traditional deck
i love card games, and learning a new one is something is a really fun
experience. while i love the uniqueness of different card games, and their
design, art, packaging, etc (see 
hanafuda or stelle-scopa) - there is a
special place for the games that you
can play with the traditional 52-card deck. while there are so many well known
games that use the traditional deck, there are many other ones that are lesser
known. in particular, in [[game design]], it’s a common design challenge to
retrofit an existing game to work within the context/cards of the traditional
deck, or, invent a new game with those constraints.
recently, i started an attempt at this with
semiosphere, and in the process, came across a lot
of other inspirations for different games that work with a traditional deck.
- donsol - designed by john eternal, donsol is an incredible one player “dungeon solitaire”. the way that donsol reinterprets the suits of the cards is a huge inspiration, as it make new something so familiar. while i don’t really like classical solitaire so much, i feel that the simplicity and faster paced play of donsol lends itself to a more enjoyable experience. you really feel like “get on a roll” and then are crushed by an unsuspecting enemy, rather than just feeling stupid for having reached a “stalemate” of sorts in traditional solitaire.
- femtitva by scott huntington - femtitva is a collection of games that all take mechanics and ideas from existing commericial games and reinterprets, remixes, or otherwise repurposes those mechanics into games that work with a standard deck of cards. i like this anticapitalist approach and also think it is cool that there was so many references to the influences involved in deciding how to make a particular game the way it is.
- last dispatch by symbolic city - i was asking on the fediverse for inspiration for this game and @SymbolicCity@dice.camp generously gave me a free copy of their game, which also only uses a standard deck of cards. it is more of a role playing type of game, but is interesting as it is also single player (for the most part) like donsol. i appreciate the creative re-imagining of suits and the versatility of the game
- isaludo,
designed by wil wu, is another collection of games similar to femtitva,
however, these are not remakes of well known games, rather, new creations
(though i am sure they are still heavily influenced by other games, like any
work). wil su also compiled an interesting list
here.
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list of games
- skyway: a city builder about making convoluted overpasses for cars, with elements of drafting and tile-laying. - the sandwich guy: a light hand management game where you discard cards to make sandwiches. - area 52: a game where you manage a team of expendable defenders to efficiently take down deadly aliens. - dead center: you’re trapped in a cabin and surrounded by zombies! strategically plan your movement and kill them all before time runs out. - the first boba tea shop in london: a push-your luck game about managing irate british people lining up outside your milk tea shop. - foursquare: a tile-laying game about building restaurants without having too many closed down at the same time. - loot the loop: raid a temple, grab jewels, and avoid traps. a dungeon-delving game played in your hand, similar to maiden’s quest. - syndicate: a brain-burning puzzle about gaining the mafia’s trust. slowly move your agents up the ranks to take out the syndicate from within. - hide and seek: a deduction/risk management game about efficiently finding your friends' hiding places within the playground. - the emissary: a solo trick-taking game where you try to gather support from neighboring kingdoms using rhetoric suave.
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