Pandánte

About this board game

Pandánte is a 30-minute gambling and bluffing game for 2–6 players, set among the pandas of the Pandalands in the Fantasy Strike universe.

Each round, called a gambit, challenges players to build the best hand they can from two private cards and five community cards. The structure is similar to Texas Hold’em Poker, with several betting moments as the gambit unfolds.

In Pandánte, lying is part of the game. Players can make claims about how strong their hands are, and they can even lie about which abilities they can use. Each suit provides access to a different ability, so having the right suit can matter—but if you lack the ability you need, you can simply bluff and hope no one exposes you.

• Build hands from private and community cards.
• Bet repeatedly during each gambit.
• Bluff about hand strength and available abilities.
• Call out other players’ lies for fun and profit.

Successfully winning a pot through a lie earns the favor of a Panda Lord, while being challenged can put your claims to the test. The result is a social game focused on reading opponents, making bold claims, and deciding when to trust—or challenge—the table.

Pandánte supports two distinct ways to play. Use it as a social game with a definite win condition and no player elimination, or make it an ongoing gambling game in which players are eliminated when they lose their money, as in Poker. For an especially daring group, the game even suggests the possibility of playing for real money—if you are Panda enough.