GAP Review: put colors together and win by creating a GAP!

A gap means, basically, an interval between two points. It is used to describe physical, economic, social, or performance disparities.

Naturally, there are synonyms for Gap, namely:

- a sort of empty space;

- some kind of breach or slit;

- a divergence in values;

- a lack of conformity or technological lag.

The board game GAP involves creating the largest interval between the most frequent and least frequent colors among the cards in front of you. Let's take a look at GAP!

GAP is a 2-to-6 players game, age 8+, created by designers Rico Besteher and Frank Noack. Game art by Ronny Libor.

GAP was released in 2022 by Funbot, and in Brazil in 2023 by Papergames. Its main mechanics are hand management and set collection.

Playing the Game

The core idea of ​​GAP is to strategically collect cards to create the largest possible "gap" (difference) between the most and least represented colors in your play area. It sounds simple, but the color and number on each card make all the difference with every choice. This is what makes the game so interesting, because it requires strategic decisions to build the best card set and score the most points.

That is the premise of GAP!

The game has three ways to be played:

- by points: 15 points (short game), 30 points (medium game), or 70 points (long game);

- by rounds: 3 rounds, for example (or more, as agreed upon by the players);

- by time: "x" minutes (as agreed upon by the players).

Once that choice is made, it is time to adjust the deck based on the number of players. With 2 players, remove 20 cards of 2 colors. With 3 players, remove 10 cards of a single color. With 4 or more players, all cards are used.

Next, simply shuffle the cards and deal the starting hand:

- 2 to 4 players: 6 cards each;

- 5 to 6 players: 5 cards each.

Then, place 4 cards face-up in a row in the center of the table. The remaining cards form a face-down draw pile next to them. According to the rules, the oldest player goes first. Setup finished!

Let's also get to know the anatomy of a GAP card. Each card features a main number in the center. Additionally, the two numbers adjacent to it—the one preceding it and the one following it—appear in the four corners.

Now it’s time to understand how a GAP turn works:

- play a card from your hand;

- check the number of cards in the center row.

Playing a card seems simple, but the action is highly strategic and has significant consequences. This is where you must be careful, as both colors and values ​​matter—for the card being played and for those in the center. There are three possible scenarios:

- cards with the same number;

- cards with adjacent numbers;

- cards with neither matching nor adjacent numbers.

If one or more cards in the center of the table share the same number as the card you played, collect them all and place them face-up in front of you, along with the played card.

Although color doesn't matter in this situation—since you are required to collect all cards showing the same number—you can plan which card to play to target colors that interest you. After all, accumulating cards of the same color is crucial.

In the case of cards with adjacent numbers, if there are cards in the center that precede or follow the value of the card you played, the following rules apply:

- if there is more than one card with a higher or lower value, take only one of each (your choice);

- if only one of the adjacent numbers is present, take only one card, even if there are multiple copies of it in the center.

Note that, here, color makes all the difference for your card set planning.

Finally, if you play cards with neither matching nor adjacent numbers, thus the card you played has no identical or adjacent matches in the table, simply leave your card face-up in the middle row.

In this case, the next player will have 5 cards available in the central row.

At the end of the turn, check the number of cards in the central row. If fewer than 4 cards remain, reveal new cards from the top of the deck until there are 4 face-up cards. If the draw pile runs out, continue playing normally with fewer cards in the center. The central row might even empty out completely—which is a great opportunity to play cards you want to get rid of!

That is how a turn goes. Once all players have exhausted the cards in their hands, each player scores according to the face-up cards in front of them, regardless of the chosen game mode.

The score calculation consists of:

- positive points;

- negative points.

Positive points are calculated as follows:

- count the amount of cards of the color you have the most of;

- if there is a tie for the lead between two or more colors, sum the amount of cards for all those tied colors.

Negative points are calculated as follows:

- identify the color you hold the least of (provided you have at least one card of that color) and count its cards;

- if there is a tie for the lowest quantity among more than one color, sum the cards for all of them;

- completely ignore colors for which you hold no cards.

The only way to avoid negative points is to collect exactly the same number of cards for all the colors you have on your side.

Note that when tallying points, the numbers printed on the cards do not matter—only the amount of cards of each color. The final calculation is simple: subtract negative points from positive ones. It is worth noting that the round's final result can be negative.

Record the score for the round. If no player has reached the target score set for the end of the game, start a new round. The player to the left of the previous starting player takes the first turn.

That is how a round of GAP goes!

Ending the Game

At the end of each round, check the conditions agreed upon during setup:

- by points: if one or more players have reached or exceeded the stipulated final score;

- by time: if the established playtime has elapsed;

- by round: if the scheduled number of rounds has been completed.

The player with the highest total score at the end wins the game!

In the event of a tie in the final score, the tie-breaker goes to the player who achieved the highest score in a single round. If the tie persists, the winner is the player who achieved that highest partial score first. If the tie remains, the tied players must play an extra round to determine the winner.

GAP is essentially about managing numbers and colors to achieve the greatest possible distance between your card sets—in other words, always aiming for the largest scoring Gap. There is a great deal of strategy involved in this process.

Playing cards is the core of your turn, as it determines what you collect—based on matching numbers or adjacent values—or whether you choose to take nothing at all. This dynamic depends directly on the value of the card played, but you must also pay attention to the colors of the cards entering your side or those you wish to discard into the center.

Since the objective is to create a wide margin between your most abundant and least abundant colors, your focus should be on collecting color sets. GAP requires good game awareness: there are only 10 cards of each color in the deck, and since everyone's sets are visible, you can estimate what remains in the deck or in your opponents' hands.

Splitting your focus by investing in colors your opponents are already collecting rarely works. It leads to fierce competition, ties for majority, or—worse—can result in that color counting as negative points for you. Therefore, keep a close eye on your rivals' moves.

I recommend focusing on just one or two colors to amass the largest possible number of cards. If you choose two colors, try to keep their quantities equal to double your positive score. For example, having 4 cards each of two different colors guarantees 8 points—an excellent result!

Maintaining this perfect balance eliminates negative points, but you must be careful. If that isn't possible, try to keep your secondary colors to a minimum to mitigate the penalty during the final tally.

To achieve this, carefully select the cards from your hand and analyze what will remain on the table for your opponents. Monitor your sets and choose the precise moment to go for that decisive card. Don't delay your move, or your opponents might snatch it up first. Remember that while numbers dictate the collection mechanics, colors define the quality of your score.

Keep an eye on opportunities on the board, devise your strategy, collect the best sets, and avoid making things easy for your opponents if you want to win at GAP.

Unboxing:

Rules:

Gameplay:

If you are looking for a fast-paced game with simple rules that is easy to explain to children, GAP is an excellent choice.

As a portable game consisting solely of cards, it fits easily into a bag and can be played anywhere, making it perfect for entertaining kids during trips or outings.

The visual design features colorful cards with large numbers, making the game easy to read at a glance. Additionally, each color has a unique pattern that acts like a suit, offering great accessibility.

Children often get excited waiting for the right moment to use a card they’ve been holding to capture targets on the table. This dynamic creates a sense of healthy tension that keeps them fully engaged.

They also find it fun to watch their friends struggle when calculating low scores or tallying up negative points, which leads to plenty of laughter during the game.

Beyond just entertainment, GAP serves as an educational tool to exercise important skills, such as:

- resource management: controlling the cards in hand and managing the colors collected;

- strategic planning: choosing which card to play each round;

- decision-making: assessing the risks of each card played to the table;

- logical-mathematical reasoning: identifying adjacent numbers and calculating final scores.

From an educational standpoint, the game fosters organization and stimulates analytical focus and mathematical calculation—all while maintaining a lighthearted and fun pace.

I recommend GAP on your collection!