About Matchmakers, from BoardGameGeek:
You step into the role of the Matchmakers, spirits of the mountain, where brave and wandering animals are looking for their peers to venture together. Gather the same type of adventurers at your campsite to make a successful team and earn their praise. However, the instant two perfect companions meet, a MATCHMAKING occurs. They immediately leave the camp behind to begin their ascent. The team of Matchmakers which has gathered the strongest party of adventurers will claim victory!
Matchmakers is a thrilling team-based, must-follow trick-taking game where players try to collect the best set of cards.
Inspired by Yokai Septet yet boldly original, the game introduces an innovative matchmaking mechanism that creates constant dilemmas, tough choices, but also clever plays.
Here are the rules in a nutshell :
Team Trick-Taking Game (2 vs 2)
Players exchange 3 cards with their partner following a strict color-distribution rule, then play tricks. Teams collect cards during play and score by forming sets at the end of the round.
Winning and Losing Tricks Matter
The strongest card wins the trick and lets the winner choose one opponent's or partner's played card (not their own) for their team's scoring pile. The weakest card loses the trick and may gain a matching trump (2, 4, 6, or 8) if their losing card has that value.
Trump Cards ("Mountain Guides")
Trumps are not dealt at the start. They can only be acquired by losers of tricks, may be played at any time, beat all normal cards, and return to the supply after use. Trumps can never be added to scoring piles.
Matchmaking Rule
If a player plays a card with the same color and value as one already played in the trick, the trick immediately ends. The matching pair is discarded, all other played cards go directly to their owners' scoring piles, no winner or loser is determined, and the player who completed the match leads the next trick.
Scoring and Winning the Game
Teams score by forming:
Couples: 2 cards of the same color and value.
Buddies: 3 or 4 cards of the same value in different colors.
Each card in a valid set scores its value. Unused cards score negative points equal to their value, and unused trumps score negative points equal to twice their value.
The game ends when one team leads by 30+ points or after 3 rounds, with the highest score winning.
