Coin Set

Match Coins, Make Sets

Give your brain a workout – with nothing more than a handful of coins.

Coin Set is a game in which you and a group of friends compete to find patterns and sets in a selection of coins, plucked at random from a bag. Each coin has a number of different characteristics: like the material it’s made from, the number of shapes on it, the actual shapes themselves, and so on. Your task is to locate sets of three coins where each of these characteristics is either all different, or all the same. And you have to do it quickly – because everyone’s competing at the same time and waiting for the opportunity to spot patterns, shout “Set!” and claim the coins for themselves.

It’s trickier than it might seem, because every one of every coin’s four defining characteristics needs to be considered. As a result, Coin Set is a test of your observation and thoroughness as well as how quick-witted you are. If you think you’ve found a set, but have failed to consider one of the characteristics, you’ll lose three of the coins you’ve collected so far. So you need to pay real attention to detail, thinking fast but not being too hasty. One thing is for sure: keeping a cool head will help you find order in the chaos.

Legend has it that these coins were found at the bottom of the Med by none other than Jacques Cousteau. But whatever the backstory, Coin Set is a quick and quirky brain-teaser, a fast-paced and intermittently frenetic way to test your attention to detail and your ability to see a slightly bigger, more complex picture than one coin alone can show you. Plus: it’s small enough to fit in your pocket, and encased in a robust little tin that’ll keep it safe wherever you might take it.