Esculenta (2022)

Esculenta (named after the taro plant) is an original 2-player Tarock game with an ordinary deck of cards. It’s aim is to fill a gap in the genre to provide 2-player experience of the same feel and depth as found in traditional games, yet with its own personality and strategies. Like all tarock, Esculenta is distinguished by a super-long trump suit with the other cards being where one score most of the points: in this case half the deck, 20 cards, are trump! Players bid to win the most card points but often gain even more points from declaring to achieve certain bonus feats in tricks, such as taking the last trick with the lowest trump. In addition to the fact it’s played with a regular deck, distinctions include declarer going against a defender who plays two cards to the three card trick with the help of a mini-dummy, and an idiosyncratic trick-playing order. The dummy is played by defender (so it's 2:1) but this is offset by the fact the declarer can often maintain the lead by forcing dummy to win. Esculenta is part of the "Twisted Dummy" series: 2 player adaptations of traditional games using dummy third hand used in innovative ways. —description from the designer