FIVE CROWNS WATERPROOF CARD GAME

I'd never played a rummy-style game where the wild card changes every round, and that little twist kept our group of four hooked for almost two hours. The cards have a nice linen finish that survives sweaty hands and the occasional spilled drink.

The five-suited deck adds a fun twist that keeps everyone on their toes, even my dad who usually zones out during card games. We played three rounds straight without checking our phones once.

The wild cards change each round, which sounds confusing but actually keeps things fresh. Played it with my parents over the holidays and even my dad, who hates learning new rules, picked it up by round three.