DNUP is new, the art and typography are top notch, the box is bright green, and it is durable. Sorry, newer games that come in a UNO style box. They don't last, and I hate having to 3D print replacements or shove new games into deck boxes. Playing DNUP made me think about three other games sitting on my shelf that scratch a very similar itch. So let's talk about them.
Card shedding games are pretty much what they sound like: you're trying to get rid of all the cards in your hand before everyone else. The fun is figuring out how to do that, and these four games have very different answers. If you're looking for something similar to DNUP, which one I'd recommend depends a lot on what kind of player you are. If you're newer to this style of game, this is the order I usually teach them:
Odin → Krass Kariert → DNUP → Scout
Not because that's a ranking of how good they are. It's more about how easy I think they are to get into and how much they're asking you to think about your hand.
ODIN
If I'm introducing someone to shedding games, Odin is where I'd start. First, the art. It's simplified Viking, it's pretty, it's charming, and my wife loves Vikings. That's why we bought it. It was an impulse buy. We had no idea what kind of game this was.
It is also easy to teach. Your cards can become different combinations depending on how you arrange them, so there is always a little puzzle happening in your hand. Do I play these as a pair? Can I turn these into a bigger number? What am I giving the next player? And that's really the thing I like about Odin. You have a lot of freedom without feeling overwhelmed by it. You can rearrange your hand, but every play has a little consequence. When you beat what's on the table, you have to take one of those cards into your hand. So even a good play can leave you thinking, great, now what am I supposed to do with this?
Odin is quick, accessible, and doesn't feel like you're trying to absorb a lot before you can actually start playing it. And if we're playing at two? I'm picking Odin. Play Odin if you want something easy to teach that still gives you enough to think about.
KRASS KARIERT (Dealt!)
Krass Kariert takes the whole “work with what you've got” idea and turns it up. Your hand is locked. You can't rearrange anything. So when you look down at your cards, you aren't thinking about what you could make if you moved everything around. You're thinking, okay, what can I possibly do with this mess? I love (and hate) that.
The cards next to each other become your puzzle. Sometimes you have exactly what you need. Most of the time, you do not. You do have two reserve cards to work into your hand, but even that feels like a tactical decision rather than a freebie. Then there are the special cards, which are basically there to make your life worse. Wild cards, Redraw cards, and the Stop card can completely change what you thought was going to happen. This is an intense game. Sometimes mean. And when the cards don't cooperate, you really feel it.
The best part is that the restrictions are what make it interesting. You're not building the perfect hand. You're trying to make the best our of a mess. Play Krass Kariert if you are up for an intense, sometimes mean puzzle where the restrictions are half the fun.
DNUP
The game that started this whole train of thought: dnup, pronounced down up. Yes, it says so on the box. The art and typography are cool. The box is bright green. And the box is durable, which saves us from those flimsy UNO style boxes that fall apart and force you to scramble for a deck box or 3D print a replacement. The game itself gives you a ton of freedom. You can rearrange your cards, flip them, and rethink your combinations constantly. That part feels very Odin to me. But dnup is much more interactive.
You aren't just trying to figure out how to get rid of your own cards. You're watching what everyone else has played, deciding whether you want to attack their set, steal something from the table, or turn your own hand around when you've run out of options. And that creates some really interesting moments. You can have a perfectly good plan, only for someone to mess with your cards and send you right back to the drawing board.
Unpopular opinion, I don't like dnup at two. I think it shines when there are more people at the table and there is more happening for everyone to react to. Be the first to shed your cards, collect your letters, and eventually spell DNUP. It's simple enough to teach, but there is a lot more going on once everyone understands how to mess with each other. Play dnup if you want tactical card play, full hand flexibility, and direct interaction.
SCOUT
Scout is probably the most demanding game of the four for me. It's also the most expensive one, and I recommend getting a 3D printed insert for the tokens because those tiny things are chaos. Your hand is locked, just like Krass Kariert, but Scout gives you another problem to think about. You can Scout cards from the table, which means you're constantly looking at your own hand and what people are playing. What can I play? What can I Scout? What does everyone else have? If I take that card, what am I giving them? It's brilliant.
It's also the one I'd be least likely to hand to someone who hasn't played a shedding game before. There is just a lot happening in that tiny box. The art is whimsical, the numbers range from 1 to 10, and the rules aren't particularly difficult once you understand them. It's the decisions that make Scout demanding. Play Scout if you want the biggest puzzle in the smallest box.
So which one?
If I were introducing someone to these games, my accessibility order would be: Odin → Krass Kariert → DNUP → Scout.
But that doesn't mean that's the order I'd play them
- Playing at 2? Odin
- Playing with new folks? dnup
- Want something really tight and restrictive? Krass Kariert
- Want the biggest puzzle in the smallest box? (preferably after my friends have learned Krass Kariert) Scout
And if I'm going out, Odin would be my first choice. I think there's space on the shelf for all four if you like shedding card games. dnup being new doesn't mean you need to go buy another game. Maybe it just reminds you that there's already a game sitting on your shelf that you haven't played in a while.
About the Author
Coty is a board game blogger, reviewer, and accidental LEGO art collector. When she’s not testing rulebooks or trying to beat her wife at two-player games, she’s playing ice hockey. Follow her adventures on Instagram or read more at KaCo Plays.
