Sequence is a great family game with a fun blend of luck and skill. I played it with my family when I was a kid and I’ve recently picked it up again with my wife and daughter. Over the holidays we brought this classic game out again and I began to more fully appreciate the strategy behind the game. These tips and strategies will help you and your team to win Sequence more often.
In general, the best Sequence strategies are to concentrate your play in the center of the board while keeping your tokens compact. Make use of stable spaces like corners and completed sequences. It is usually best to play aggressively, prioritizing your own sequences over blocking your opponents.
There is a lot of luck in Sequence since your options are limited to the cards you draw, but the strategies I list below have definitely increased my win rate. I’ll fully explain why and how to implement these tips and strategies in your own Sequence games so that you come out on top more often.
Control the center of the board
The center of the board is very important in a game of Sequence because the spaces there have more possible sequences than those on the edge of the board. The four center-most squares can be a part of 20 possible sequences, and these possibilities diminish all the way down to 4 possible sequences in the corners of the board. See the heat map below and use it as a reference.
When playing your cards you should generally try to focus your play on the center of the board where they have a greater chance of eventually being a part of a sequence. This is especially true at the beginning of the game when each player or team is staking out their territory.
Of course, the cards in your hand will dictate where you can play, but you can use this general knowledge to shape your game plan and prioritize your play.
Map out the cards in your hand
When you are dealt your hand at the beginning of the game you should take some time to mentally map out both locations of each card on the board. You should look for clusters of cards in one area (especially if they are centrally located) or cards that are located directly adjacent to one another.
You should also try to look for card locations that are inline (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) with one another and within 5 spaces. This can take more experience and board vision, but it is the most powerful way to prioritize the cards you play.
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In the example below, I randomly drew 7 cards as I would at the beginning of a 2-player game. The tokens in the picture show all of the possible locations I could play, but in red I marked the three spaces I would start the game with. I would lead with the 4 of Hearts in the center of the board, and then play the 2 of Diamonds and 9 of Diamonds which are in line with the 4 of Hearts and with each other. The 2 of Diamonds has the added benefit of being on a diagonal with the free corner space.
Group your tokens together
If you don’t have any cards that lie directly in a sequence with one another it is generally best to try to group your tokens in a cluster on one section of the board. If possible you should try to keep this cluster as centrally located as you can (see the heat map above).
Grouping your tokens together eventually leads to more possible sequence combinations and if you are playing with a teammate it makes it easier to coordinate together. You may not know the specific cards each other are holding, but at least you have an idea of the area of the board you should be playing in.
Build off of completed sequences
When playing with only two players or two teams it takes two sequences to win the game. Importantly, a completed sequence is permanent (or stable) and the tokens that are a part of that sequence cannot be removed.
If you have a completed sequence already, you should try to use it as an anchor from which to build your second sequence. Your tokens should already be clustered around each other, making this a natural next step. You can use one token from the completed sequence as part of another sequence, and (crucially) that token cannot be removed.
Utilize the free corner spaces
Playing in the corner of the board usually isn’t the most desirable strategy, but if your cards dictate it then sometimes it is unavoidable. In this case, you should try to utilize the free spaces in the corner of the board. The obvious advantage here is that you only need 4 tokens on the board to complete a sequence, and it can partially negate the disadvantage of playing near the corners.
Save wild cards for critical plays
It can be tempting to use wild cards early in the game to help solidify your position, but experienced players know it’s usually best to hold them in reserve.
Having a Two-Eyed Jack in your hand is the best way to finish off a sequence without having to wait for the specific card you need. Similarly, it is always nice to have a One-Eyed Jack available if your opponents are about to complete a sequence or if they have obstructed one of yours.
Use One-Eyed Jacks sparingly
One-Eyed Jacks are usually used to prevent your opponents from completing a sequence, but they can also be very useful for clearing troublesome tokens away from spaces you need to complete one of your own.
In these cases, it’s usually best to hold on to your One-Eyed Jack until you have the card needed to complete your sequence. It’s very frustrating (and a waste of a perfectly good Jack) to have your opponents obstruct your sequence again before you get the chance to complete it.
Save blocking cards as long as possible
Sometimes during a game of Sequence it becomes clear where your opponent is trying to focus their play and create a sequence. If you have a card that will block their sequence and interrupt their play it is sometimes useful to save it until your opponent has spent 3 or 4 turns building that sequence. Then you can play your blocking card, having made them spend valuable turns building a sequence that is now blocked.
Always check for ‘dead’ cards
In Sequence, you can discard cards from your hand if there is no available space on which to play them. This happens when someone uses a Two-Eyed Jack, covering a space that would otherwise only be covered by the matching card.
Be sure to always check for dead cards when a Two-Eyed Jack is played. If the other card of that suit & value is already covered then it becomes a ‘dead card’ and you can swap it out. Unknowingly holding a dead card in your hand is a distinct disadvantage because it limits your options in a game where options are already severely limited.
Remember discarded ‘dead’ card values
When you or another player get rid of a dead card you should make a mental note of which card it is. This can come in handy if the dead card gets re-opened by a One-Eyed Jack. In this case, you know that the only way that space will be re-occupied is with a Two-Eyed Jack.
For example, let’s say a 10 of Diamonds has already been played and then the other 10 of Diamonds space is taken by a Two-Eyed Jack. A player then discards the second 10 of Diamonds card from their hand because it is a dead card. Later in the game, a player removes a token from the 10 of Diamonds space because they need to clear it out to make a sequence. If you have remembered that the 10 of Diamonds was once a dead card then you know the only way that player can play in that space again is if they have a Two-Eyed Jack.
Let other players play defense for you
With three players or three teams, there is a shift in the dynamics of the game. Suddenly it is no longer just you vs your opponent – there is another competing entity on the board. In these types of games, it is usually best to focus on offense and let the other two players/teams use turns playing defense against one another.
If an opposing player or team is about to make a sequence and you are also close, it can pay off to put the onus on the third player/team to defend. This way you remain focused on your own objectives, leaving it to the third player/team to use their resources to play defense.
Thanks for reading! If I missed something or you have your own opinions, please drop a comment below.
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