Gnav

Gnav is a traditional round game played in Norway and in parts of Denmark, where families have played it at Christmas Eve and New Year gatherings. It uses either a special pack of 42 cards or a set of pawn-shaped pieces whose values are read from the base. Each player is dealt one card or piece and may keep it or try to swap it with the neighbour on the left. A swap cannot be refused unless the neighbour holds one of the top five pieces, called matadors, which trigger effects such as ending the swapping, undoing earlier swaps, or passing the swap on. The holder of the lowest piece pays a token to the pool and players who run out of tokens drop out. Gnav is closely related to the Italian game Cuccu and to the Dutch variant Slabberjan.