Nine

Nine is another colorful game with koloboks produced by Geimos. Being one of the main logical developments of the company, the program was released in Russian and English for the MS-DOS and Windows 3.x platforms. Continuing the line of game design, “Nine” has turned from a simple card game into a masterpiece of stylish graphic design and a gambling system, set to unobtrusive music. As in all “kolobok” games, there are cartoon moments, starting with the splash screen. For example, in “Balda” the bun reacts to a new, repeated or obscene word; “Nine” plays out situations where the opponent misses a move or the player thinks for a long time (the computer doesn’t like to wait either).

In the original, the card game “Nine” was designed for three participants. Its computer version involves the participation of one person, two virtual “partners” and a banker. The main goal of the competition is to achieve the maximum result among real members of the Nine club by continuing the previously postponed game. The final score is saved if one of the two “opponents” goes bankrupt.

A deck of 36 sheets is used at the table, with 12 cards dealt per hand. Each game starts with a payment to the bank (20 USD). One game includes several bets. The general rules are like dominoes. Cards are laid out according to suits and values, one per turn, provided that the “neighboring” one is already on the table. The key cards are the nines, which are dealt first on the table to reveal a new suit. The strategy of the game is to hold cards that can speed up the opponent's game. This forces you to lay out scarce cards; if there are none, you have to pay a fine to the bank (10 USD) and skip a move. After the bet, the pot goes to the one who puts all his cards on the table before his opponents. The game continues until one of the partners finally goes bankrupt and is unable to make the initial payment for the game.

Like all releases with koloboks, the game will appeal to those who are close to the genre of logic games, and simple card rules will not seem primitive. Please note that “Nine” can be more addictive than you would expect from such a “casual” game.