Category: Board Game
St Patrick is a simple trick-taking game that combines the fun of Hearts with the assessment of Oh Hell and the fairness of duplicate Bridge.
Everyone starts at 20 points and takes damage over the course of play. The game ends when one player reaches 0, at which time the player with the most points wins.
I brought this to game night and everyone picked up the rules after just one hand—the trick-taking with a health element keeps it tense. Feels fresh even for people who’ve played Hearts a hundred times.
The blend of Hearts and Oh Hell makes every hand feel fresh, and starting at 20 points keeps the tension high as you scramble to avoid taking damage.
The starting-at-20 health system adds a nice tension that most trick-takers lack. I just wish the rulebook explained the duplicate scoring a bit more clearly for new players.
