Finito and Kommando are both quick card games which require a decent dose of strategy to win. Both games are by Reinhard Staupe, who was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres this year for both David and Goliath and Basari.) Both require a decent amount of table space, too, so don't expect another Pico here.

Finito

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Kommando

Kommando is for 2 players only, and can be played with a regular deck of cards but of course is not sold that way. The deck consists of 30 simple cards, with cards numbered 1-10 in each of 3 colors (suits if playing with a regular deck). Ten cards are dealt to each player, and the remaining ten are placed in a single line between the two. Two of these are placed face-down (the fourth in from each side), and the rest are placed face up. In turn, a player can bid on a card at either end of the line. You bid by placing a card of a different color on your side of the line underneath the card in the line. Your opponent then must respond with a card of the third color, if they have one. Whoever played the lower value card begins the bidding for the next card. Play continues this way until all ten cards are bid for (using the ten cards in each player's hand). At this time, the player with the higher bid for each card wins that card and is awarded that number of points. The game is played to a pre-determined fixed total. Points are not tabulated until the end, so you don't know the value of the face-down cards until all the hand cards are played.

The game has three clever design characteristics which make it work. First is that only two of the cards being bid for are hidden. So, you have almost complete information, but not quite. Second is that you can only bid on one of the cards at either end of the line at any time. You know the yellow 10 is sitting there in the middle, so you have to plan to use a high card of either green or red to get it. But will you have a higher green or red than your opponent at that time, and will you get to lead for that card or have to follow? You see the 10, 9, and 7 of green (in your hand and on the table), but does your opponent have the 8 or is it face-down on the table? Third is that the low bidder leads the next bid, which in combination with the "must play the third color" rule makes for interesting management of your hand.

Kommando plays very fast, and the game plays differently depending on the relative value of the cards available to bid on that round. If a lot of high cards are up for bid, expect some careful planning for each play. If you're looking at mostly low cards and only one or two high ones, you could be well served to lose a few early battles, ensuring that you'll get the first draws and not have to burn a high color card on a low card (remember, if you follow you are forced to play the suit not represented by the card itself and the first bid). In fact, a winning strategy usually requires sacrificing some cards in exchange for gaining the control of the first bid.

Overall, [Kommando is] a nice game which, like Finito, is a good filler. Neither game is a mindless filler, however, as card counting (very easy in Kommando) and a well-planned strategy are more important than the luck of the card draw.