For years, we've had a New Year's Eve tradition of buying cheap board games, wrapping them up, and putting them in a pile. The idea is to buy games we haven't played or don't already own. Then we play and whoever wins gets to open the next one. We learn it, play it, and then do it all over again. That's how French Goats in Trench Coats came into my life.
I had been playing Eric Olsen's games, so when I saw this one on Amazon, I decided to throw it into the pile. Someone opened it and immediately had to laugh at the name. There isn't really a theme here beyond French goats wearing trench coats. The art does a lot. The goats are ridiculous, the food pictures are cute, and each player gets their own colored deck. During the game you say baa, and we can pretend to speak in a French accent. Voila!
How to Play
French Goats in Trench Coats is played over three rounds. Each player has a set of cards numbered 1-10. You’ll use those cards to bid on the 10 Le Food cards, which are also numbered 1 through 10. For each bid, everyone picks a card from their hand and places it face down. Then everyone says “1, 2, 3, Goat!” and flips their cards over.
Normally, the highest number wins the Food card. But there’s a twist. If two or more players play the same highest number, those cards cancel each other out. The next highest number wins instead. So if two players play a 10 and someone else plays a 7, the 10s cancel each other out and the 7 wins. That means you aren’t always trying to play the highest card. Sometimes you’re hoping everyone else has the same idea. You keep bidding until all 10 Food cards have been claimed. Then you score the round and start the next one.
How to Win
After each round, you count up the points from the cards you collected. After three rounds, add everything together. Whoever has the most points wins.
Bidding Is Where the Game Gets Interesting
The rules are easy, but there is more going on than simply playing your biggest number. You have to pay attention to what you've already used, figure out when someone might be saving their higher cards, and decide how badly you actually want the food card in front of you.
Pros
- Quick to play
- Ridiculous name
- Language independent
- Everyone gets their own colored deck
- Lots of table talk and "what just happened?" moments
Considerations
Light game that needs at least four players to shine
If you don't enjoy take that, you may not love having your planned bid messed with
Bottom Line
I bought French Goats in Trench Coats because I was on an Eric Olsen kick and needed another cheap game for our New Year's Eve tradition. I didn't expect much. The game is fast, light, and easy to teach. The goats are silly. The bidding almost makes you think. It's French inspired, and it makes me want a croissant.
If You Like French Goats in Trench Coats...
One of my favorite things about reviewing games is figuring out where they fit. French Goats in Trench Coats is a silly bidding game with a twist:
- If you like the bidding: Skull King - bid on how many tricks you think you'll win, then try to actually hit your prediction.
- If you like the simple rules and sabotaging: 6 Nimmt! 25 Jahre - play a card and hope you don't get stuck taking a row. It's incredibly easy to teach, and watching what everyone else is doing makes it much more interesting.
For another animal themed game: L.L.A.M.A. - get rid of your cards before everyone else. You can play the same number, go up one, or play a llama. It's simple, weird, and surprisingly hard to stop playing.
