Pinched! Heist: Mighty Boards' Bluffing Game Steals the Show

After a quiet debut at SPIEL Essen 2025, Pinched! from the usually stellar Mighty Boards has finally made its way to my table, and I'm genuinely impressed by the cunning design it unveils. In a landscape often saturated with iterative mechanics, Pinched! brings a fresh, albeit cutthroat, take on social deduction and resource management, proving that a well-crafted bluff is still the most potent weapon in a thief's arsenal.

At its core, Pinched! is a hand management and set collection game for two to five players, draped in the thrilling cloak of a criminal enterprise. Each round, one player assumes the mantle of the Mastermind, selecting a heist location from a communal pool of 3-5 available targets. This choice is made face-down, a silent declaration of intent that immediately sets the table abuzz with speculation. The other players, the rival thieves in this precarious gang, then play a single card from their own hand. These cards aren't just arbitrary discards; they are their bid to either join the Mastermind's chosen heist, feign interest in a different location, or even actively sabotage an opponent's potential score. This creates a fascinating layer of double-bluffing, where the Mastermind tries to anticipate the rival thieves, and the thieves attempt to read the Mastermind's subtle cues – or mislead them entirely.

The real crunch comes in the reveal. The Mastermind flips their chosen location. Then, each rival thief's card is revealed. Players who successfully matched the Mastermind's location (or shrewdly played a card that allows them to piggyback) gain 'loot' tokens specific to that location. These tokens are the building blocks of your criminal empire, forming sets that score points at the end of the game. The tension is palpable as cards are revealed, often leading to groans of frustration or triumphant cheers. The game’s brilliance lies in its ability to make every player feel deeply invested in every reveal, whether they’re the Mastermind praying their bluff holds, or a rival thief hoping their deduction pays off.

However, the system isn't without its nuances. The random card draw, as noted by some early players, can occasionally create situations where a player feels locked out, lacking the right cards to either participate effectively or bluff convincingly. A veteran player, however, will quickly learn to mitigate this by understanding the probabilities of the available locations and the potential plays of their opponents. It’s not about always having the perfect card, but about making the most of a suboptimal hand, a skill central to many classic bluffing games. Similarly, the game scales fascinatingly across player counts. At two players, it’s a direct, almost chess-like battle of wits. At five, it descends into glorious, unpredictable chaos, where alliances shift faster than a getaway car on ice, and a well-timed bluff can unravel the best-laid plans of three other players simultaneously. Each player count offers a distinct flavor, urging repeat plays to master the different dynamics.

The lore, while not explicitly deep, is perfectly serviceable and evocative. You’re not just collecting sets; you’re a professional thief, a member of a crew where trust is a liability and betrayal is a tool. The 'heist locations' aren't just abstract spaces; they're the high-security vaults, the illicit poker games, the shadowy docks where contraband changes hands. This thematic wrapper enhances the cutthroat mechanics, making every successful set collection feel like a pulled-off caper, and every failed bluff a narrow escape from the long arm of the law – or worse, your vengeful crewmates.

Pinched! is, unequivocally, a blast at the table. The constant mind games, the desperate bluffs, the triumphant reveals – it all coalesces into a highly engaging experience. It encourages player interaction, not just through direct competition, but through the constant reading of tells, the subtle shifts in posture, and the barely perceptible smirks. It's a game that rewards observation, adaptability, and a healthy dose of audacity. While the initial learning curve might present minor challenges with card efficiency, mastering Pinched! offers a deeply satisfying strategic journey. It’s a testament to Mighty Boards' design prowess, delivering a game that is both accessible and offers surprising depth for those willing to dive into its criminal underworld.