The Bottle Imp

Description

--- **TLDR** The Bottle Imp is a 3-4 player trick-taking card game with dynamic trump via a descending "bottle price," where players score trick points but the bottle holder takes penalties. (24 words) Key mechanics include: - *Trick-taking with suits* Players follow color suits; highest card wins unless trumped. - *Dynamic trump system* Cards below bottle price (starts at 19) act as trump; highest below price wins trick and bottle, lowering price. - *Bottle management* Ownership passes with tricks; final holder scores negative for initial bottle card, zero for won tricks. - *Full deal and passing* Entire 37-card deck dealt; players exchange cards, lead to bottle. - *Scoring* Cards worth 1-6 points; tricks score positively except for bottle owner; play to 200 points. The Bottle Imp is a trick-taking card game for three or four players inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's story, using a 37-card deck in red (high values), blue (mid), and yellow (low) colors plus neutral 19. The full deck is dealt, cards exchanged like Hearts, and one played to the bottle. Players follow suit if possible, with the highest card winning tricks unless trumped by any card below the current bottle price— the closest (highest) below wins the trick and bottle, replacing the price and decreasing it, making future trumps scarcer. Bottle ownership shifts dynamically until hand's end, when players score 1-6 points per card in won tricks, but the bottle holder deducts for the initial bottle card and scores nothing else. Play continues to a 200-point goal. The 2003 edition includes the full story in English and German, with a wooden bottle piece. ---