Flip 7, Flip 7: With a Vengeance, or Both?

I really like Flip 7. It’s quick to teach, easy to get into, and somehow manages to make flipping over a card feel way more stressful than it should. So when Flip 7: With a Vengeance came out, I was curious. At first glance, it’s still Flip 7. You’re flipping cards, trying not to bust, and deciding how greedy you want to be. The difference is in how the two games get there

Vengeance adds some new ways to mess with the other players and changes how you approach your turns. So if you already have Flip 7, is Vengeance worth adding? And if you’re choosing between the two, which one should you get?

Same Game, Different Beasts

At its heart, Flip 7 is a push your luck game. You flip cards one at a time and try to collect different numbers. If you get the same number twice, you bust and score nothing for the round. If you decide you've had enough, you stop and add to your score

Get seven different numbers and you Flip 7, ending the round and getting a 15 point bonus.

Simple, yet that's where the cards start making these two games feel pretty different.

Flip 7

The original has Number cards from 0 through 12. There is one 0, one 1, two 2s, three 3s, four 4s, and so on, all the way up to twelve 12s. The bigger numbers are worth more points, and there are also more copies of them in the deck

Then there are the orange Modifier cards: +2, +4, +6, +8, +10, and x2.

There are also three types of Action cards:

• Freeze, which makes another player stop

• Flip Three, which makes another player draw three cards

• Second Chance, which saves you if you draw a duplicate

That's it. You're mostly playing against yourself, peer pressure, and the deck. You have 32 points. You could stop, but there's a 12 out there. Maybe you draw it, or maybe a duplicate comes out. Perhaps you are lucky and hit seven different numbers and get the bonus. That's the game. The tension comes from deciding how greedy and lucky you are feeling

Flip 7: With a Vengeance

Vengeance starts with that exact same idea. You're flipping Number cards and trying not to get duplicates. The difference is that the deck gives you a lot more ways to interfere with everyone else. The Number cards now go from 0 through 13, with the same increasing number of copies as you go up. There are also three special Number cards: The Zero, Unlucky 7, and Lucky 13

Then you get a whole new set of Modifier cards: ÷2, −2, −4, −6, −8, and −10. Instead of the modifiers just making your score bigger, these can make your score considerably worse. And then there are five different Action cards:

• Just One More makes someone draw another card

• Flip Four makes someone draw up to four cards

• Steal lets you take a face up card from another player

• Discard makes another player discard a card

• Swap lets you swap any two face up cards

That last one is where things get especially nasty. You can improve your own score while potentially making someone else (or two people) bust. That's a pretty big change from the original. You're no longer just sitting there thinking, “Do I want another card?” Now you're also thinking, “Can I make YOU take another card?”

What Sets Them Apart?

Flip 7 is about pushing your own luck. You decide how far to go. You watch your cards. You watch the odds. You decide when enough is enough. The other players are there, but for the most part, they're dealing with their own problems, unless a Flip 3 comes out

With a Vengeance is about pushing your luck while messing with others. You can steal cards, swap cards, force people to draw, get a lucky number that let's you be exempt from bustin, or alternatively get an unlucky 7 and get rid off you hand. The meanest card is 0 which makes you draw until you bust. The push your luck is definitely there, it's just not as personal anymore. Well, it's verypersonal but in a mean way

So Which One Is For You?

If you like the simple push your luck of Flip 7, I'd stick with the original. It's also the better fit if you're introducing the game to people who don't play a lot of board games. There are fewer things to explain, and the focus stays on that one great decision. If your group whether board gamers or not loves antagonizing each other. That's where With a Vengeance makes a lot more sense. If your friends see your pile of cards and immediately start figuring out how to ruin it, you're going to get a lot out of Vengeance. If someone playing Flip 7 says, “I'm going to stop here,” and your first thought is, “Cool. How can I make you regret that?” You probably want With a Vengeance 🙈

Flip 7, With a Vengeance, or Both?

I don't think you need both unless your group has very different tastes. If you're buying your first one, I'd think about your group. Want push your luck? Get Flip 7. Want a bit of take that? Get With a Vengeance. Don't know? Get both. They're close enough that knowing one means you'll understand the other pretty quickly, but they aren't the same experience