast enough.

It’s a speedy little game, that you can easily play several rounds of in one go. The card stealing from an opponent adds a bit of player interaction, while the fact that you can only do it to complete a streak that’s already at four cards, ensures it doesn’t go overboard.

Thought has been put into player count, with extra cards included to be shuffled into the deck for 3-4 players. It works well as a two-player game as well: you’ll have fewer options of open streaks to steal from, but it also means fewer people stealing from yours.

There’s a fun, colorful look to the game, and the cards are nicely designed. Not too big, which is a plus given how many you need to have spread out in front of you, but with a nice, large font to make the numbers easy to read. They feel as if they could be just a little bit sturdier, but they’re not too flimsy, and the game is a nice compact size, which makes it an easy one to travel with.

Select 5 is very simple and straightforward. You’ll probably know fairly easily from reading the rules if it’s for you. It’s short, sweet, and accessible.

Pros: Player interaction, game speed, simple rules

Cons: Cards could be a little thicker

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