Set

Today's review is of the 1988 release, Set.  For 2-20 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview
As the name implies, Set is about identifying (and collecting) sets of cards.  Every card in the game pictures objects with four attributes:
- quantity (1, 2, or 3)
- shape (diamond, oval, or 'squiggly')
- fill (solid, lined, or empty)
- color (blue, red, or green)

The game is prepared by shuffling these cards and creating a 3x4 grid of them for all to see.  There are no turns; all players look at the available cards and seek a set.  A set is defined as three cards which, for each of the four attributes, are all the same or all different.  Look at the picture below, then the following paragraph for an example.

image from here

There are several sets in the image above.  Here are two:
A) a set of cards with "two squigglies" each.  It's a set because the shape is the same on all (squiggly), the quantity is the same on all (two), the color is different on all, and the fill is different on all.

B) a set of cards with three ovals each.  It's a set because the shape is the same on all (oval), the quantity is the same on all (three), the color is different on all, and the fill is the same on all (lined).

There are other sets I see in the above . . . do you?

When a player identifies a set, they point it out, and everyone verifies that it meets satisfies all criteria.  If so, the player picks up those three cards, stacks them next to himself, and three new cards are drawn from the deck and placed in the vacated slots.  Play continues until no possible sets remain; the player with the most sets wins.

Review
This game is fun- if you like silence.  Since everyone goes at the same time, concentration is intense and (generally) nobody speaks until the game nears its conclusion.  It's simple in concept but can be impressively difficult to find a set in a given arrangement.  While I like the game, it's low on interaction and therefore well-suited to only specific crowds/situations.

Rating: B