Trickarus
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Flying is easy. Knowing when to stop ascending — that's the game. Someone wins the trick and gets closer to the sun. Someone loses it and falls below everyone else. And in the end, no one forgets who got burned.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Fly too high and you get burned. Too low and you crash.
Designed by Bajir Cannon and illustrated by Tomoaki and Wakana Mizuno, Trickarus reinterprets the myth of Icarus in a playful way. You don't need to know trick-taking to play: the rules can be explained in five minutes. But you need to know when to stop, because flying too high takes you straight to the sun — and from there you fall very badly.
Each hand is a trick to win or lose. Whoever wins it moves up one space on the vertical track. Whoever flies too high gets burned and falls below everyone else. Each card has two different values, which alternate every time someone plays a 5. The trump suit changes along with the values. Timing becomes everything: knowing how to read the hand, understanding who can play what, deciding whether to aim for the trick or let someone else get burned.
What they say abroad
A trick-taking game that challenges those who think they already know them all.
— FroGames
Simple rules, complex decisions. Just as it should be.
— FroGames
Trickarus
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsThe cards in hand
What you hold in your fingers
Double-sided cards
Each card has two values: one on top, one on the bottom. When someone plays a 5, all values flip. The card that was worth 7 is now worth 2. The game changes in an instant.
Variable trumps
The trump suit changes along with the values. What was your winning ace becomes a card to hide. Reading the table is everything.
The sun
The highest space on the track. Whoever flies too high lands in it and falls below everyone else. Winning the wrong trick can cost you the game.
Cooperative mode
Instead of competing, collaborate to land all players in safe zones. It requires coordination, memory, and sacrifice. A lost trick at the right moment can save the game.
Recommended sleeves 48 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting the cards with transparent sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 63 × 89 mm | 48 |
| Total cards | 48 |
In half an hour, someone will be burned by the sun. It always happens when you fly too high.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The first tricks are quiet
Everyone studies the cards, no one is in a hurry to win. The first hands are used to understand who has what, where the 5s are, when the first flip will occur. The track is still low, the sun far away. Someone wins a trick, moves up a space, smiles. It seems easy.
The first 5 changes everything
Someone plays a 5. The values reverse, the trump suit changes. The card you were holding to win is now worth zero. The one you wanted to discard has become an ace. The table looks around, someone laughs nervously. The game has just really begun.
Someone approaches the sun
The track lengthens. The leader begins to fly dangerously high. Winning another trick means risking the sun. Someone tries to lose on purpose, but the others have understood the game and force them to win. Tension rises. Every card played is a calculation.
Someone burns
The wrong trick. The leading player wins, moves up, passes the sun threshold and plummets. Ends up below everyone else on the track. The table explodes. The person who was last is now in the running, the person who was sure of victory must start over. In cooperative games, this is the moment you understand if you will all be saved.
The last hand decides everything
The cards run out. The track is a tangle of positions: those who flew too high, those who remained hidden, those who calculated every move. In competitive mode, the person who is highest without burning wins. In cooperative mode, either you all make it or no one does. The table counts the spaces, laughs, curses, promises a rematch.
How to play
The flow of each hand
Each hand is a trick to win or lose. The rhythm is simple, the consequences are not.
The first player plays a card. Others must follow suit if they can. Otherwise, they play whatever they want.
If someone has played a 5, all card values reverse and the trump suit changes. What was worth 7 is now worth 2. Recalculate everything.
The player who played the highest card of the lead suit (or trump, if anyone played it) wins the trick. They move up one space on the track.
If the winner passes the sun threshold, they plummet below all other players. Otherwise, they stay where they are. The next player clockwise leads the next hand.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Cards with double value
Each card has two numbers printed: one at the top, one at the bottom. When someone plays a 5, all values reverse. The hand you were building flips in an instant. You must calculate both values, always.
Trump suits that change color
The trump suit is not fixed: it changes every time the values reverse. What was clubs becomes diamonds, what was spades becomes hearts. You must keep in mind which suit is dominant now and which will be after the next 5.
The sun that eliminates
The vertical track has a threshold: the sun. Whoever flies too high lands in it and plummets below everyone. Winning is not always advantageous. Sometimes you have to lose on purpose. Sometimes you have to force others to win.
Deep cooperative mode
It's not a competitive game with a common goal. It's a true coordination challenge: you must land everyone in safe zones without openly communicating. It requires memory, shared calculation, sacrifice. Who burns to save others.
Dynamic vertical track
It's not a linear race. It's a climb where whoever goes too high falls. Whoever stays behind can win. Whoever controls the pace can manipulate others. Position on the track is strategy, not just score.
Accessible yet deep
Rules in five minutes, immediate game. But the learning curve is long: understanding when to play a 5, how to read others' hands, when to sacrifice yourself. New players have fun right away, experts find a challenge for months.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
In competitive mode, whoever flies highest without burning wins. In cooperative mode, either you all land or no one does.
Victory (Competitive)
- When the cards run out, whoever is highest on the track without burning wins
- Those who plummeted from the sun still count their final (low) position
- In case of a tie, whoever won the most tricks during the game wins
Objective (Cooperative)
- All players must land in safe zones on the track (avoiding the sun)
- If even one player burns or lands too low, you all lose
- Coordination is needed: sometimes a player must sacrifice themselves to save others from the wrong trick
Trickarus is a trick-taking game that works for everyone: those who love them find new mechanics, those who don't know them find a perfect entry point. Competitive or cooperative, five minutes of rules, hours of strategy.
Frequently asked questions
Trickarus FAQ
Do I need to know trick-taking games to play?
No. Trickarus can be explained in five minutes even to those who have never seen a trick-taking game. The double cards and variable trumps are intuitive: after two hands you understand them. It is one of the best trick-taking games for those who have never tried them, and one of the most challenging for those who already know them all.
Does the cooperative mode really work or is it just a consolation prize?
It works very well. It's not competitive with a common goal: it's a true coordination challenge. You have to land everyone without openly communicating, which means reading others' intentions, sacrificing at the right moment, jointly calculating when to reverse values. It's as tense as the competitive mode, only you lose or win together.
How long does a game last?
20-40 minutes. It depends on the number of players and how fast you play. The first games are slower (you have to get used to the double values), then the pace picks up. With two players it's more tactical and fast, with five it's more chaotic and long.
Is it too random or is there control?
There is plenty of control. The double cards and variable trumps seem chaotic, but after two games you start to read the rhythm: who has the 5s, when it's convenient to play them, who is hiding high cards. Luck matters in the initial distribution, but strategy decides who wins. Experienced players dominate new ones.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. The cards are numerical and iconic, so language does not affect the game. The rulebook is in English, but you can find Italian references online and the game is available on Board Game Arena to try it first.
Trickarus is a competitive and cooperative trick-taking game for 2-5 players, lasting 20-40 minutes, ages 8+. Designed by Bajir Cannon and illustrated by Tomoaki and Wakana Mizuno, Trickarus introduces double-valued cards and variable trumps: every time someone plays a 5, the numbers flip and the trump suit changes. The vertical track punishes those who fly too high (the sun burns and makes them plummet below everyone), rewarding perfect timing instead of brute force. Accessible rules for gateway gamers, strategic depth for trick-taking experts. Published by Tonbi Games, available on FroGames.it.
Trickarus
Frequently Asked Questions
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