Cahoots

About this board game

Cahoots is a 40-minute trick-taking card game for 3–4 players, set in a world of noir and espionage. It puts you in an unusual position: you must work with each of your opponents to score points, even though you are ultimately trying to win by yourself.

In Cahoots, cooperation is unavoidable, but trust is not. You will need to cooperate, negotiate, backstab, and bluff as you navigate shifting relationships around the table. Every opponent may be useful in one moment and a rival in the next.

The game’s central tension comes from its contradiction: you win by yourself, but you can’t win alone. Success depends on forming temporary agreements and making the most of shared opportunities, while still looking for the moment to advance your own position.

• Players: 3–4
• Play time: approximately 40 minutes
• Core experience: trick-taking, negotiation, cooperation, bluffing, and betrayal
• Theme: noir and espionage

That blend makes each game a contest of social judgment as much as card play. You cannot rely on anyone completely, yet refusing to work together can leave you unable to score the points you need.

Released in 2018, Cahoots is built for players who enjoy interactive card games filled with suspicion and shifting loyalties. Enter the conspiracy, make your deals carefully, and decide when collaboration should give way to a backstab.