Where entertainment is concerned, I know many of us Singaporeans are squirming in our seats, itching to get on the next flight out of town. But until then, we’re keeping ourselves entertained with Telegram games, multiplayer mobile games, and now, good ol’ fashioned card games that are locally made for a solid way to pass the time.
Here’s the ultimate guide to 23 Singaporean card games.
1. Chope! Respect The Tissue
Right off the bat, the very Singaporean title of this game sets the precedent of this quick-paced, fastest-fingers-first game. Chope! Respect The Tissue is reminiscent of the daily struggles to land yourself a seat at hawker centres, especially when those dreaded mynahs get in the way.
Chope! Respect The Tissue is good for three to six players.
Purchase it here.
2. Mooncake Master
Alluding to the mid-autumn festival that rolls around every year, Mooncake Master is like a localised diner dash that has you racing to bake the most beautiful mooncakes, all while striving to keep diners satisfied.
Mooncake Master is good for one to six players.
Purchase it here.
3. Rainforest City
Rainforest City is one of those games that are fun yet educational, because you’ll find yourself piecing together rainforests, mangroves and ocean terrain with native plants and animals to restore food chains. There are also various modes that will allow you to play cooperatively, competitively, and even solo on varying difficulties.
Rainforest City is good for one to four players.
Pre-order it here.
4. Hotpot Havoc
Hotpot is truly one of my favourite meals, but this iteration of it brings chaos like none other. Hotpot Havoc requires you to dip and eat your way to victory against your other competitors. Fill your bowl with the best and most delicious ingredients and be the first in line to pick the perfect sauce for your food, but be careful not to overeat.
Hotpot Havoc is good for two to five players.
Purchase it here.
5. Hawker Life
Quite possibly my personal favourite local card game, the intensity of Hawker Life is not to be underestimated. What seemingly starts out as an innocent game of collaboration and strategy, the tables can quickly turn when game-changing action cards are thrown into the mix. Let’s just say that friendships aren’t guaranteed to stay in tact after a scalding hot round.
Hawker Life is good for three to six players.
Purchase it here.
6. Cryptocurrency
Of all the most talked-about subjects these days, the term ‘crypto’ seems to surface an awful lot. Now’s probably a good time as any to indulge in Cryptocurrency, the game that is, that’ll challenge you to make the most amount of money from trading and mining cryptocurrencies. Here, you’re the CEO of a fintech startup, leading a specialised team of technological experts who will help you to evaluate, trade and mine various cryptocurrencies. Beware of scams and manipulation though, for they lurk right around the corner.
Cryptocurrency is good for two to four players.
Purchase it here.
7. Durian Dash
Some can’t deal with the smell, some will take it to their grave — whichever camp you belong in, durian is very much a defining feature of Singapore’s food scene. Durian Dash will have you visiting plantations to collect your favourite durians to win the game. But there is a catch — in order to receive the mantle of King of Kings, you will need to weed through the spikes of others.
Durian Dash is good for three to six players.
Purchase it here.
8. Check Out!
Set in a convenience store, Check Out! awards the fastest fingers first where you’ll have to rush to your favourite convenience store to grab snacks and be the first to queue up at the cashier for the promotional deals. And I personally don’t know a game that captures the Singaporean spirit better than this. There are also limited sets that come with special edition COVID-19 promotional cards.
Check Out! is good for two to six players.
Purchase it here.
9. Combo Cone Paradise
Sweet-toothed players will particularly enjoy this “combolicious ice cream” game that has you serving gelato as a newly-hired Combo Artisan, competing to bring in the most money, all vying to be promoted to Head Combo Artisan as the end goal. Also keep a look out for the familiar rainbow loaf ice cream from our childhoods right here in this pack.
Combo Cone Paradise is good for two to five players.
Purchase it here.
10. Overbooked
This airline-themed game hits too close to home right now, especially since we’re eager to get on a flight and get out of here. In Overbooked, you’ll be managing an airline and in order to score prestige points for your airline, you’ll have to satisfy different passenger’s needs.
Overbooked is good for two to four players.
Purchase it here.
11. Political Mess
We’re quite enjoying the 8-bit artwork in this one. Political Mess, as its name suggests, is a tile-laying area control game where players will lay cards in attempt to control democracy monument. At the same time, they will also need to strategically place their politician in secure locations to protect their valuable rights.
Political Mess is good for two to four players.
Purchase it here.
12. Kopi King
This game helps you learn kopi kulture as you go along. If you’re like me, and don’t know the difference between a siew dai and di lo, consider yourself educated as you play. The rules of Kopi King are simple — fastest to complete their orders with the most earnings wins the game.
Kopi King is good for one to six players.
Purchase it here.
13. Dirty Money
This one goes out to anyone who’s ever had ah long dreams of spray painting O$P$ in bright red on that one unit in Toa Payoh Lorong 7. No? Just me? Anyway, Dirty Money navigates the world of corrupt politicians, loan sharks and tax evaders trying to launder the ill-gotten gains. Just beware of your fellow players who will attempt to expose your operations and take you down.
Dirty Money is good for two to five players.
Purchase it here.
14. Hawker Wars
Not to be confused with Hawker Life, Hawker Wars, ironically given its name, is a less chaotic version that still requires a whole lot of strategising, but much less backstabbing. It is also by SGAG, the creators of The Singaporean Dream which most are familiar with, and presents a whole new delicious angle of Singapore’s diverse local F&B landscape, making allusions to dishes such as Hokkien Mee and Rojak, as well as the necessary ingredients to cook them.
Hawker Wars is good for two to four players.
Purchase it here.
15. Happy Dim Sum
The objective of Happy Dim Sum, contrarily, is to keep your own tray clear while loading as much as you can on your opponents’ plates — eerily similar to the dim sum buffet situations we find ourselves in when we’ve ordered a basket of har gow too many. You’ll also find one uniquely Asian trait in the game — fighting amongst yourselves to take the bill.
Happy Dim Sum is good for two to five players.
Purchase it here.
16. Bye Bye Virus
All too familiar, Bye Bye Virus is set in an era of virus exposure and toilet paper crisis by two Singaporean creators in an attempt to lighten the anxiety surrounding these issues, especially when tensions can be high and hovering these days. The objective of the game is for the player to collect five protective items — a mask, soap, disinfectant, gloves, and hand sanitiser — in order to win. They can also gain extra cards for exercising and reading verified news — and who says art doesn’t imitate life?
Bye Bye Virus is good for two to six players.
Purchase it here.
17. Zombielife Insurance
I’ll be honest — where the word ‘insurance’ is mentioned these days, it’s enough to get people fleeing like the plague, so it’s no surprise that this card game is themed as such. In Zombielife Insurance, you can buy zombification insurance and earn a huge payout in the event that you’re turned into the living dead. To stay on top of things, predict which players are trying to survive and which are trying to get infected, strategise, and navigate the zombie virus yourself.
Zombielife Insurance is good for two to five players.
Purchase it here.
18. Plantopia
If you’re prepared to manifest your green thumb to beat your competitors to the coveted title of Champion Gardener, then Plantopia is where you’ll get to fight tooth and nail hoes and sprinklers. Be prepared to use the fast-growing Flowers, the card-drawing Cacti, or the weather-controlling Trees to your advantage and rise above the rest.
Plantopia is good for one to five players.
Purchase it here.
19. Wok and Roll
Wok and Roll is a menu-creating, roll-and-write game that will put your culinary prowess to the test. Snap up the ingredients that you want, but remember to deny your fellow chefs of the ones that they need too.
Wok and Roll is good for one to five players.
Purchase it here.
20. Debtzilla
Judging by the slew of finance-related games, I’m guessing someone from Capital Gains Studio has a serious stonks obsession. Debtzilla is a cooperative game that transports you to the purge-esque society of Banana Republic where its corrupt government has unleashed a wave of crime and lawlessness. You’re an ordinary citizen with a superhero secret identity, working with other superheroes to patrol the streets at night and battling villains.
Debtzilla is good for two to four players.
Purchase it here.
21. Remember Our Trip
Remember Our Trip is a board game in which players will recreate a map of a city they visited together — you have the option of trying to recall the map of either Kyoto or Singapore. Earn bonus points if your memory matches that of the main board and other players, and see who’s remembered the trip the most.
Remember Our Trip is good for two to four players.
Purchase it here.
22. Off Track!
Lauded as a more chaotic version of saboteur, Off Track! comes with an adorable playing mat that serves as your perimeters for the game. Your goal is to build MRT tracks to reach your destination, but disrupt the route of others. Oof, too real.
Off Track! is good for three to nine players.
Purchase it here.
23. The Singaporean Dream – The New Normal
You might’ve played The Singaporean Dream a couple of times before, but The New Normal presents, well, quite literally a game adapted to our new normal. With references to Circuit Breaker, safe distancing officers, and “gatherings above five”, the new normal seems to revisit a gloomy 2020 yet point us towards a distant dream all at once.
The Singaporean Dream is good for two to six players.
Purchase it here.
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Why do we call them toppings if they sink to the bottom?