Sherwood Showdown, designed by Roberta Taylor and published by her sggc Whimsy Games, is a simple Blue-Moon like bidding game about robbing travelers.

Play higher and higher cards, including special ability cards like leaders and weapons, and then the player who plays the highest total takes the current traveler card. You have to conserve your resources for the better battles, of course. One thing I like about the game, other than the pretty artwork, is that the upcoming traveler (next round’s reward) is visible during the current round, which makes for a more strategic game.

Although Robin Hood-themed, there’s no “give to the poor” phase after the “rob from the rich” phase in the game … I’m just saying.

Something about the game – maybe it’s the squirrel company logo, the watercolors, the non-aggressive game name (“Showdown”), or the fiddle music playing during the explanatory video – seems very female friendly.