Gang of Four: Basic Tips

Hello fellow game players! If you are reading this guide I will presume that you enjoy card games, whether in person or computerized, as I do. Given the nearly global lock down due to the Corona virus pandemic, I was pleasantly surprised to find Gang of Four being made available for free, as it is a great way to fight off some boredom and, if you have a few friends, you can play together online and socialize across the digital distance.

Seeing as I enjoy creating guides, especially where no guides yet exists, I thought I would improve your self-esteem by admitting how badly I stack up to the game’s AI, while also offering you some tips on how the game plays. If nothing else I got to enjoy a little creative distraction.

I have only played the game as single-player and I have not signed up for an account so I cannot discuss any online modes, or how the game plays with multiple players.

So let’s see if I can offer any tips to improve your enjoyment of the game!

Gang of Four is aptly named, as the computer AI is aggressive and brutal, leaving you feeling beaten and ganged up on. Well, at least the AI beat up on me fairly well, but you may be a better player than I am. Every time I felt I had a strong hand, I was pummeled.

Gang of Four reminds me of several other card games, such as Poker, Rummy, Hearts, Phase 10, and even The Great Dalmuti[en.wikipedia.org]. If you have never played Phase 10 or The Great Dalmuti, and you enjoy family-friendly card games, you should give them a try.

It took me several games – probably 6 to 7 hours – to finally win a game, but even being beaten was a fun time. And being crushed a few times only made the victory that much sweeter!

“Has fortune dealt you some bad cards? Then let wisdom make you a good gamester.” – Francis Quarles

I started up Gang of Four, never having heard of the game, and I was uncertain if that was simply the game’s title, or if it represented an actual card game I could play offline with the family and friend. Gamg of Four[www.daysofwonder.com] turns out to be a card game you can buy for your family if you find it to be enjoyable.

“Just when you think you’re playing your cards right, God shuffles the deck.” – Mark Sheppard

Given I had never heard of the game, I started the tutorial level ready to be taught the rules of the game. Instead I had a ton of colorful cards arrayed in front of me and it was now my turn to play, but the game offered absolutely no assistance. I had no idea what cards I could play or even what cards I should play. The tutorial turned out to be pretty shoddy in terms of teaching you the game! Due to that I highly recommend you press the “Rules” button on the main menu.

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the game.” – Randy Pausch

Gang of Four makes it pretty apparent that I am not the best card player out there, but I learned and adapted based on how the AI plays – It goes for the jugular! Here are some bullet points that I found useful!

“Cards are power; learn to harness that power, and you will be forever rewarded.” – James Swain

Tips

• There are three “orders of strength” to each card, in order from least to greatest: green, yellow and red. A red 10 beats a yellow 10, which beats a green 10.
• Track the dragons played during each hand so you know which cards you have are “high”. Your red 10 might get you back in the lead if all the dragons have been played. By “lead” I mean where you get to start the hand. You want to be in control as often as possible so you are shedding cards!
• Sometimes passing is a better option than playing your cards, even if you have cards that can be played. Knowing when to pass and when to play will be gained by experience.
• The AI in Gang of Four is aggressive and will do everything to keep you from getting back in the lead. The AI plays to win, so you have to play the same way!
• If you don’t have a winning hand, dump as many cards as you can. You can still win the game if you can keep your over all point total low.
• A “Gang of Five”, though not listed on the potential moves chart (right side of game field) beats Four of a Kind! It will be rare, most likely all 1’s, but I manged to get 5 of a kind in one hand.
• If an opponent has only 1 card remaining then you know you can play 2 of a kind or more to prevent them from dropping their last card.[*} Get rid of low cards, especially if they are singles, as soon as you can as they will not help you get in the lead and you may not get a chance to throw them off later.

“There are no friends at cards or world politics.” – Finley Peter Dunne

A game of Gang of Four to 100 points can take a fair amount of time so it is helpful to be able to stop a game in the middle and resume it later. It can be done but it was a little confusing the first time I tried it. I just wanted to point this out in case it was not clear to you either.

Exit the current hand you are playing at the start of a hand, by using the menu (upper left). You will be presented with a message about resuming the game you just left. Do not click either Cancel or Resume, but instead click the Back button in the upper left to go back to the menu. When you return you will then be able to continue the game where you left off.

“I stayed up one night playing poker with tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died.” – Steven Wright