The "Social Lubricant" of Board Games
Sequence occupies a specific niche in the gaming world. On BoardGameGeek, it carries a 6.2 rating, which in the world of hardcore hobbyists is essentially a polite shrug. But on Amazon, it’s sitting at a 4.8 with a mountain of reviews. That disconnect tells you everything you need to know: this isn't a game for people who want to spend three hours managing a medieval farm or building a space empire. It’s for people who want to hang out, talk, and occasionally ruin their cousin's day with a well-timed Jack.
The 1.31 complexity rating is the real selling point here. It means the mental overhead is low enough that you can actually hold a conversation while playing. If you’ve ever tried to play a "heavy" game with a 10-year-old and a grandparent, you know the pain of someone constantly asking, "Wait, whose turn is it?" or "What does this card do again?" Sequence solves that. The board is the map, the cards are the keys, and the chips are the score.
The Jack Factor
While the game looks like a polite math exercise, the "Take That" mechanic—specifically the Jacks—is where the personality lives. The two-eyed Jacks are wild, but the one-eyed Jacks are the villains. They let you remove an opponent's chip.
In a house with competitive kids, this is the moment where the "intentional parenting" comes in. Sequence is a low-stakes way to teach kids how to lose a turn or have their progress reset without the game ending entirely. It’s less personal than Monopoly because a game only lasts 20 minutes. If your kid gets their chip removed, they can be back in the lead three turns later. It’s a great litmus test for how they handle frustration before you move them onto more complex strategy games.
Better Together: The Team Dynamic
The box says it supports up to 12 players, but playing this with a dozen people is a recipe for boredom. The sweet spot is actually four or six players split into teams.
Team play is where Sequence actually gets interesting for adults. You aren't allowed to talk about your cards or your strategy with your partner, so you have to learn to "read" their moves. If your teammate starts building a vertical line in the corner, you have to pivot your entire strategy to support them without saying a word. This "silent collaboration" is a fantastic skill for kids to develop. It forces them to stop looking at their own hand for a second and actually pay attention to what the rest of the table is doing.
If They Liked This, What’s Next?
Think of Sequence as the gateway drug to abstract strategy. If your family enjoys the pattern-matching and blocking here, they’re likely ready for games that lean into those mechanics without the randomness of a card deck.
- If they love the blocking, look at Blokus.
- If they love the card-to-board connection, look at Ticket to Ride.
- If they just want something fast and portable, a standard deck of cards for Spades or Hearts is the logical next step.
Sequence isn't trying to be the most innovative game on your shelf. It’s trying to be the one you actually pull down on a Tuesday night when everyone is a little tired but nobody wants to stare at a screen. In that specific category, it’s nearly unbeatable.
