Rule of Three

How it works: Imagine a gin or rummy game with no numbers, traditional suits, or face cards. Rule of Three is a fast paced strategy game for visual thinkers. Players compete to be the first to assemble three sets to score points. Fail the task and you lose points.

Why it's clever: The entire ruleset fits on a single card. It's familiar if you've ever played Rummikub or Gin Rummy or other set-making games, but plays a little different. Each player has a face-up discard pile, which others players can draw from, which adds a fun "stealing" angle.

The game is made by Landscape (with a website so nice it's worth visiting just to browse), and sold exclusively through Art of Play (also a site worth looking through).

Price: $16