Kabutar
In Kabutar, designed by Omkar Rege, the 3–6 players are hunting a pigeon - the titular Kabutar. This isn't a cute carrier pigeon like one constantly chased by Dick Dastardly & Muttley in Wacky Races, it's a nuisance in your apartment building that keeps pooping on the building's residents and all their belongings. Notionally, players' hands of cards represent their individual apartments and the draw deck represents the apartment building.
That's the broad premise then for this filler-length 'take that' card game from Indian publishers Upar Ek Studio. Players on their turn, draw a card to their hand of initially six cards and then they play a card for its effect. Apartment cards let you steal or swap cards with an opponent; building cards let you search or take cards from the draw deck. Poop cards force other players to discard cards and miss their turn while Clean cards let you draw more cards. Ultimately you're trying to find and 'hunt' the pigeon or to hold the pigeon card as your sole card at the start of your turn.
Hunt cards are key to the game. If you suspect that another player holds the Kabutar card you must play a Hunt card on them. If they have it, they must declare it and you win the game. If they don't have it, all the players have to pass one of their cards to the neighbouring player. Except... Hide cards let you cancel another card's effect, including that of a Hunt card...
What follows then is a fast-paced sometimes chaotic 15-minute card game that keeps players coming back for me. The box suggests it's for players age 14+ but it's proved a hit with much younger players; the only lower age limit is the need to be able to read the text instructions on the cards.
