Recently, our board gaming community has been really into deduction and bluffing games at our game nights. So, this week we decided to take a look at Iello’s take on this genre, and play Nessos. Like most deduction games, Nessos is has very few rules and is easy to pick up. Nessos is playable for 3-6 players, and you can expect playtime to last less than thirty minutes. In Nessos you will be passing cards between players to try and collect the most points in Greek mythological creatures, while avoiding Charon, the ferryman of Hades. Each card has a creature with a coordinating number. There are also Charon cards, which have no number. Place three of these in front of you and you are out of the game. 

The first player in each round selects a card from their hand and passes it to another player. The starting player has two options: tell the truth about the number on the card, or pass a Charon and lie. The other player then has three options. Without looking, they may choose to accept the card and place it face-up in front of them. They may also refuse the offering, and return it to the starting player. The third option is to refuse the offering, but instead add another card to pass to a different player. Keep in mind that you only know your card, and you still may only lie with a Charon.

Additionally, you must pass them to a player who has not yet made an offering this round. This continues until someone either accepts or refuses. If no one accepts, the cards return to the starting player, who must place them face-up in front of them. Players then check for victory before starting the next round. Achieve victory by adding enough points on their board, or when all other players are ferried to underworld by Charon. 

Join us next week when we play Bargain Quest! Play as humble shopkeepers, acquiring goods and attracting wealthy heroes into your shop. These heroes will then use your items to fight monsters that threaten the village! If that hero triumphs, then more prestige will be brought to your shop. Which allows you to acquire better items and hire underlings to run the place. After the third monster is defeated, the shopkeeper with the most gold and prestige is declared the winner!