Yardmaster: 2-5 Players, Ages 13+, Average Play Time = 20 Minutes“Yardmaster” reminds me a bit of “UNO”, but with a train theme. In “UNO” you’re attempting to discard cards that match the number or color of the card in the discard pile. Here, you’re laying down sets of cards behind an engine with the same stipulation…that is, the railcar you lay down must be of the same number or color as the one in front of it. This game has mechanics that may appeal to gamers that find “UNO” too simplistic however, what with the inclusion of an exchange rate token, an action points pool, and a yardmaster token that gives the owner an extra action point to use on their turn.With that said, this isn’t a complex game compared to the others you’ll find on the market. It’ll easily appeal to casual gamer families as well as to hardcore ones looking for a quick filler. There is a bit of luck involved which may turn some off, though there is some strategy in the way you assign your action points and lay out the railcars behind your train. Swapping out and/or using exchange rate tokens can also be strategic in that it’ll allow you to lay down the set you want, but it’ll cost you in one way or another to do it (using an action point to swap the token in the first place, using two cards to perform the swap for one card, etc.).The price fluctuates between $20 and $25 on Amazon. While part of me considers this price higher than average (I usually see card games market for about $10-$15), the quality of both the card and the box are superb. The artwork is “OK”…sleek in some places, bland in others. All in all, this game does everything it strives to be and more.This was a fun game! At first it seemed a little confusing, but once you begin playing the game it becomes more intuitive after a couple of rounds. I like the feel of the packaging and the game materials; they felt nice and substantial. I also liked the size of the game box. It isn't too large, about the length and width of a journal and about 2 inches deep, making it easy to find a place to store it and take along to play elsewhere. If you like to spread out, you will need a decent amount of playing space for your cards, but even if you have limited space, it's still playable. Game play was less than an hour.This little box game packs a wollop in giving my son and the family time to play. Its easy to learn, so pick-up games are a blast. Games can go quick (under 10 minutes) or a long time (almost an hour). Its Uno, Go Fish, mathematics and strategy all in one! Since we started playing, my son's excitement in playing games with the family and math skills have increased. Yardmaster is a great learning tool.Yardmaster fits in well as a good palette cleanser between longer board games. It's fairly simple, and somewhat driven by luck, but has room left for some minor strategic considerations.With my experience, it's a little too long to serve as a good one-off for quick game cravings.Some people are really confused by the the exchange tokens, and some of bonus/special action cards have ambiguous instructions.Beautiful game, fun mechanics, great for folks who don't like complex games with lots of strategy.The colors used and the design of visual elements first attracted me to this game.It is easy to learn, there are several ways to vary it adding elements of unique gameplay once the basics are mastered.The one person in my house who hates complex games loves this one.This game is incredible - anyone can learn it, but it's not easy. Exactly what I wanted, and the style of the box and pieces is really cool. Plus, my family is hooked, and we can play on mobile (there's an app too) when I'm out of town.A good basic strategy game which has an element of luck.Played this game at Mensa Mindgames weekend and bought it as soon as I got home. Highly recommend! Easy to learn and great playability.