Flip 7

Okay, whatever we say about Flip 7 will probably not be enough. It is a “game” only in the loosest sense: a stripped-down serving of push-your-luck, a little paprika, a little take-that, and off we go. And yet, we have played it to death like addicts, because when a game makes you laugh this much, it does not need to apologize for being simple.

At its core, Flip 7 asks you to push your luck. You keep drawing, hoping that this time you will get away with it and come out ahead, while knowing perfectly well that the next reveal might send you packing. It is the pure, immediate joy of “one more and then I’ll stop” — until, naturally, you do not stop.

The tension also comes from the take-that, but mostly from those moments when the game decides to mock you to your face. You bust with two 3s, and suddenly your brilliant strategy turns out to have been nothing more than excessive confidence. The players do not need to do much else: the shared suspense, the teasing, and someone else’s collapse at precisely the right moment do the work.

If you get into its spirit, Flip 7 delivers hours of laughter and excitement. If, on the other hand, you are serious gamers who want to control everything, perhaps do not sit down at all: the first time two 3s burn you, you will miss the days of Combat Commander, when the move would not arrive for ten rounds. At least here, the disappointment arrives quickly and in good company.