AninecardgamebyHarryPekkaKuusela

ArtMaijaKuusela
allrightsreserved

TherewasnokingintheserenerepublicofVenice,buteveryyearonewaschosen.During
thecarnivalattheDoge`spalacethemaskedballofthefalsekingwasheldandattheballa
courtlygameofblindman`sbuffwasplayedwherethewinnerwascrownedkingforthe
evening.Theplayerspositioncharactercardsaroundonecardinthemiddleofthetableand
guessingeachothersplaytrytobecometheKingmaker.TheFoolwilljest,theMinstrelwill
danceandtheCourtisanerhmpreferstouch.

Components:

9cards
withdifferentcharactersandtheirinformation.

Thecardsshowtheordernumberofthecardinromannumeralsandthenameofthe
character.
Asthecolorofthecharacterpicturethecharacterspreferredsensebywichtheyplayas
blindfoldedtaginblindman`sbuff.Redforsound,blueforsmell/fragranceandyellowfor
touch.
Eachcharactersspecialpowerastext.
Thethreesenseattributesofthatcharacteritself.Bycomparingtheseattributesonthe
cardssurroundingthetag,orthecardinthemiddle,thewinningcardofeachroundis
resolved.
Thefourdirectionsofthesenses,up,down,andsides,matterwhenacharacteristhe
currenttagofblindman`nbuffandthecardisinthemiddleoftheplayarea.

4victorytokens
:roundyellowplasticdisksusedtokeepscoreamongtheplayers,the
playerwhowinsaroundforthesecondtimeistheKingmakerandwinnerofthegame.

SETUP(fourplayers):
Placethewinnertokensnexttotheplayarea.Dealeveryplayertwocardsfaceup.Place
thefinalcardinthemiddleoftheplayareafaceup.Theplayerwiththelowestsumoftheir
cardsordernumbersisthefirstplayer,incaseofatietheplayerwiththesmallestorder
numberisthefirstplayer.

GAMEPLAY
Onthefirstroundofthegamethefirstplayermayexchangeoneofhishandcardswiththe
cardinthemiddle.

Everyonepicksuptheircardsandfromnowonalltheplayerskeeptheirhandcardssecret
fromtheotherplayers.

Thenextplayergoingclockwisenowplacesoneoftheircardsfaceupinoneofthefour
sidesofthefaceupcardinthemiddle.Theotherplayersfollowsimilarlychoosingfromthe
sidesleftvacant.Thefirstplayeristhelasttoplaceacardfromhishand.

Nowtheplayerscheckthesurroundingcardsonthetableinorderstartingfromthesmallest
ordernumberpresentforpossiblespecialpowersbeingatplay.Acharacter`sspecialpower
affectstheroundifthatcharactercardislocatedonthesideofthemiddlecardssymbol
matchingthatcharacter`sownpreference.Iftheymatchreadthespecialpowerandtakethe
affectintoaccountfromhereonfortherestoftheround.


Picture
.ForinstancetheQueenprefersvoiceandherspecialpowerisineffectpositionwisewhenitishercards
turntobecheckedandthequeenisintheupwardpositionofthecardinthemiddle.(herotherrequirements
aren`tmetheresonothinghappens).Thecolorsofthesymbolsandpicturesaremeanttomakethiseasier.Also
thecourtesanandtheladyinwaitingareinpositionswheretheirpowerswillactivate.

Nextcheckthepreferredsenseofthemiddlecharacterandseewichoneofthesurrounding
characterswontheroundbyhavingthehighestattributeinthispreference.Donotforgetto
takethepossiblechangesmadebythespecialpowersintoaccount.Incaseofatiethe
lowerordernumberwins,againunlessanactivespecialpowersaysdifferently.Next
similarlycheckwichcharacterlosttheroundwiththelowestattributeorincaseofatiethe
highestordernumber.

Theplayerwhoplayedtheloosingcharacterhasthepossibilitytoexchangetheloosing
cardwiththecardinthecenter,thecardfromthecenterbecomestheirs.Afterthatthe
winnertakesthecardremaininginthecentertotheirhand,onevictorytokenandbecomes
thefirstplayer.Theotherplayersalsopickuptheirsurroundingcards(mostoftenthecards
theyjustplayed)totheirhand.

Tostartthenextroundthefirstplayerplaysoneofthethreecardsintheirhandtobecome
thenewcentercardandthegamecontinuesclockwisefromhimwiththenextplayerplaying
thefirstsurroundingcard.

WINNINGTHEGAME:Whenaplayerwinsaroundforthesecondtimetheybecomethe
Kingmakerandwinthegame.Ifafterfourroundsnoplayerhastwotokenstheplayer
holdingthemaskedfigurecardorthequeenisthewinnerasexplainedlater.

THREEPLAYERGAME:Dealtwocardstoeveryplayerandthecentercard,thetwo
remainingcardsareputtothesidefaceup.Thegameisplayedsimilarlyexceptafterthe
newcentercardisplayedthenextplayerchoosesoneofthecardsonthesideandplacesit
facedowntoblockonedirectionfromthecentercard.Thethirdplayeristhefirsttoplaya
cardfromtheirhandasansurroundingcard.(theFoolsandtheMinstrelsspecialpowers
affectthefacedowncardwich,incaseofthefoolitmightberequiredtobeshownintheend
oftheroundtoseethenewpreference).

TWOPLAYERGAME:Dealfourcardstobothplayers.theplayersplaytwocardsperround
withthefirstonebeingplayedfacedownfromboth,takingturns.Afterfourcardshavebeen
playedrevealthefacedowncardsandcontinueasnormal.Thefirstplayertowinthree
roundsistheKingmakerandwinnerofthegame.

THECARDS:
Preferredsense:Smell/Fragrance(blue)

IMinstrel
Makeseveryonelightontheirfeetandpoorintheirjudgement.
Iftheminstrelcardisinthedowndirectionwhenthespecialpowersarecheckedmoveall
cardsroundthemiddlecardonestepclockwise.Afterthishasnofurthereffect.

VIIITheLadyInWaiting
Deepdownknowsherqualitiestobethefairest.
Ifthecardisinthedowndirectionwhenthespecialpowersarecheckedfortherestofthe
roundthiscardwinsincaseofties,butonlyagainstthequeenorprincess.

Risesfortheoccasion,withladiesprecent.I
IXKnight fthecardisinthedown
directionwhenthespecialpowersarecheckedthiscardgets+1toallit`sattributesforthe
restoftheround,butonlyiftheprincessorthequeenisinthemiddle.


Preferredsense:Voice(red)

IITheMaskedFigure
RevealsitselftobetheDogeintheendtomuch
merrimentofall.
Winsthegamefortheplayerinpossessionofhimafterfourroundsofplayifnootherwinner
hasbeenannounced.Alsoifthecardisintheupdirectionwhenthespecialpowersare
checkedthiscardgets2+toit`svoiceattributefortherestoftheround.

Thepowerbehindthethrone.I
IIIQueen fthecardisintheupdirectionwhen
thegameendsafterfourroundsandnoplayerhaswontworoundswinsthegameforthe
playerinpossessionofher.
Ifthecardisintheupdirectionwhenthespecialpowersarecheckedthiscardgets+1toall
it`sattributes,butonlyifthemaskedfigureisinplayonthetablethisround.

VIIPrincess
Likesherselfandallaroundtosmellexpensive.
Ifthecardisintheupdirectionwhenthespecialpowersarecheckedmakesthe+1tothe
fragranceattributeofthetwocardsinthesidedirections.

Preferredsense:Touch(yellow)

IVFool
Hiswordsarefunwithmeaninglosttomost.
Ifthecardisinoneofthesidedirectionswhenthespecialpowersarecheckedmakesthe
winningattributeoftheroundtobenottheattributeofthemiddlecardbutthecardonthe
othersidedirection.

VCourtesan
Whatdoesherheartdesire?
Ifthecardisinoneofthesidedirectionswhenthespecialpowersarecheckedgets+1toall
attributesifthefool,minstrel,guardorknightisinthecenter,1toallattributesifthe
princess,thequeenortheladyinwaitingisinthemiddle.Themaskedfigureinthemiddle
hasnoeffect,itistoomysteriousforeventhegendertobeclear.

VIGuard
Standsfirmorhandson.
Ifthecardisinoneofthesidedirectionswhenthespecialpowersarecheckedgets+1to
touchandgives+1totouchtothecardsinupanddowndirectionsfromthecentercard.