Hoddog Family Card Game Review

I’ve always ignored protocol when it comes to hot dogs. Tradition suggests that the only way to honour this elongated snack is with a thin line of mustard – and certainly never ketchup! If you’ve ever queued behind me for the condiment dispensers at IKEA, you know I play hard and fast with this diktat. But in Hoddog, that splotch of ketchup can really spoil your day.

How to play Hoddog

Players work to build the longest hotdog before the final Splat card is revealed from the deck. On your turn you perform a single action, with the choices being: draw three cards from the deck; take two cards from the Market and replace them with new cards; or play one set and add it to your hotdog.

Hoddog cards have numbers on them and you’ve created a set when you have the same number of cards as that featured number. So if you spot a player taking sevens out of the central Market, you might want to grab any new sevens that appear to foil their plan.

Hoddog is fast-paced, with simple rules, great portability and a fun theme. Its tiny square box screams “light filler game” and that’s exactly what it delivers. It’s incredibly easy to learn and play, allowing even non-gamers to get into the spirit of it. The Splat card mechanic offers some strategy – do you collect and place smaller sets early to start building your dog, or strive for that seven card move? However, beyond the market nabbing we described above, there isn’t much interaction between opponents.

Review by Hugo Wolton

Play it?

Yes

A fun filler game you can carry with you everywhere you go.

Try This if you Liked

SUSHI GO!

Equally family-friendly with quick turns, in Sushi Go! you collect matching sets from a shared pool.

About Hoddog

Categories: Card Games / Family Games

Designer: Drew Richards

Publisher: Joking Hazard

Time to Play: 5-15m

Players: 2-5 Players

Age: 10+

RRP: £7.99

What’s in the Box?

82 Cards

Rules leaflet

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