Air, Land & Sea

You command a small army across three theatres of war: air, land and sea. Each battle you get six cards from a deck of eighteen, and whoever controls two theatres when the cards run out scores points. The first player to 12 points wins the war. On your turn you play one card. Face up, it goes only to its matching theatre and fires its ability, such as flipping an enemy card. Face down, it can go anywhere but is worth a flat 2. Withdrawing early gives your opponent fewer points than losing outright, so knowing when a battle is lost is a skill. A twenty-minute card duel with almost no setup, among the lighter two-player titles on our shelf. Play it as a warm-up before a heavier evening, or carry it in a jacket pocket. There is more bluffing in it than its size suggests.