Best Trick Avoidance

Released in 1993 by Swiss designer Urs Hostettler, Sticheln is a trick-taking card game where players earn penalty points for captured cards.

Barbu is a French trick-taking card game where players play a series of distinct hands, with several rounds specifically designed to avoid winning tricks.

Omnibus Hearts is a variant of the classic American Hearts card game that introduces the Jack of Diamonds as a bonus card, awarding a 10-point subtraction to its capturer.

Black Maria is a British variant of the Hearts card game where the Queen of Spades carries a heavy 13-point penalty, alongside the standard 1-point heart penalty cards.

Cancellation Hearts is a multiplayer variant of the classic Hearts game designed for larger groups, utilizing multiple decks where identical cards cancel each other out.

Rovescino is a historical Italian trick-taking card game played with a 40-card deck, notable because the lowest cards hold the highest value, reversing traditional rankings.

Podrida is a traditional Spanish trick-taking card game notable for its rescue mechanic and dynamic bidding system where players can challenge opponents for control.

Traversone is an Italian trick-taking card game similar to Tressette where the primary goal is to avoid winning tricks, making it a classic avoidance game for up to six players.

Polignac is a historical French trick-taking card game where the primary objective is to avoid capturing any Jacks, particularly the Jack of Clubs.

Lorum is an Hungarian trick-taking card game played with a standard 32-card deck, notably featuring a rotating trump system determined by a card flipped after each round of dealing.

Slobberhannes is a traditional German trick-taking card game notable for its negative scoring, where players actively try to avoid winning specific tricks.

Reversis is an historical Spanish card game that served as a primary predecessor to Hearts, utilizing a unique negative scoring system to penalize tricks.

Knaves is a historical English trick-taking card game notable for its specific ruleset that elevates the Jack cards to the highest-ranking position during play.