I first played the game Sequence at a family retreat with a group from our church. My family really enjoys playing games together in the evening after dinner, and I knew it was a winner. Since my mother and father are senior-citizens and sometimes have trouble with their eyesight, I opted to go for the deluxe edition, figuring it would be easier for her to see.

DELUXE EDITION

Just as in the regular version of Sequence, the deluxe edition comes with three sets of chips in different colors, and a deck of cards which is essentially two decks of standard playing cards.

The difference is in the game board itself. The deluxe edition of Sequence has a large-sized cushioned playing mat rather than a folding board. The entire game comes in a tube which resembled what I remember a Tinker-Toys container being like when I was a kid.

The play mat has it’s own separate cardboard tube which stores in the round container with the other parts of the game. Laid flat, the mat measures 24-inches by 13-inches, making it easy for all to see. When we played at the retreat they had a mat like this as well, and with ten people playing around a table, it made it much easier for everyone to see. Rolling the mat instead of having to fold it keeps it in better condition and it will last much longer this way. Since we have been playing it about five nights out of the week since I bought it, it would get a lot of wear and tear being unfolded all the time.

GAMEPLAY

The game itself is quite simple, although the rules vary slightly based on how many people are playing the game. The mat has laid out on it in a rectangular shape every card from the deck except Jacks. In the corners are “free spaces.” The idea is to get five chips in a row, or four plus a “free space.” This can be horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

When playing with two people, seven cards are dealt. The first player selects a card and plays it, putting it into a pile, then puts his chip on one of the two places that card occurs on the mat. After he has placed his chip, he selects another card. The object is to get two Sequences of five chips, or four chips plus one of the “free spaces” (you don’t put a chip on the “free space.”)

Jacks are special cards. Two-eyed jacks are wild, meaning you can use that to put a chip on any place you want. One-eyed jacks allow you to remove a chip from the board. This can work one of two ways. If your opponent is coming close to getting a Sequence of five in a row, you can remove one of his chips. If your opponent has previously blocked you getting a Sequence by placing a chip on a spot you need to complete your Sequence, you can remove his chip from that spot. However, that is the end of your turn once you have removed the chip and you must wait until your next turn before you can finish the Sequence, giving your opponent another shot at blocking you. Once you have a completed Sequence, your opponent cannot remove a chip from within that Sequence.

If you are holding a card and both of the spots are covered on the mat, you can turn in the card for a new one at your next turn without sacrificing a turn. However, if anyone removes that chip and you are counting on that spot to block someone or as part of your Sequence, you are out of luck unless you, too, have a Jack.

When three people play, only six cards are dealt out and you need only get one Sequence of five spots or four plus the free space. When you get into teams, the number of cards and number of Sequences needed to win changes as well. Any multiple of two or three can play the game, so you have even teams set up.

STRATEGY

Believe it or not, one of the really hard things to remember is to pick up a card after you put your chip down. If you forget, you have to continue playing with one less card. For example, if you start out with seven cards and forget to pick up, for the rest of the game you are only working with six cards.

When I was teaching her the game, my mother asked “Why would I forget to pick up a card?” She soon found out as the first game I believe she was all the way down to four cards. It’s hard to get conditioned to pick a card at the end of a turn; so many games have you pick a card at the start of your turn.

There’s also a lot of strategy involved when it comes to choosing where to try to get a Sequence. Sometimes the cards initially seem to gravitate toward one particular area of the board but that never ends up playing out. I’ve won the game in about fifteen turns and I’ve seen the game go to a complete draw where there is no winner. At the same time, there is not so much thinking necessary that it’s intimidating. I find it’s a great game to relax with at the end of the day.

When playing with teams, it’s a bit harder as you have no idea whether your teammates can complete the same Sequence that you can start. It provides more opportunities to block your opponents as well.

FUN

We’ve really gotten addicted to Sequence since I brought it into the house. My nine year-old daughter has played it and beat us fair and square along with my senior-citizen mother. We have a great time together and it promoted critical and strategic thinking as well as fun quality time together as a family.

When I’ve played with teams it’s great fun. We have played with up to ten people and had a great time. It is highly addictive, especially when we played men against the women.

I ordered mine online for about $30.00. I think if you are going to play Sequence with more than two or three people or play frequently it’s worth it to have the large-size rolled-up mat which comes with the deluxe edition.


© 2005 Patti Aliventi

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): $29.99
Type of Toy: Board Game
Age Range of Child: Whole Family