Auf falscher Fährte

About this board game

Auf falsche Fährte is a trick-taking game for 3–4 players that plays in about 30 minutes. Its title means “On the wrong track,” and that idea shapes every hand: players must compete without knowing whether taking the most or the fewest tricks will be the path to success.

At the beginning of each hand, a few cards are played face down and remain hidden. Their total value determines the hand’s winning condition, but players cannot tell which goal applies straight away. Until the hidden information is revealed, every decision carries the risk of sending you in the wrong direction.

Players compete to take tricks, carefully judging when to pursue them and when to avoid them. The crucial twist is that more tricks are not always better. Depending on the total value of the hidden cards, the successful player may be the one who takes the most tricks—or the one who takes the fewest.

• Players: 3–4
• Playing time: about 30 minutes
• Core mechanism: trick-taking with a hidden objective
• Key uncertainty: whether most or fewest tricks will be rewarded

The uncertainty lasts until all four cards are revealed. Only then can players determine whether their trick-taking strategy matched the actual goal of the hand, turning earlier choices into a tense test of judgment and adaptation.

Released in 2001, Auf falsche Fährte offers a compact card-game challenge built around concealed information and an unusual scoring direction. If you enjoy trick-taking games that make you question whether winning individual tricks is truly helpful, this game puts that decision at the center of play.