It apparently betokens good luck to be the first to light incense at the temple on Chinese New Year. That anyway is the premise for this 'take that', bluffing and deduction race game designed by Chih-Han Yang for Lilai-Lilai, Second Foundation, Treant Games and Tawan Boardgame Design.
The 2-5 players each have similar decks of 10 cards representing the members of their family (numbered 1-7) plus the family cat, dog and an ancestor (all numbered zero). From your replenishing hand of three cards you choose a card to play to one of the waiting seats. Some seats require their card placement to be face up, others face down. Some face-up spots give you a point just for placing there. When the seats are full, you compare each pair and resolve their effects to determine which one pushes the other out of the way and advances in the race to the temple (or, in the second round, to the palace). Numbers mostly push aside lower numbers but the lower numbered cards all have special effects. For example, Little Sister is value 1 but defeats 6 (Grandma) or 7 (Mom). The Dog ties with an opponent's card, so neither will advance. The Cat removes a card. The Ancestor reduces by 2 the number of an opponent's card or adds 2 if the neighbouring card is a member of the same family.
The game is played over two rounds, so you'll be at a distinct advantage if you can remember what cards have been played in round 1 and so which are still available to your opponents in the second round. With or without the memory element, Lucky First Incense is a game of deduction and bluffing which elevates it above any similarity it might otherwise have with Top Trumps and its variants. The special powers and the way in which various of the family member cards interact with others is reminiscent of queue-jumping games like Guillotine (Wizards of the Coast), Kolejka (Trefl) and Beasty Bar (Devir) but Lucky First Incense is quicker and easier to play, at least in its basic form.
Lucky First Incense comes with the option to play with more advanced rules which introduce censer cards and incense sticks. These additional components further modify effects and can be used to bolster a family member's power to rush ahead. The basic game works best as a good-natured 'take that' family game but serious gamers looking to up the challenge will want to incorporate the advanced rules. Who knew Chinese New Year could be such a competitive affair?