Contents of Issue
From Issue 41
Title: Xoltraan
Requires: 4MB RAM, VGA graphics, Windows 3.1 or above.
Xoltraan is a great new card game that's remotely related to Cribbage. In Xoltraan, there are no nobs, runs, or last cards, but this unique 78 card, 6 suit game does offer other ways to score big as you try to accumulate 200 points before the computer. For instance, sets of two cards that equal 12, 14, or 16 when combined earn 2 points. And each pair (equally ranked cards) also earns 2 points. So, a hand that contains two Jacks earn 2 points for the pair. A hand that contains an 8 and a 6 earns 2 points because they add up to 14. A hand that contains two 7's earn 4 points because it makes a pair and also adds up to 14. And a hand that contains 6, 6, 6, 8 in hand with a start card of 6 would accumulate 20 points. As you can see, scoring opportunities abound in this Cribbage variation. Another distinction between Xoltraan and Cribbage is that the face cards Jack, Queen, and King count as 11, 12, and 13 respectively instead of a straight 10 count. The rest of Xoltraan's gameplay is similar to Cribbage with the "crib" being renamed to Xoltraan. All in all, Xoltraan makes a great diversion for the avid Cribbage player and it's not too hard for beginners to pick up as well.

Note: Available on CD-ROM issue only.