The ShipHead Card Game, First Look

About ShipHead Card Game, from BoardGameGeek:

SHIPHEAD is a "shedding" (or ladder down) card game where you aim to be the first to get rid of all your cards. Each player starts with cards in the hand, cards on the table face down, with face-up cards on top of those. You shed them to a center pile, then the next player needs to play an equal or lower numbered set of cards (up to four cards total, of the same rank), or take up the growing center pile. When one player goes out, the other players receive points for the cards they hold. (You don't want points.) Symbols on the cards influence the counting of those points. After the final round, the player with the least points wins. SHIPHEAD is a fast paced game and accommodates 3-7 players. It's a fun way to start or end a game day. Kids who love games can play it too. It offers meaningful decisions and a compulsive feeling--"got to get rid of my cards"! The most powerful cards in the game are also the greatest liability. Do you get rid of them at the first opportunity, or save them for a decisive moment? SHIPHEAD comes in a sturdy box with 108 cards, a page of rules and a page of illustrated examples. SHIPHEAD features fun ship-headed cartoon characters on the cards. Since each player is usually getting rid of 1-4 cards per turn, the ratchet squeezes, the cards in hand are getting fewer, and the play pushes toward a conclusion for concise play. Timing is everything. When do you take risks, or how do you avoid them? When do you put pressure on the other players? How do you manipulate the flow? Can you wait for the right moment to make your big play? ShipHead moves along quickly. When do you use the cards in the hand, and when your cards on the table? ShipHead offers fast and spirited play, tension, and meaningful decisions. -description from designer