
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,921
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Yokai Septet
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2018

2014
Rules assistance for Tricks & Deserts
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tricks & Deserts is a board game released in 2014 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Muneyuki Yokouchi (横内宗幸) and its main mechanics are Commodity Speculation, Trick-taking, and Stock Holding.
Tricks and Deserts is a trick taking game where players play as cunning human authorities trying to obtain controls of magical species with powerful abilities. Each turn, players will be playing 1 specie card either face up or face down. The player that played the strongest card (usually the card with the highest number) takes all face up cards. Playing cards face down is called "passing," and these cards are abandoned to the desert. The play continues until all cards are played from player's hands. The face-up cards you take scores points, but the abandoned cards will affect your scoring, sometimes positively, and sometime negatively. You must choose wisely when to play and when to pass.
Tricks & Deserts supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Tricks & Deserts is 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 Tricks & Deserts for ages 13 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.
Tricks & Deserts has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Tricks & Deserts belongs to these categories: Card Game and Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Commodity Speculation, Trick-taking, and Stock Holding. 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 Tricks & Deserts are: Muneyuki Yokouchi (横内宗幸). 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 Tricks & Deserts 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.