Somnia (2019)

Overview

Somnia is a trick-taking game for 2 to 4 players about collecting dream fragments and trying to escape nightmares.

Each player begins the game with 3 lives, and will lose 1 life if they end a hand as one of the "middlers" who does not have the most or least points in that hand. (A player who earns too many points may also lose a life.) The game ends when one player has lost all of their lives.

The cards in the game are made up of 4 suits, and the point values range from 0 to 20 points. The trump suit is referred to as the "nightmare", and is determined by the suit of the first sluffed card (e.g. the suit of the card played the first time someone is not able to follow suit.) The ranks and points of some cards of the "nightmare" suit will change.

Excerpt from the Developer's Message in the rulebook:

Somnia is a transcription of Mittlere Jass (aka Middler) and Molotov Jass, which are Swiss traditional trick-taking games. Mittlere Jass is for 3 players and Molotov Jass is for 4 players. Rules are quite close to original ones, while allocation of card points and card ranks are simplified, with a great help of fantastic art works and readable graphical design. The 2-player rules are our original variant, an homage to the traditions.