Havoc is a card game from a new U.S. company called Sunriver Games and was designed by KC Humphrey. It is based on 9 major battles of the Hundred Years War, each of which reward the victor(s) of each battle with VPs. On your turn, you have a choice of either drafting cards or starting the next battle. If you choose to take cards, you draw two from a face-up selection or blind from the draw pile in an attempt to build decent 6-card poker hands. If you start a battle you play at least two cards in an effort to display the best poker hand. Other players may then choose to drop out of the battle or join in by also playing cards. Once the battle is complete, each participant will have played up to 6 cards and those with the best hands are rewarded with VPs. Once the eighth battle has been fought, each player receives 2 further cards and the ninth battle is fought immediately. Whoever then has the most VPs wins.

In our game, the first battle went uncontested as people wanted to build up decent hands. Once we got up to the 3rd or 4th battle, I had accumulated a couple of good hands and so decided to call for battles regularly. This paid off as the bonus for calling for a battle brought me some useful replacement cards which meant I could continue to compete. John and Mark K had been conserving cards but although they came back well in the later battles, I was able to keep picking up a few points to keep myself in front.

I like Havoc: It is very straightforward to play and the bluffing element is very appealing. The others liked it too but realised too late how much an advantage it is to be calling for a battle. I was happy to take advantage and register the win.