3 Wishes (Passport Game Studios)

The notion of a wish-granting genie in a lamp is a centuries old tale. It has been popularized in American culture by I Dream of Jeannie and Walt Disney's Aladdin. These as well as the original 1001 Arabian Nights has led people to dream of finding a magic lamp and having their every desire come true. Well with the game 3 Wishes from Passport Game Studios, you can now experience the next best thing! 3 Wishes is a game for 3-5 players, ages 8+. It takes 3-5 minutes to play and retails for $10.

Setup - The number of players dictates the number of cards you use.
1. If you are playing with five use all the cards. If playing with four, remove Immortality, Teleportation Grid, and Quantum Supercomputer. If playing with three, remove those three cards and Flight, Spaceship, and Universal Translator.
2. Shuffle all the cards you are using and place them face down in a pile.
3. Take the top card from the pile and remove it from the game.
4. Place the next top two cards face down in the middle of the table.
5. Each player draws three cards, looks at one of them, and then places all the cards face down in front of them.

Game Play - Beginning with the starting player, each player takes turns performing two of the following Actions:
1. Peek - Look at any card in front of any player or in the center.
2. Switch - Switch the position of any two cards. (Note: You can add a variant where when you swap, one of the cards must be yours.)
3. Shuffle - Shuffle the three cards in front of you. Put them back face down, and then look at one of them.
4. Declare End Game - This action may only occur in the fourth round or later. You may also only perform this action if its the only action on your turn.

End Game - Once End Game has been declared, the game is over and all players reveal their cards.
1. If a player has one card each of a Superpower, a Gift, and a World Harmony, they score the points on their cards, taking into account special rules. Most points wins.
2. If a player doesn't have one card each of a Superpower, a Gift, and a World Harmony, they lose.
Notes: If you have Time Travel at the end of the game, you automatically lose. If you have Cornucopia OR Cold Fusion, double the total points of your other cards. If you have both of those cards and meet the winning condition, you automatically win.

Review
3 Wishes is the ultimate definition of a micro game. It has only 18 cards. It is very short to setup and explain the rules, and it plays even quicker than that. This is a very fun game and one that you can play with kids, new gamers, experienced gamers, etc. I originally introduced this game to my gamer group as an appetizer before longer games, but we ended up playing this game so many times that we never got to the game we were supposed to play. If you are looking for a game that has a mix of memory, strategy, and general fun, I recommend you add this game to your collection. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to play it with my son when he gets just a little bit older. Now, I only wish that I won this game more often.

This game was provided to me for free by Passport Game Studios in exchange for an honest review.