Hats New

You are invited to the Mad Hatter's garden at 5 p.m. The table is set, the biscuits are delicious, and the tea is strong and spicy. "More sugar?" asks the Mad Hatter, giving you a strange look.

"Yes, please..."

"That's it!" he exclaims, interrupting you. Sugar, biscuits, and a multitude of hats fly everywhere. The tea spills onto the tablecloth as he continues with a broad smile. "It's time to play!" In "Hats," players compete to acquire the most remarkable hats by exchanging cards from their hand with those on the game board. Each exchange influences the score of each hat. Of course, at the end of the game, the player with the highest score will be declared the maddest!

To play, each player draws nine cards. On your turn, you perform one of the following two actions:

Swap a Hat — Play a face-up card from your hand and swap it with a card of the same type (color) on the tea table board, or with a card of any type but lower value. Add the swapped card to your collection by placing it face up in front of you.

Create a Black Hat — Play a face-down card in front of you to add it to your collection as a black hat. Each black hat in a player's collection at the end of the game is worth 1 point.

Optional Action: At any time during your turn, you may discard any card to draw a new one. In a four-player game, players swap cards with their teammates.

Hat Collection: Players score points for the Hat cards in their collection based on the position of the corresponding type on the tea table board. If two or more Hat cards on the tea table are of the same type, locate the lowest Hat card of that type on the table and keep it face up, while turning all other cards of that type face down. Favorite Hat: Each player reveals the last card in their hand as their "favorite hat." Players score points equal to the sum of the points of all the cards in their collection that match their "favorite hat" type, minus the value of the last card in their hand.

Last Cookie: Only one cookie remains on the table. Players compete for the cookie by having the most Hat cards of different types. Black hats count as one type. During the game, pass the cookie to the player with the most Hat cards of different types. The chocolate chip cookie is worth five points at the end of the game.

Number of players: 2 to 4

Minimum playing time: 20 minutes

Minimum age: 14+

!This game is available in our store  in French, English, German and Spanish !

Hats board game — Review by Girl Meets Meeple