Trio Review
“I want a Trio and I want one now!” was an advertising ditty that I remember from my childhood, but it is probably now a niche reference for most as I have just discovered after a twenty year run of production the beloved chocolate bar produced by McVitie’s was discontinued in 2003. However, the jingle has stuck with me, even if you have never heard of it and so I’m sticking with this tale highlighting my old age for the introduction to the card game Trio, even though I probably should’ve just scrapped it and started again! You might also know this game as nana which was its name when it was originally released.
©boardgamereview.co.uk
Setup
Shuffle all the cards together, and deal out a number of cards depending on player count. Remaining cards should be placed face down in the middle of the table. Each player then orders their hand into number order. With this all done, you can choose a first player and get going.
Gameplay
The aim of the game is to find three sets of three cards that match in number, or, a trio of 7s. On your turn you can either ask to see any player’s highest or lowest value card. Alternatively you can flip a card in the middle. The active player will then repeat this step with either option again. If they find a matching card, they can then, and only when they’ve found two matching cards, repeat the step with the hope of finding the third matching card. If they find a trio they scoop up the cards and place them in front of them. Regardless of whether a trio is found or not, play then moves to the next person. This continues until the end game condition is fulfilled.
There is also a ‘spicy’ version whereby your trios have to match certain other number trios, but I have no interest in that and only ever play the standard version.
©boardgamereview.co.uk
What it’s like
At its core, Trio is a memory game. Remembering the information around the table is crucial. I’m pretty poor at this, but I manage to remember enough to win occasionally.
The cards are numbered 1-12. Because 7s are in the middle of this number range, these are often buried in the middle of a hand and thus harder to find. It therefore makes sense that finding them is worthy of the win. It also creates quite the finale if a player does pull it off!
As you can only ask to see the highest or lowest card in anyone’s hand, including your own. Information is drip-fed around the table. Sometimes you don’t even want to give other players new information, but the nature of the game makes you explore.
At higher player counts there could be a ‘king of the hill’ moment whereby you have worked out where the sevens are in people’s hands and don’t want to gain a trio to give other player’s access to them. I have to say this is rare and will likely only be a problem for players with fantastic memories.
Generally play is quick and when someone completely forgets where something is, painfully funny too. This is a fairly light card game and should be viewed as such. It’s certainly fun though!
I prefer Trio at 3 or 4 players, and although it can sit more, I think it loses a little bit because of everyone having fewer cards.
©boardgamereview.co.uk
Table Presence
This is a good looking game, I love the Dia de los Muertos illustrations and the cards are nice and colourful too. The Day of the Dead vibe has nothing to do with the game whatsoever, but it does make the cards prettier to look at.
There isn’t a lot more to say about the deck of cards, but I did take the decision to sleeve my copy of the game. I just felt any marks that could possibly give away the identity of particular numbers would ruin the game and so it is now protected.
The rulebook was clear and concise and the box to house it all in not too big. That said I think there are two editions of this floating around on the market and I’m not sure what size the other is!
I have played nana published by Mob+ and setup and player count varies slightly, but in essence they are the same game. Some will much prefer the cute animals in nana, but I’m happy with the colourful Cocktail Games version.
©boardgamereview.co.uk
Final thoughts on Trio
I reach for Trio quite regularly, despite being pretty bad at it. Its frequency at the table is mostly because it is fun but also because it is perfect for that moment where you have time for one more quick game. You know, those moments just before bedtime, or just before the takeaway arrives, or while you are waiting for another player to arrive for game night.
It is easy to learn, quick to play, and its simplicity means that most members of the family can enjoy it too.
Trio is the perfect game to take on holiday too, or play with non-gaming pals as it is beginner friendly. We really like it!
Key Facts
Number of players: 3 to 6
Board Game Review Recommended Age: 7+
Publisher’s Recommended Age: 6+
Playing Time: 17 minutes
Setting Up and Take Down Time: 1 minute
Designers: Kaya Miyano
Publisher: Cocktail Games
RRP: £11.99
Summary
Get the brain cells working in a fun way with this quick memory card game that is surprisingly fun!
-
Artwork and Components
-
Complexity
-
Instructions
-
Interaction
-
Value for Money
Overall
Pros
- Cards are bright and colourful
- Memory element
- Quick playtime
- Funny when people misremember
Cons
- Might want to sleeve cards
- ‘King of the Hill’ moment
- Unnecessary ‘Spicy’ mode
Need more games?
If you already own Trio and enjoy it, or are looking for other inspiration, you might also like these similar games:
- Hungry Monkey
- That’s Not a Hat
- Courtisans
- Flip 7
Buy Trio
If you want to buy this card game after reading our review click on one of our affiliate links below (note there has been no affiliate links until this point)
Reviewer’s Note
For clarity: we don’t get paid for our reviews. I forked out all my own money to buy this card game too. We have tried not to let this affect our review in any way.
We may however earn a tincy wincy commission if you buy a game having clicked one of our affiliate links like the one above… this hopefully gives us a bit of pocket money towards hosting costs and new games to review!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We also are an affiliate of Board Game Prices, a price comparison website for Board Games.
These affiliate advertising programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to their websites.
