Spicy Review: the battle of spices!

The Spicy boardgame features three spices —Chili, Pepper, and Wasabi. Although all three are "spicy" in flavor, these three plants belong to completely different botanical families and act in distinct ways on our bodies. So, here are some curiosities about them!

Some similarities are:

- Cooking: all are used as seasonings or condiments to enhance the flavor of food and add warmth to dishes;

- Chemicals: all contain chemical compounds that activate pain and heat receptors in the mouth or nasal passages, which the brain interprets as "burning";

- Medicinal properties: all three possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to varying degrees.

Among the various differences, we have:

- Chili (Genus Capsicum): is a fruit and gives a persistent burning sensation on the tongue and throat; in fact, capsaicin tricks the brain into thinking that the mouth is literally on fire (activating thermal receptors);

- Black Pepper (Piper Nigrum): is a grain (dried seed) and causes a dry, moderate, and localized spiciness sensation on the tongue. It is considered the "queen of spices." Its spiciness is much milder than that of chili and focuses on stimulating the taste buds and digestion;

- Wasabi (Eutrema Japonicum): is an underground stem (rhizome) that causes a volatile burning sensation that goes up the nose and quickly goes away. Unlike the others, Wasabi is a gas, and when you chew it, the vapors rise to the nasal cavity. That's why the burning sensation is intense, but disappears almost instantly after a few seconds.

Finally, an unfortunate fact: the "Wasabi" we usually consume in most restaurants is actually a mixture of common horseradish, mustard, and green food coloring, since authentic Wasabi is extremely expensive and difficult to cultivate. What a shame!

As already mentioned, all three of these spicy condiments are present in the game Spicy.

Let's get to the game!

Spicy is a 2-to-6 players game, age 10+, by designer Győri Zoltán Gábor. Game Art by Jimin Kim.

Spicy was released in 2020 by HeidelBÄR Games. The main mechanics are: bluffs, push your luck, hand management.

Spicy, being relatively "new", is still on a hype train, but not without reason. Take a look at the list of nominations and recommendations for the game:

- In 2020, the year of its release, it was nominated in several categories: Best International Art and Best Card Game by 5 Seasons;

- Also in 2020, it was runner-up by Fairplay À la carte;

- Also in 2020, by Golden Geek, it was named Light Game of the Year and Best Card Game;

- To close out 2020, it was recommended as a Successful Card Game by Spiel der Spiele, in addition to the long-awaited recommendation for the Spiel des Jahres;

- In 2021, two more nominations, as Family and Fun Game of the Year by GEEKS d'OURO and as Best Family Game Art by Graf Ludo.

Playing the Game

Once upon a time, 3 big cats became exhausted fighting to be top cat. They agreed to quit the fight and spice up their 9 lives with a hot spice eating contest! Alas, everyone was soon cheating, so the cats invented a very hot, often tearful, bluffing game.

We represent one of those big cats, bragging about how much spice we can endure. Are we telling the truth, or bluffing? That's the fun part: you never know. Can you lie about your cards? Can you call out other players when they try to bluff you?

This is the background for Spicy!

Here's the game setup:

- Shuffle all the Spicy cards (black) and deal 6 to each player;

- The remaining Spicy cards create the draw deck;

- Keep the World's End card (teal) upright next to the draw deck. Then, slide it into the deck to the approximate height determined by the number of players as indicated on the card;

- Place the 3 Trophy cards (white) next to the draw deck;

- For a standard game, like the one in this review, leave aside the "Spice It Up" cards (red). They are not used in standard games;

- The youngest player takes the first turn.

On each turn you have 2 possible actions, to choose one from:

- Action 1: play a card;

- Action 2: pass.

Before explaining the actions in detail, let's go over some definitions that will be used throughout this Review:

- card number: represents the spiciness, ranging from 1 to 10;

- suit: the spice of the card, among the 3 possible.

Action 1, which is to play a card, is quite simple: just declare the card's numer and spice, and place it face down on the pile, or as the first one of a new pile, depending on the case.

When playing cards, there are some details to remember:

- if it is the 1st card in the pile, declare it to be a card with a value of 1, 2, or 3, and a spice of your choice;

- the other cards to be placed in this pile must be declared as a higher value than the last card played, but same suit (spice);

- after a card with a value of 10 is played/declared, a 1, 2, or 3 of the same suit must be declared/played.

In the game there are also 2 Wild cards, each for a specific use:

- Number: shows all numbers, i.e., worth from 1 to 10;

- Spice: shows all spices, i.e., Chili, Pepper, and Wasabi.

When using a Wild Card, you can claim to have a number "x" using the Number Wild or claim to have a card of suit "x" using the Spice Wild. Obviously, in both cases you will be bluffing on one of the characteristics, that is:

- if you use a Number Wild, you will be bluffing on the suit;

- if you use a Spice Wild, you will be bluffing on the number.

All that remains is to hope no one challenges you, or, if you are challenged, to be challenged by the characteristic of your Wild. I'll explain more about bluffing later.

Pay attention to 2 important details that make the game more fun and punishing:

- If, when playing your card, you declare the wrong suit or a lower value than before, you must return that card to your hand and pass (Action 2);

- If a curious player looks at (turns face down) a card, they will have to draw 1 card as a penalty. As the old saying goes: "Curiosity killed the cat!"

Now, finally, Action 2, to pass. Instead of playing a card, the player says "pass" and draws 1 card from the deck. Simple as that! This is usually done when, on your turn, you don't have the suit or card value that should be played and you don't want to bluff.

Now, with the 2 actions explained, let's get into the main flavors of Spicy, which makes it so great:

- Trophy Card: your goal is to get rid of the cards in your hand to win a Trophy card, after all, it's worth 10 points;

- Bluffing: in Action 1, playing a card, the card you put down doesn't actually need to have the number or suit you declared - this is the bluffing part of the game. Remember, the goal is to empty your hand!

Regarding the Trophy card, pay attention to 2 details:

- You must declare that you are playing your last card. If you forget this (and someone notices), you must return the card to your hand and draw 1 card from the deck;

- You only collect a Trophy card if no one challenges your last card.

Trophy Cards earned should be placed in your play area next to your (possible) Spice cards earned in challenges. Trophies are very important because they are one of the "triggers" for ending the game. So, if the end of the game hasn't been triggered, the player who collected the Trophy draws 6 cards for their hand and the game continues.

Regarding Bluffing, be very careful, because after playing a card, any other player can challenge a card. The top card of the Pepper pile can always be challenged. Any player can challenge and specifically announce that they believe the number or suit is wrong.

For example: if a player claims to have played a "9 Chili," you can say that "it's not Chili" or that "it's not a 9."

But be careful, sometimes you are so "sure" that the player is bluffing that you immediately turn their card face up before even declaring which category they are bluffing about. The game punishes hasty players: you immediately lose the challenge.

Based on this, it's time to explain the outcome of a challenge, which, by the way, only takes into account the challenged characteristic, the card's number OR the suit:

- winner: takes the entire pile of chili cards and places them face down in front of them (each one is worth 1 point at the end of the game);

- loser: draws 2 cards from the deck.

In return, the loser of the challenge can start a new pile, that is, perform Action 1, which is playing a card, getting rid of the cards in their hand again, and obviously respecting the details of the first card to be played... or not.

Regarding the challenge, one last detail: if you play your card and the next player passes, your card can still be challenged. This keeps the "tension" of the game high. If you are bluffing on the card's value, suit, or both, your tension will only pass when someone plays a card on top of yours. This is a lot of fun, with an enthusiastic group, it's a guarantee of a good game every time!

That's how a turn in Spicy goes! Play continues clockwise.

Ending the Game

In Spicy, the game ends immediately in 3 cases:

- 1: a player takes their 2nd Trophy card;

- 2: a player takes the last Trophy card;

- 3: the World's End card is revealed on top of the deck.

Important: If the World's End card is revealed, immediately stop drawing cards. Do not draw the World's End card!

If it's the 1st Case, meaning a player has 2 Trophies, they are declared the winner!

Otherwise, in the 2nd and 3rd Cases, you need to tally the points:

- add 1 point for each Spice card won from challenges (if any);

- add 10 points for the Trophy card (if any);

- subtract 1 point for each card still in your hand (if any).

Whoever scores the most points, win! If there's a tie, the tied players share the win.

Spicy has a lot going on:

- get rid of the cards in your hand to win the Trophy card;

- to do this, playing cards is fundamental, that is, performing Action 1;

- to always play cards, it will sometimes be necessary to bluff;

- but the game is also made of points, so it is necessary to challenge;

- sometimes, it will be necessary to pass, so as not to risk being challenged.

We agree that playing cards is fundamental, simple as that, bluffing or not, using wild cards or not, so the golden rule is: always play cards!

I only use wild cards on special occasions, because there is only one of each in the game, and logically, I never use them when it's my last card in hand - definitely not a good time to bluff, because you will be about to get a Trophy card, so don't push your luck too much.

I strongly suggest always having, whenever possible, one high-value card of each suit in your hand. This way, you can always get rid of that card as your last without having to bluff. Of course, this isn't always easy, but it doesn't hurt to try; if you succeed, it will be great for you.

Always challenge when you suspect something, especially in a very specific situation: when the pile of spice cards is low, because if you lose the challenge, the winner will score few points.

To score points, I recommend a technique:

- Try to play a card of the correct value and suit whenever the pile of spice cards is full;

- Look insecure to provoke them to challenge you; then, by using a card of the correct number and suit, you win the challenge.

To bluff, I recommend:

- Play the bluff card without hesitation, projecting confidence;

- Make the famous poker face.

Be careful with penalties, as Spicy has many: for turning over a card too early, for misjudging the value or suit when playing a card, for not announcing the last card, and for losing a challenge. Having a "full hand" is easy. So, be careful!

If you intend to win quickly, try to get rid of your hand of cards twice; this way, you'll win 2 Trophy cards and win the game without needing to count points. I suggest this if you haven't won many challenges, i.e., if you have few points.

Otherwise, if you notice that the Trophy cards are going to your opponents, it's time to score by challenging them. That's all you have left.

That said, this clever card game isn't just about bluffing, as you can almost always play a card that is at least partially correct if you play your cards intelligently. This means tactically deciding which card to use at the right time.

Finally, you can use the game's variants, in addition to the normal game, the "Spice It Up!" cards. Their use is simple: just place a random "Spice It Up!" card face up next to your deck.

The "Spice It Up!" cards change the basic rules of the entire game. Advanced players can add a second "Spice It Up" card. There are a total of 6 "Spice It Up" cards, which gives Spicy enormous replayability. You can check them out in the rulebook.

Based on these tips, use your strategy, challenge, bluff when necessary, and win in Spicy.

Unboxing:

Rules and Gameplay:

Spicy has beautiful artwork, is easy to teach and play, has no language dependency, is super fun, and provides several important stimuli for children.

The idea of ​​the tiger images changing on the cards as their value increases was a brilliant touch; the kids will love seeing the tiger's first contact with the spices on the lower-value cards, all the way to "spitting fire" and tearing up on the higher-value cards. It will be a blast to enjoy this with the children.

Regarding the stimuli, there are several, namely:

- resource management: having to manage the cards in hand, their values, and suits;

- strategy: knowing when to use a particular card;

- decision-making: playing a specific spice card, a wild card, bluffing, challenging, passing, etc.

- logical-mathematical reasoning: knowing the values ​​to be able to play the right card and count your points.

And note, these stimuli are strongly present throughout the entire game, not just at certain moments; the children will be stimulated at all times, which makes a big difference.

Take advantage of the game's theme and talk about spices. You can reference the first section of this review, or delve even deeper and discuss the different varieties of peppers that exist. Don't let this opportunity pass you by.

Education-wise, Spicy addresses resource management, stimulates strategy, decision-making, logical-mathematical reasoning, and on top of that, it's fun!

I recommend Spicy for your collection!!!