Guillotine

Heads are going to roll! Guillotine is the wickedly funny card game where you and your friends play rival executioners during the French Revolution, each trying to collect the most valuable noble heads before the day is done. It first hit game tables in 1998, and this new edition brings back the same fast, cheeky gameplay fans remember with fresh artwork, big tarot-sized noble cards, and a cardboard guillotine to anchor the table.

Each round, a line of nobles shuffles toward the blade. On your turn you play action cards to rearrange the line, push the prize noble to the front, and snag them for yourself, while everyone else is scheming to do the exact same thing. Be careful, though: behead a Hero of the People and it costs you. After three days of chaos, the most prestigious collection wins.

It teaches in minutes, plays in about 20, and packs easily for travel, which makes it a perfect opener for game night, a family table with older kids, or friends who swear they do not play board games.

• 2-5 players
• About 20 minutes per game
• Ages 12 and up
• Includes 50 noble cards, 60 action cards, a cardboard guillotine, and rules
• New edition with updated art and tarot-sized noble cards