game design by Paul Peterson
published by WOTC
50 noble cards, 60 action cards
$9.99

Wow!

What can I say about this game. Addicting comes to mind. Smooth. Yes. Elegant. Yes. Fun. Oh, you betcha! Perfect? Maybe... Did I mention it was addicting?

WOTC released Great Dalhmuti and Corporate Shuffle (same games, different packaging) and the world noticed, but was too busy buying some crazy CCO to stop and look at a boring, regular card game. They were good, and had high replay value, but I never took soda-and-snack (not beer-and-pretzel - SHADIS does not advocate that sort of thing) card games too seriously - although we did write some mean things on Burger King crowns that the peons were forced to wear... not to mention a few altercations...

Where was I?

Right, Guillotine. Other card games rarely last for me. I play then when their new, burn through them quickly and then I'm back to RPGs until another card game comes out. Slasher, Spammers, Three Stooges, and Groo, however, are still part of my regular "convention emergency kit". If my copy of Guillotine were salvageable, it would be in there too. I've had it for about 4-5 weeks and it is thrashed! We've played 100 games (easy), and every time there's a lull in combat from our weekly RPG, those babies come out and we start lopping of noble's heads.

Which brings me to the point of the game. I suppose I should explain it, huh?

Guillotine is like things you've seen before, but better. It's like Family Business (another gooder), only different. And yet, it's so right-on! Guillotine has very simple, easy to read rules - a near miracle in the age of 87 page, 6 point font CCG rulebooks - and plays incredibly fast and smooth. Each day (their term for a "turn"; you play through 3 days), you lay out twelve nobles to be executed.

The player to the left of the dealer goes first (on the first day) and plays one card. This play is optional and no matter what she does, she collects the noble from the front of the line, and adds it to her score pile. Each noble has a number that ranges from one to five (the Royal Cartographer is only worth one, while the Cardinal is worth five) printed on their face (did I mention how great the art is?) and these are tabulated at the end of the game. No one need keep track as the game goes on, because things will change.

After collecting a head, she draws a card, and then play passes to the left. This continues until the day is over; then another row of twelve and another day of executions. Finally, a third day of decapitations and the revolution is over. The player that collects the most marbles with their hippo wins... no wait, that's another game. Played too much of that this week end.

Wait, don't close the magazine yet. There's more. One, everything you need to know is on the cards. CCGs have done something useful (that should make those purists happy), so it seems, and Guillotine has taken an intelligent leap in card design. There are 60 cards in this game and only a few duplicates, so this was an important consideration. I'm glad they made it. Did I mention the art is fantastic? Second, there are noble cards that have negative numbers printed on them. Some of these can seriously cripple your score pile; they have gray borders (all nobles have a a colored border to indicate which branch of government they belong to - Civic, Military, Church, Nobility), and add up quickly.

I thought the card designs and art were fantastic, as well, and I'm really glad WOTC has chosen this path for their standard (non-CCG) card game development. The rules say the game is for two to five players, but four is optimal and I've found that two players was rather boring.

Of course, there are few things I would have changed. First, the ugly, ugly, stupid Callous Guards card. Tear it up when you get your copy. Sift through the cards, go straight to this one, and rip. You'll thank me for it. This card stops players from being able to move people around in line. Why develop a such a clean, smooth system just to screw it up with a mindless, game-halting card?

And, while most of the cards are very self- explanatory, a few leave questions unanswered and we've had to legwrestle to resolve the problem. Late Arrival didn't explain what to do with the remaining nobles you don't use, and too many times the Master Spy card's timing effects (arrgh!) were questioned. It's obvious what to do, but it's still aggravating. I'm still not sure if you shuffle the deck when you run out of cards.

The book doesn't say anything about it, and with so many cards allowing you to burn through the deck, like Double Feature and Public Demand, this sleek system can be broken. I highly recommend against the reshuffle.

Guillotine rules. I just have to say it one more time. It's addicting and the art is great. Quinton Hoover and Mike Raabe did a great job of coordinating the look, and to whoever did the logos - I noticed all the little Photoshop tricks. Nice job!

30 minutes to play, ages 12 to adult, shirts and shoes required - $25 fee on all returned checks, you can't win if you don't enter, call now for a free tote bag

Guillotine asks players to take a whack (ouch) at the upper class and make the world safe for democracy. Full of philosophical reverence (snicker) and moral quandaries, players will be riveted to its realistic representation of 18th century Parisian life.