Fluxx - Tips & Strategies

This one’s pretty basic. Knowing which Keepers go together and which ones don’t is vital when that Keeper Limit card gets played. For example, a common mistake is thinking that War and Peace go together, and retaining them both, when it would usually be better to toss the War card in hopes of winning with Peace, no War. Of course, if that goal recently hit the discard pile, you might want to discard them both in order to keep more promising Keepers.

The wacky and seemingly random game of Fluxx can frustrate, flummox, frazzle and fricassee the most strategic minded players. Let’s face it its a roller-coaster of a card game where you can hold all the cards (literally) and the next moment, be empty handed. Lots of players ask simply “where is the strategy in a game with ever changing rules and goals?” Ah the answer is in the cards.. 5 cards to be precise.

These five cards are what I call the “Power Cards” that is, they involve the least amount of random activity when played and can forge a quick way to victory (well quicker way to victory). If you draw them, keep them (if you can) and use them at just the right time. Here they are:

#5: ACTION “Take Another Turn”
There is no random factor involved when you play this card. In many card games, cards that reverse play direction or allow a player to play again immediately set that player up for a improved opportunity to accomplish the goal. It’s a rule breaker – and in this game of changing rules it the one that only you get to do.

#4: GOAL “Peace (No War”) and …
#3: GOAL “The Brain (No TV)”
These are the only two Goals in the game that require that a player only have one Keeper in front of them to win. Sure, they have two conditions but (For example – Peace (No War) says: If no one has War on the table, then the player with Peace on the table wins.” The only card you need is Peace. Keep it in hand as best you can then wait for the opportunity to play it when War is trashed) This Goal is much easier than trying to collect two Keepers AND the Goal that matches them.

(Note: the card: All You Need is Love” also only requires that you have only one Keeper ( Love) but it also requires that you have NO other Keepers in front of you. This is a bit tricker to do in a game where you are often forced to play many or all of the cars in your hand.)

#2: ACTION “Exchange Keepers”
Again, no random game play here. You can simply take a Keeper from another player, and give them one of yours. Since the card allows you to choose the Keeper, it quite powerful in that you can get exactly the card you need to meet the Goal. (as long as you have the other Keeper you need – or in the case of numbers 3 and 4 above, it could be the ONLY Keeper you need.

#1: ACTION “Steal a Keeper”
Boom! No questions asked. Need some Chocolate for your Milk? You got it. Need Bread for your Toaster. It’s yours. If you get this card, dont just play it any old time. Form a strategy in your hand with a Goal and a Keeper, utilize the other Goals and Actions above then Ba Da Bing, Ba Da Boom. You win.

PS. There are no “New Rules Cards” that qualify for this category. These cards are the “winds of change” that constantly blow in the game of Fluxx. You have to survive them, or use them to your advantage. Timing is everything. But if you recognize the 5 Power cards listed above and their value, it makes those ever changing winds calm down a bit.

There’s a ton of randomness in Fluxx, but there’s still room for a bit of strategy. Remember that rules take effect immediately, and supersede other rules of the same type. Have a Play 2 card? Keep it until you also have a Play 5. Put down a Play 5, play out your hand, and finish with a play 2. Or a rules reset. Or anything else that makes other players sad. You got to do several interesting things, they new get to do very little, which is much better than simply randomly changing the play number as you go.

If ever there are 5 minutes to kill, or 20, or an hour, this game is perfect filler. I keep the deck in my glove compartment, and have had the opportunity to bring it out immediately when the dreaded boredom sets in. Whether it’s waiting at a movie theatre or in a line of any kind, the amount of concentration needed for this is almost nil – lovely!

FLUXX is an amazing game, because you can chat
and socialize with your friends when it isn’t
your turn.

The style of game is so easy that you’re not watching
closely for rules clarification or to check to see if
they are cheating. Since the rules are always changing
maybe, sometimes, you’ll have to remind them a new rule
is out. .. But, if you’re cheating at FLUXX, you are
playing the wrong game… Otherwise, the rules usually
only effect you on your turn. So, chat away.

When it is your turn, be quiet and play your game. Let
the conversation go on without you so the game doesn’t
get held up.

This is a great social game, and can easily be more about
the social times around the table than it is about the game.

My friends and I have played this game a lot and we came up with a card that we feel fit the feeling of the game and was just fun to use. We called the card Socialism, but feel free to rename it whatever you please.

Socialism
Action Card

“When this card is played take all cards in play and all players’ hands and shuffle them together dealing them out evenly between all players. Any extra cards are discarded. Discard this card.”

It’s a fun way to hit the reset button without watching everything get dumped to the discard pile like with Rules Reset. Give it a try.

This game absolutely thrives on player interaction. My best games have always been ones where the point is to see how much you can mess with everyone rather than just trying to win. Trying to always win at Fluxx is like trying to be the first one finished at a gourmet dinner – you’re missing the point.

When it is your turn, if you can win then do so.

However, most of the time, you should be playing the
game in a defensive manner.

– When you see goals that have keepers in play, change it.
– If a Goal has at least one keeper in the trash, keep it.
– When you see keepers that are in play that have goals that
. . haven’t been played since the shuffle/deal, steal/trade them.

– Sometimes, changing rules just makes the game longer rather than
. . more fun. So, be sure the change works with what’s on the table if
. . you’re not being forced to play it.