5 Vor 12 (German Version)

The game 5 to 12 is all about clever combinations and anticipatory action. Randomly drawn numbers must be placed on a game board in such a way that you do not block the space for the next move or the one after that.

As many decks of cards numbered 1 to 20 are shuffled and placed face down in the middle of the table as there are players playing. In addition, each player receives a game board with 4 x 4 fields. First, all players draw a card at the same time and place it diagonally on their game board. When all the spaces on the diagonal are occupied, the players take turns drawing number cards. The number cards must now be placed on the free spaces on the game board in such a way that the numbers increase from left to right and also from top to bottom. If you don't have a suitable space left on your game board, you can leave the card face up in the middle of the table or exchange a number card on your game board for the newly drawn card. At 5 before 12 wins,

The rules of the game from 5 to 12 sound very simple at first and some readers may now think that it can't be that difficult to arrange a few numbers by size. But the devil is in the details. Even when the first cards are laid down diagonally, you should make sure that the lowest number is on the top left and the highest number is on the bottom right. For example, if a player draws a 5 and places it in first place on the diagonal, they may well draw a 2 or 3 next and then have to place that number in second place on the diagonal. He has then already blocked a lot of opportunities for the rest of the game. It can also happen that someone puts a 5 in the second place on the diagonal and then only draws numbers that are greater than 5.

Of course, clumsily discarded cards can be exchanged later. But that takes time, because in this round you cannot occupy a new field with a number card. In addition, you must put back the exchanged card face up. This means that all other players can access them and thus have better opportunities to occupy their game board. And the player who put them back cannot plan them for their next turn.

5 vor 12 is a nice game for everyone who likes puzzles and is not put off by numbers. Despite the simple rules, it is a game that is still fun even after many rounds of the game and is also well suited for two players.