Control Nut!

About this board game

Control Nut! is a 2–4 player trick-taking game that plays in about 45 minutes. Players compete as partners or head to head, bidding for control and gathering nuts while trying to become the top squirrel.

The game unfolds in two distinct phases. First, players bid for Control Cards using face-up cards. When the high bidder claims a Control Card, that player distributes the cards used in the bid to the other players, creating an intriguing exchange: to gain control, you must also give control away.

In the second phase, the game becomes a trick-taking contest. Players can play their Control Cards to a trick, using their special actions to affect how that trick turns out. Timing those cards and judging when to influence the action are central to the competition.

• Two phases: bid for Control Cards, then play a trick-taking hand.
• Special actions: Control Cards can be played to affect tricks.
• Flexible play: enjoy the game as a partnership or in head-to-head competition.
• Star-based scoring: the score for a hand is the number of tricks taken multiplied by the number of stars won.

Some cards show one or two stars, giving the tricks you take an additional scoring dimension. Winning tricks matters, but so does winning the right stars, making each hand a contest of control, distribution, and tactical timing.

Released in 2005, Control Nut! offers an accessible theme wrapped around a distinctive bidding and trick-taking system. Be careful: with enough play, you may become a Control Nut too.