There are many modern board and card games that have sparked hypes in the scene. Gloomhaven, Scythe, Azul, Brass: all these titles are considered by most fans as board game revelations. Nevertheless, only a few complex board games will likely end up regularly on the gaming tables in a few years. Sequels, new game ideas and a continuing connection between digital and physical game content mean that board and card games are also replacing themselves again and again. This is far less true of real evergreens. A parlor game that makes the move towards a timeless classic has made it - even if frequent gamers often clap their hands over their heads in view of the rather simple game processes. Above all, this applies to popular games such as The Settlers of Catan, Monopoly, Don't be annoyed, Four in a row - and also to memory games.
We visited Tri memo by Armin Mumper and tell you in the following review why the card game from NSV brings a breath of fresh air into a dusty genre.
Tri-Memo is one thing above all: colorful.
The vast majority of memory games are noticeable for their comparatively loveless presentation: not very imaginative images or even photos meet the well-known game board format made of thick, but easily frayed cardboard. Memo games are often not very aesthetic and are rather poorly processed. Nevertheless, the simple memory games sell extremely well every year. No wonder, because memo games are among the absolute classics among learning and support games for children. It is understandable that memory games for children are kept rather simple. It is also no surprise that they rely on images that children can understand.
Adults do not address any of this implementation, the visual and playful elements of classic memory games are too few.
The game designer and graphic artist Armin Mumper is taking a different approach with his card game Tri memo one. He relies on an appealing design and extends the basic idea of a memo to include alternative game strategies. Also Tri memo, which the Nürnberger-Spielkartenverlag has included in its program, is based on the principle of a classic memo: players, ages 8 and up, reveal two cards each time until there is no longer a match. To do this, the 55 playing cards are shuffled and laid out in several rows. Starting with the youngest player, everyone then tries to reveal a pair of cards. Whoever was able to win the most pairs in the end wins: Simple. Fast. Used.
The highlight on Tri memo: there is more than one way of matching two cards together. Variants make this possible.
The idea is based on holistic images, each of which has been separated into a head and a foot part. It's extremely simple, but at the same time extremely exciting. There are several copies of each illustration, so that there are several fitting options for each illustration. In addition to the classic fit, it is then a matter of finding head and foot sections or uncovering two feet and two heads. Different weightings mean that players can pursue their own strategy to increase their score.
In total, players can fall back on three variants. Or even four if you can Tri memo want to play under time pressure.
A breath of fresh air is blowing in the memo genre
All of this sounds so terribly trivial that an experienced player would prefer to resort to a more complex title. But it's worth it Tri memo to give a chance. The breath of fresh air that the variants bring into the dusty genre of memory games makes Armin Mumper's card game an attractive casual title that can be played as a “nightcap” as well as a quick family game. A lot of patience is not necessary with the short game round duration of approx. 10 to 20 minutes. Children in particular will thank the author for that.
Adult memo fans enjoy a selection of shallow strategic options. Instead of uncovering the first result, players can memorize the map parts determined during the course of the game and thus fill their points account by cleverly combining them. The following applies roughly: the more difficult a pair combination is, the more points are credited to the active player. If you combine a part of the card with a joker, this gives you points, but only a few. So it is not always clever to use the all-round card straight away, just because you have revealed it.
How difficult it is Tri memo The players decide themselves to some extent. Of course, a bit of luck is required at the beginning of the game. The further the game progresses, the more it depends on the memory skills of the players. If there is an additional stress factor due to the shortage of time from the fourth game variant, even experienced memo players should work up a sweat. With the strategic detection options, experienced players create a personal cognitive challenge, but at the same time have to keep an eye on the skills of the opponent in order not to give away any points. What is fundamentally fun in memo games is of course also missing Tri memo not: the display differs from batch to batch, so there is no routine.
Images for Tri-Memo (NSV)
Infobox
Number of players: 1 to 5 players
Age: from 8 years
Playing time: 10 to 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Long-term motivation: medium
Published by Nürnberger-Spielkarten Verlag
Author: Armin Mumper
Graphics: Armin Mumper
Year of publication: 2018
Language: German
Cost: 10 Euro
Summary
With a classic like Memo, it's difficult to reinvent the wheel. That also creates Tri memo not by Armin Mumper. In addition, it is not the only game on the market that tries to differentiate itself from the classic memo with fresh ideas. Nevertheless: the variety of this entertaining card game is convincing. Tri memo gives the rather dull course of conventional memory games more excitement and more variety - and it also makes an extremely good visual impression.
The illustrations are particularly noticeable due to the mixture of abstraction and color design. You have to make slight compromises when it comes to the haptics of the playing cards: the memo cards are thin and sometimes difficult to lift off the table, which in the long run can be reflected in unsightly bends. That makes Tri memo still flawlessly playable, unless you are pressed for time.
Like classic memory games, is also the set of rules of Tri memo manageable. The memory game is understood within a few minutes. Even children can easily cope with the detail changes. The more the number of games played, it loses Tri memo part of its initial appeal. At the beginning it is comparatively difficult to bring the parts of the picture together to form a total work of art. The more experience players have with Tri memo the easier it is to assign them. Still is too Tri memo - like the classic - timeless.
The short length of the round turns the modern variant of the memory game into a motivating game in between, the level of difficulty of which is largely determined by the cognitive abilities of the individual players - both personally and interactively. Creating strategies usually doesn't work, but waiting for good combinations can pay off.
Tri memo can be played with up to 5 players. However, the game is really fun with three players or even as a duel. One of the reasons for this is that your own success also depends on the ability of your opponent: more players mean more cards are revealed until you can become active again - and thus a lower chance of snapping good pairs. Tri memo Experienced frequent gamers will be under-challenged due to the limited game action, families with children or casual gamers, on the other hand, will like to play one or the other round.
Because memo games attract attention with their simple set of rules, children have good chances of winning at any time - even better after a period of getting used to. This is because children have better episodic memories than adults. As people develop their ability to think abstractly in the course of life, children remember details better. This helps with memory games and makes children tough competitors. Basically, the child's memory forms the exact opposite pole to the memory of an adult. What is true in any case: learned strategies - especially pictorial ones - help to improve memory performance. While children adjust their cognitive abilities to those of young adults through the application of learned strategies, older players can at least compensate for deficits.
Long story short: memos are playful and meaningful Tri memo by Armin Mumper from NSV is an exciting alternative to the tried and tested classic.
