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The Brambles: A Solo Card Game
- 1 player
- 15–25 min
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- 2020
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ECK: A solo trick-taking card game
2020
Rules assistance for ECK: A solo trick-taking card game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 15–30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for ECK: A solo trick-taking card game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
ECK: A solo trick-taking card game is a board game released in 2020 for 1 player, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by John Burton and its main mechanics are Solo / Solitaire Game and Trick-taking.
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About the game
ECK (pronounced like “deck” without the ‘d’) is an abstract solo trick-taking game where the you play against the AI opponent ECK by attempting to collect trick cards by winning exactly the number of tricks shown on the available trick cards. The ranks are polygon shapes where increased complexity means increased trick value: line, triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, octagon. The suits are colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. So there are 6 ranks and 6 suits. There are also 6 circle cards, three white and three black, which act as trump cards. The player draws a hand of 13 cards and plays one trick for each card. The AI opponent ECK is the remaining cards, and in each trick the player plays one card and ECK plays one card based on the rules for following suit. There are 7 trick cards numbered 2,4,6,8,10,12, and 13/0. The player's goal is, at the end of each round, to have won exactly the number of tricks shown on one of the available trick cards, collecting that card if successful. Collecting 4 trick cards wins the game, though there are ways for ECK to win also.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- (Web published)
Questions and answers
ECK: A solo trick-taking card game supports 1 player according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for ECK: A solo trick-taking card game is 15–30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists ECK: A solo trick-taking card game for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
ECK: A solo trick-taking card game has a complexity rating of 1.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
ECK: A solo trick-taking card game belongs to these categories: Card Game and Print & Play. Its main mechanics are Solo / Solitaire Game and Trick-taking. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of ECK: A solo trick-taking card game are: John Burton. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists ECK: A solo trick-taking card game as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.