Inspired by a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Bottle Imp is a trick-taking card game with a twist. It's designed by Gunter Cornett and it's been through several different editions and a wide range of publishers since it first appeared in 1995. This new edition from Grail Games and Matagot, however, differs from earlier iterations, and not just in its attractive presentation - featuring art from Maxime Morin, cards with embossed backs and appealing glass bottle tokens in place of the wooden token or mere cards provided in previous editions.
The deck in a standard game of Bottle Imp comprises 37 cards numbered 1-37. Alongside card #19, which is black and is the starting card for the Imp, there are 12 cards in each 'suit': 1-28 in red, 3-35 in blue and 11-37 in green. The cards have values for end-game scoring ranging from 1-6. Game play follows traditional trick-taking card game rules in that one player leads and others must follow suit (ie: a card of the same colour) if they can. If a player cannot follow suit they can play any card, and if it's the highest card played they win the trick even tho' their card differs in suit from the lead. If a player plays a card that is lower than the current value of the Bottle Imp's card, that card wins the trick but it sets the new value for the Bottle Imp. If more than one player plays a card that's lower than the current Bottle Imp card then it's the highest of those lower value cards that wins the trick and the Bottle Imp.
At the start of each round players place one of their cards face down below the Bottle Imp's #19 card. Those cards will give negative points to the player who ends the hand with possession of the Bottle Imp; other players score positive points for the cards they have won. In deciding at the start of a hand what card to place under the Imp, you'll want to reflect your best estimate of the prospect of winning or losing the hand: if you're confident you're unlikely to end up with the Imp, you may well want to contribute a high numbered card with a large negative points value; if you fear your hand gives you a high prospect of losing you might think it better to contribute a low numbered card with a low negative points value.
Players also start each hand with some limited knowledge of their neighbour's hands because players are required to pass a card from their hand to the player on their left and the player on their right. Often players will choose to rid themselves of their lowest value cards but it can be an even more effective strategy to use this hand manipulation to run down a suit so that you have complete freedom to respond to a lead in that suit to any card you choose...
Tho' The Bottle Imp has proved to be a popular card game, it has suffered traditionally from being notably best as a three-player game. This new edition addresses that by offering the option of team game rules for four or more players, as well as new rules for play with just two. This new edition also extends the deck from 36 suit cards to 54 by adding in six x.5 cards in each suit. This extended deck makes it possible to play with up to six players, and the game comes with a second glass Bottle Imp so your five- and six-player games can be played with two Bottle Imps.
If you enjoy trick-taking games, you should already have a copy of The Bottle Imp but even if you do already have an earlier edition there's enough that's new and appealing in this edition from Grail Games and Matagot for you to add it to your collection.