Odin

Odin is an award-winning ladder-climbing card game for 2–6 players in which you're racing to empty your hand before your opponents do. Sharp, quick, and easy to pick up, it rewards reading the table and timing your plays well.

Odin is a ladder-climbing card game with a twist: to play cards down, you have to take one back. The lead player plays a single card; to beat it, you play the same number of cards with a higher combined value — or more cards than the previous player. Values are formed by arranging digits high to low, so a 3 and 6 becomes 63, not 9. Here's the catch: every time you beat a play, you must take one card from the set you just beat into your hand. Use it wisely — collecting cards of the same colour or number sets you up for a massive dump that nobody can beat. Pass if you need to, and rejoin when the round comes back around. Empty your hand to end the round; everyone else scores one penalty point per card remaining. Fewest points when someone hits 15 wins.

What's good?

• Winner of the As d'Or – Jeu de l'Année — France's most prestigious board game award
• The take-back mechanic turns every play into a strategic decision — you're shopping your opponents' cards as much as shedding your own
• Plays 2–6 with no meaningful change in rules — scales well across player counts
• 15 minutes — genuinely quick, with natural replay pull

Who is it for?

• ✔ Families and mixed groups looking for a quick, satisfying card game
• ✔ Players who enjoy hand-shedding games like Uno or The Game but want more tactical depth
• ✔ A strong filler or warm-up game for any game night
• ✖ Not suited to players wanting a longer, more complex experience

Odin is a standalone game. No other products required to play.

Pair with: Browse the full Helvetiq collection — compact, beautifully designed games that punch well above their size.