Hot Lead - Game Review

Title: Hot Lead

Designed By: Reiner Knizia

Art By: Paul Halkyon

Published By: Bitewing Games

Released: 2022

Player Count: 2-5

Time to Play: 15 Minutes

Ages: 8+

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Overview:

In Hot Lead, you’re playing as undercover investigators trying to bring down five different criminal groups. Each round, you’ll be collecting evidence to help build your case—but there’s a catch. Push your luck too far, and you could lose everything you’ve gathered that round. It's a fast-playing little game with simultaneous card play, clever choices, and a good dose of tension.

What's purr-ty cool:

A sneaky trick-taking warm-up

While Hot Lead isn’t technically a trick-taking game, it definitely gives off trick-taking vibes—and I actually think it works great as a way to introduce the concept to players who’ve never played one before. Each round, everyone picks a card from their hand and reveals it at the same time. The highest card grabs the best evidence, and so on down the line. It’s a great way to practice playing the right numbers at the right time, which is the heart of trick-taking. Personally, I’ve struggled to teach trick-taking to folks who are totally new to it, so I really like that Hot Lead can serve as a stepping stone before diving into more traditional trick-taking games.

Fun art and really nice components

The art in this game is great—super whimsical characters that feel fresh and fun without falling into the usual “cute critters” mold. The production is also way nicer than I typically expect from a small box game. The cards have a linen finish, the box has a magnetic closure (love that), and the insert even has room for sleeved cards and the deluxe components if you have them. Speaking of which, I have the chunky wooden promotion stars and they are so satisfying—oversized, full color, screen printed on both sides. They’re just fun to have and even more fun to earn while playing (see my last what's purr-ty cool below).

Quick to learn, but with room to grow

Hot Lead is super easy to teach, which I always appreciate. The rulebook is short, to the point, and has plenty of images to help clarify things. There’s also a quick official video if you’d rather learn that way. I also liked that there’s a small two-player tweak that keeps the gameplay feeling solid even with a lower player count. And for folks who like to mix it up, the base game includes optional rules and variants that add more depth. I really enjoyed using the promotion stars—they’re super easy to add in (just collect two matching evidence cards to claim one), but they introduce a little extra tension and strategy since you might go for a lower-value card early just to nab that five-point bonus. The bonuses can be extra helpful, especially if you bust and lose your cards for a set, because any bonus points you earn, are yours to keep permenetly! That' swhere the push your luck element really comes into play. Sometimes a card you really need and a card that will make you bust are right next to each other, so picking the correct bid really matters. Can you read your opponents bluffs well enough to get it right?

The cat's meow:

"If you’re not gonna follow the hot leads, I will. And I’m not above knocking your evidence off the table to do it. Perhaps it will lead me to cat snacks." - Solo the Spokescat

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Disclosure: Pudgy Cat Games was provided a copy of this game in exchange for a review, however, this review reflects the honest thoughts of the author.