Play Online Pecking Order
Have you ever found yourself comparing small birds like cardinals, robins, and sparrows in terms of who’s truly the boss of the backyard? That’s basically the charm of Pecking Order. You and your friends end up duking it out with ornithological pride, each of you playing bird cards to win those all-important tricks. It’s a quick draw—everyone picks a bird from their hand, everyone flips, and the highest number walks away with the victory. But don’t get too cocky: if two cards tie, they both fall out of the running, and nobody claims that trick.
What really keeps things fun is the eggs mechanic. You start with a handful of colorful egg tokens you can place on certain birds to tip the scales or protect your wins. Maybe you dump an egg on a plucky little hummingbird to scare off a rival, or you use it to break a stubborn tie when you both play robins. Timing becomes everything: play that high-value hawk too soon, and someone might swoop in with an egg-laden sparrow to steal the show. It turns what looks like a simple higher-card-wins system into this delightful dance of bluff, timing, and just enough risk.
By the end of a few rounds, you’ve got stacks of bird cards in front of you—your personal aviary. Then comes the fun part: tallying up points based on who controls which birds and how many eggs you still have squirreled away. You might discover that collecting a couple of mid-range birds and saving your eggs for last-minute plays can outflank someone who just chased after big numbers from the start. And because it only takes about half an hour or so, you can easily squeeze in multiple games, each one feeling fresh thanks to that ever-shifting egg dynamic.
What I love about Pecking Order is how it hits that sweet spot between accessible family fun and light strategic depth. The artwork is charming without being precious, the rulebook gets you set up in minutes, and the tension of “will I win this trick or bomb spectacularly?” keeps everyone laughing (and occasionally groaning). It’s the kind of game you can teach to almost anyone, then find yourself back at the table in a flash, clamoring for just one more round before calling it a night.