The Tiltyard

Will you be the knight who makes his fortune, or might you be the one to lose your fortune or even your life? Its time to step onto the field of glory … It’s time to enter the Tiltyard!

Ages: 7+

Players: 2

Interesting Features: The lance, the axe, the sword.  Three rounds with two passes each to prove your skill and best your opponent.  but battles are won or lost just as easily in the courts of royal favour as they are on the field of honour.  Whose favour will you seek?  Or are you confident enough in your abilities to go it alone?

Extras Needed: A standard deck of cards (Jokers optional)

DOWNLOAD: THE TILTYARD

Printing Suggestions: Pretty straightforward – one piece of paper with the rules printed on both sides.  Fold it in half and you are ready to go!

Designer’s Notes: Sean Ross, over at the Geek (BoardgameGeek) initiated a 2-player card game design contest.  This was mySPECTACULARLY AWESOME ENTRY … that lost …  As I post this the constest is still going on, but since the first round of voting is over and my game didn’t make it through I proudly (???) offer it here for your consideration and enjoyment.  When you have tried this out why not go check out all the other great entries in the contest.  You won’t be sorry (for them I mean … I make no such claims for mine!)

Castle Clash

Tall fences make for good neighbours … unless of course they happen to have a catapult or two!

Ages: 7+

Players: 2-4

Interesting Features: Careful planning in how you build your castle AND with what weapons you will attack your opponent are key to winning this battle for control of the neighbourhood. Just be careful that you don’t give your enemies any extra ammunition!

Extras Needed: A pencil and paper, A deck of cards divided into suits (one suit for each player) a whole whack of dice of different sides (4’s 6’s 8’s 10’s etc) ask someone who does a lot of roleplaying if you can borrow some.

DOWNLOAD: CASTLE CLASH

Printing Suggestions: Pretty straightforward – one piece of paper with the rules printed on both sides. Play the game on a table cloth to keep your cards from moving around too much.

Designer’s Notes: Another game design competition another story to tell.  After many years of finding these things too late, or finishing my idea too late, this time I was on time!  Not only was I on time … I was early!  So in went my entry and I sat back and waited … and waited … and waited …. the judging was delayed 2 times … so I waited … and waited some more … and then the competition was cancelled … (sigh)  Perhaps its better this way.  Just like my Mom says, This way none of the other entries needs to feel bad that mine was better.  (Thanks Mom)  Now I will let you all judge it for yourselves.  If you like it let me know – it will be like the prize I never got.  If you don’t like it … well I can always wait to hear about that another time.

Roaches!

You’ve got an infestation problem and the only way to get rid of it is to give it to someone else!

Ages: 7+

Players: 3+

Interesting Features: The more cards you play to the pile the more special (and powerful) cards you can draw. But this also makes it easier for you to get stuck with A LOT of disgusting little roaches somewhere down the road. Of course you could just play them directly on your friends … but then they might want to get you back by giving you the pile. What are you going to do?

Extras Needed: One or two coloured chips, coins or markers for everyone (of a different colour for each player)

DOWNLOAD: ROACHES

Printing Suggestions: Print the face of all sheets, then print the card-back graphics on the back of each sheet. Laminate the sheets and start cutting! The rules are designed for one sheet of 8.5X11 front and back (no folding needed!)

Designer’s Notes: This game came to me in a sweat-denched, middle of the night, bolt upright clench-fisted flash back.  I woke yet again to the sensation of thousands of little roaches swarming over my pillow.  It took me almost twenty minutes to convince myself that it wasn’t true … that I was no longer living in my old apartment from my college days, fearing to turn on the light or dig in a cupboard, or lift that pot-lid over there … uuuggghhh …  I knew I needed a way to exorcise those persistant little demons so that very morning I began work on the game you see before you.  And you know … it worked.  My brother recoiled in fear when I just showed him the game (same problem different apartment).  It made me smile a little.  Even better, is watching the horror on others’ faces as you stick them with a huge pile of cards covered in roaches during the game.  It almost lets me ignore the sweat that still breaks out on my brow everytime I play it!