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Counting was never so spiteful
6 nimmt! is a 1994 game designed by Wolfgang Kramer, and published by Mayfair Games. It has been republished by Amigo in the U.S. as Take 5, combining the original 6 nimmt! game with the x nimmt! variations in one box.
6 Nimmt, or Take 5 in the U.S., is a card game for 2 to 10 players where each player chooses a numbered card in their hand simultaneously; those cards are then place sequentially in one of four rows. Whoever places the 6th card in a row collects the preceding 5, scoring undesirable points.
Josh’s Review
Thom’s Review
Is it fun?
Yes. I have to admit that I was shocked to discover this information. I’m the kind of gamer who really, really loves things like pieces and tile placement and rules text. These are just cards with numbers on them. (We’ll ignore the iconography that helps you remember how many points each card is worth for a moment.)
CARDS WITH NUMBERS. That’s IT.
But I can play 6 Nimmt for a silly number of minutes straight, across several games. Depending on the group, this would make a great party game, a great “filler” game, or even just the game you sit down to after dinner.
It stands atop a mountain of weighty, lengthy, expensive big box games and shouts triumphantly to the heavens that simple games can be incredibly fun! This game spread like wildfire amongst our friends, dragging even the most reluctant to the table to, as we’ve come to call it, ‘choose violence’ time and again.
(Disclaimer: no friends were harmed in the playing of 6 nimmt, except for maybe their pride).
2/2
2/2
Do the components/aesthetics improve the experience?
There are no components! No aesthetics! Just cards!
Okay, I guess cards are components. And the art on the cards are the aesthetics. Yes it’s simple, and yes, it’s fine. But it’s the only significant part of this game I find wanting.
The iconography DOES help to remember how many points cards are worth, and you really cannot recreate the experience just by taking a second deck of 52 and slapping it into the first one without a sharpie involved. But to that end, these cards could be — and should be — decorated and illustrated with so much more than cows or goblins or just numbers. I want full-art illustrated 6 Nimmt. Short of a custom commission, I won’t get it, but I want it.
Put all that aside. It doesn’t matter. This game is a work of art.
A game this mechanically simple needs a similarly clean aesthetic design, and mission accomplished. The cards are easy to read, and score values are indicated both by the number of bull heads plainly printed, as well as by the intensifying color schemes as cards are worth more points.
Simple.
Brilliant.
1/2
2/2
Does playing the game create an immersive experience?
The story here is the experience of playing the game. The game itself is not telling a story, but it’s facilitating vibes. I’ve played games of 6 Nimmt full of glory and failure and I’ve told people about those games the next day. “Story” or no story, that’s the hallmark of an experience.
This question is difficult to answer with games like this that are purely abstract, but I am going to say ‘yes.’ While there is no inherent narrative, the ‘story’ that emerges is the little moments of jubilance when your card squeaks into that 5th slot, or frustration when someone else slips into that improbably-small gap and you’re stuck with the row. I won’t say any one game is going to be especially memorable, but the feeling you come away with any time you play this will be.
How often does a player make meaningful choices?
You and your fellow players are weaving an intricate web of secret card plays via simultaneous action. You’re trying to manage the arcane wasteland of cards you’ve been dealt in such a way that you only take maybe a few points here and there instead of getting forced into taking a whole bunch of points later. And every card you play affects everyone else, sometimes to the point of grievance. It’s fabulous. Admittedly, sometimes your choice is out of your hands — but you often can choose between bad and worse. Some days, with certain tables, one must wake up and choose violence.
Hmmm. I am giving this game full marks on choice, though there is an argument that could be made that it is mostly an illusion. I would respond to such a statement by saying that it is a damn convincing one. Each round can be agony trying to pick the right card for the current board state, and then watching that state change completely round-to-round. I am personally a big fan of having all my luck, good and bad, laid out before me up front, and then having to strategically spend it as I tip-toe around trying not to score any cards. Every choice feels measured and impactful, and that counts for a lot.
2/2
2/2
Does the level of player interaction encourage continual engagement?
Even with secret plays, every turn is interactive. You can only plan so far ahead, too, as rows shift and change what plays are either legal or a smart idea (since cards must be played in ascending order). The game gets tense when rows start to fill up, and it’s unreal how much fun that is.
Yes; in fact this game brings out more interaction and animation from my friends than I think any other we have played recently. There is almost no down time where you can get distracted, and seeing how the cards fall each round is engrossing.
2/2
2/2
Is the game balanced such that it feels like a fair experience?
Yes. It’s primarily random with a human element. It’s as fair as the heart of the cards and the other players at the table make it out to be. There might be a “good” 6 Nimmt player, but they’re only as good as the situation allows.
There is a strong vein of chance here, but it is applied evenly across all players. Which cards you get are random, but that is mitigated by the constantly changing board-state and the fact that you get to choose when you play each card.
2/2
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How often would you want to play this game?
I’d play this weekly. I’d find excuses to have people over. The more the merrier, and this one supports up to TEN. (The BGG community would like to advise you that it’s best with 5-6, and they’re probably right, but it’s one of my dreams in life to play a 10 player game of 6 Nimmt.)
This game has earned my rare ‘I will never say no to playing this game’ award. Truly the grandest prize and highest honor a board game can win, though not a very catchy name. Let’s call it…the infinity award! Yes, it wins the much-coveted Infinity Award.
2/2
2/2
Is the game accessible?
Numbers and easy-to-access iconography are all that should be in play, which means that this is an offering almost anybody can pick up. BGG and the box both recommend 8+, though I wager an engaged 6+ could handle it — with the caveat that perhaps the strategy at this age is a little difficult to grasp. Heck, the strategy at my age can be tricky to grasp.
Extremely; it can be taught in a couple sentences and a quick example, and if players are still confused it is easy enough to dive in and learn as you go with little impact to the overall experience. As I mentioned above, the cards are easy to read and indicate point values in two distinct ways.
2/2
2/2
Is the game good value?
It’s currently Ten Dollars on Amazon and Walmart.com at the time of writing. Look, I’m not your board game supervisor, but I don’t know why you’re not buying this game right now.
At time of review it looks like it runs $15 for the American version, ‘Take 5.’ Given the excellent player count range and infinite replayability, I would say you’d be hard-pressed to find a game that’s a better value.
2/2
2/2
Je ne sais quoi?
Mais oui. It’s not a “core” game. Is it a “party” game? A “family” game? Who can say. I love a great Terraforming Mars and Wingspan as much as the next gamer, but some nights I just want to play cards. This is not one to sleep on. This is the game I played the most of in 2021, and it already might be the game I play the most of in 2022.
Playing this game brings out so much laughter and cursing and just plain good times for me and my friends. Dang. Even thinking about playing it puts a smile on my normally scowly face.
2/2
2/2
Final Thoughts
This game is our surprise, breakout hit of recent years, regularly bringing our friends together to curse at one another for slipping in that 45 when you thought your 47 was going to be safe and now you have to pick up 12 points…
It sits criminally underrated on Board Game Geek at 623 overall. We would recommend anyone grab a copy of this game.
