Faux Diamonds

About this board game

Faux Diamonds is a 4-suit trick-taking game for 2-6 players, playable in about 60 minutes. Players compete to build the greatest wealth by selling cards on value tracks that change after every sale.

Each round begins with every player holding ten cards. Before play starts, each player selects one card to keep facedown as their end-of-round diamond sale. The remaining cards are played across a series of nine tricks, creating constant decisions about when to pursue a valuable sale and when to choose a more flexible option.

One player leads a card, and everyone else must follow suit whenever possible. The highest card in the led suit wins the trick, and that player gets to sell a diamond. If you cannot follow the led suit, you immediately sell a diamond in the suit you played, giving an off-suit card a potentially profitable role.

• Play cards in four suits numbered from 1 to 13.
• Use the changing value tracks to judge when a sale is worthwhile.
• Account for eight Faux Diamond cards that opponents may play at any time to make the markets fluctuate.

The player who wins each trick leads the next one. After the ninth trick, everyone sells their reserved end-of-round card, then players begin a new round. Across the game, every sale can alter the available markets, so an attractive suit may become less appealing—or a previously overlooked option may improve.

In Faux Diamonds, winning tricks is only part of the plan. You must weigh card strength, suit availability, changing values, and the timing of your sales before the final wealth totals decide the winner.