A game that’s been on my brain a lot this week is Tussie Mussie by Elizabeth Hargrave.
I wasn’t sure what to expect given how tiny it is (18 cards!) and how simple the rules are, but it’s proven itself a very fun filler game in our household.
The aim of the game is to build the highest-scoring collection of four flower cards. Each turn, the player places one card face up, one face down. Their opponent then chooses one to keep, and the player keeps the other. When you both have four cards, the game’s over. And that’s it!
I didn’t initially think the core dynamic would provide enough of a ‘game’ experience but the ability on each card is so game-affecting that every decision is tough. Do I put a card face down because I don’t want my opponent to know how good it is for them? Or will they know that’s what I’m trying to do and nab it anyway… but what if I really want the other card – do I let them take the one that’s good for them? Even though each game is so short, there is enough strategy, bluffing and gambling that every session has felt packed with activity.
The theme is also quite charming. Tussie Mussie is the Victorian ‘language’ of bouquets – i.e. flower symbology. Each card is a unique flower, complete with authentic flavour text describing what the flower is “saying” to your opponent. Reading these out at the end of each game makes for an amusing back-and-forth between players, even if it is irrelevant to the gameplay itself.
I was also worried about longevity as you only collect four cards each game (and there are only 18 after all) but the exact combination of powers you choose and the order you place them are so important, that despite having played dozens of games of it, each has felt very different.
So far I have enjoyed the game a lot – admittedly, it is very, very light, but it’s also appropriately short, so I have never feel cheated out of my time and we often play multiple sessions back to back. We’ve even found ourselves playing it between other games or while waiting for a cup of tea to brew!
It has definitely made me keen to try out more games from the publisher, Button Shy – all of their games consist of only 18 cards – to see how they tackle the component limitation in different settings.
Words by Marcos
BGG link: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/257614/tussie-mussie
