Hot Lead

Hot Lead is a fast-paced, push-your-luck card game designed by Reiner Knizia, suitable for 2 to 5 players aged 8 and above. In this game, players take on the roles of investigators aiming to gather evidence against five criminal organizations. The objective is to collect sufficient evidence to convict these groups, but players must be cautious; overzealous investigation can lead to the criminals going underground, causing players to lose their gathered evidence.

Gameplay Overview:

• Setup: At the start of each round, a number of criminal cards equal to the number of players are displayed.
• Bidding Phase: Players simultaneously select an investigator card from their hand, which determines their bid.
• Resolution Phase: The highest bid claims the criminal card closest to the deck, the second-highest bid claims the next, and so on.
• Scoring: Each criminal card has a point value (0-5). Players aim to collect three cards of the same suit to convict a criminal organization, earning bonus points. However, collecting a fourth card of the same suit causes the criminals to go underground, resulting in the loss of all cards of that suit.

Key Features:

• Push-Your-Luck Mechanic: Players must balance the desire to collect evidence with the risk of over-investigation.
• Sealed-Bid Auctions: The game employs a sealed-bid auction system for players to acquire evidence cards.
• Quick Play: Each game session lasts approximately 15 minutes, making it suitable for quick, engaging gameplay.