Rummy Runner!

Players use a standard 52-card deck to move forward along a race track and play rummy-like tricks to accumulate points. Points are gained for tricks and subtracted for cards left in your hand or not reaching the finish line. For 2 – 3 players.
Rummy Runner is a hand management game that offers several different options for what to do with cards. Play tricks? Move on the board? Try to disrupt your opponents’ hand and strategy? Draw more cards? You must balance movement with tricks.

Setup: Players start with a hand of 7 cards and place their token at the Starting Line. Remaining cards are stacked in a deck and the top card turned up and placed next to the deck, forming the start of the discard pile (like rummy).

A Round: Each player’s turn has 3 parts: Card action, Play action, and Discard.

Board:
There are 20 spaces on the board. To advance, you need a certain # of cards played as tricks. Space 10 = 6 cards, Space 15 = 8 cards, and to end the game, you need at least 10 cards.

Card Action:
Players either take the face-up card and all “below” it (and move their token 1 back for every 2 cards they pick up), the face-down card (free), trade with another player, or gift draw.
To trade cards, the player selects up to 3 cards to give in any combination to other players. The players who receive cards select the same number to return to the gifter. Optional: a player can do a 2-for-1 trade to select a card at random from their opponent’s hand.
To gift draw, a player gives a card to another player and draws 2 from the deck. If you give a 10 – King or Ace, draw 3 cards.

Play Action:
Players either play a trick or move forward on the board.
Tricks are like rummy: 3+ of a kind, 3+ suited in a row, or playing on another player’s tricks. Playing a full trick or adding to another trick ends this action.
Movement is done one of two ways: by giving another player a card or “burning” the card. You move more spaces for giving a card. Movement Gift/Burn: cards 2 – 9 move 2/1, 10’s and face cards move 4/2, and Aces move 6/3. Burning removes the card from the game.

Discard:
Players must discard to end their turn, placing a card from their hand face-up on the discard pile. If they cannot discard, move their token back a space.

Scoring:
The game ends one of two ways: a player crosses the finish line or the draw deck is exhausted. Once one of these occurs, the game is immediately over.
Players total their tricks: 2 – 9 cards are worth 2 points, 10 – King are worth 4, and Aces are worth 6. Players subtract the value of cards left in their hand. Players subtract the number of spaces they are from the finish line.

The Icy Arena

Each player is a team manager for a team of arena fighters in the cold frosty north. In the frosty north lives the Nish, a resilient people with hard quills. In this unforgiving land, when a Nish loses his honor he is placed into the arena games where he has a chance to regain his honor through winning. If he and his team win enough fights, they get the chance to fight a giant ice dragon to regain their family’s honor in death.

In The Icy Arena, players will be building teams of fighters to fight in the arena. The player whose team gains the most fame will get to send their team to die. That team wins the game!

Gameplay

The game will feature 4 rounds with players starting with a predetermined amount of resources. The player who has been the furthest North goes first.

Recruit Phase

During the recruit phase, each player is handed 4 cards. Players then must pick one card, paying its cost, and then pass the rest to the next player. This will continue until all cards have been picked. A player may discard a card for X amount of fame.

Sponsorship Phase

During this phase players will take turns moving their pawn around a track. Pawns may never move backwards. This works much like Francis Drake. Each space gives different resources but when a player plays a recruit card bonus resources are awarded. Rewards could be resources or even weapons and equipment.

Planning Phase

At the beginning of this phase, a card will be drawn to show the objective of this round’s fight. It could be capture the flag, king of the mountain, etc. Each player will also draw a secret objective card. If during the fight the player achieves this bonus objective, they will reap the rewards listed on it.

Arena Phase

Players will then place their different fighters into the arena. On a player’s turn, they will move their fighters and attack. Combat will be resolved through dice. If there are more hits than dodges, the enemy takes wounds. A player may at any time remove a fighter from the board. The player may then put that fighter’s card back into his hand. When a fighter is removed from the board for any reason, that fighter will score fame. If a fighter reaches 0 hit points, the attacking player may kill or spare that fighter. If he spares that fighter, he will gain fame and crowd favor. If he kills that fighter, he will lose crowd favor removing the dead fighter. Crowd favor gives bonuses to fighters depending on the amount spent. When one player completes the main objective, the round ends and rewards are given out.
There is a lot more to this game but the word count restricts my details. I wish I could talk more about the different stats, resources, scoring, and such, but…I can’t. In short, only the Icy Death can return honor lost!

Station Theta

A game of isolation, suspicion, and saving humanity for 3-10 crewmen

Goal

Station Theta on Mars has uncovered a hibernating organism that absorbs living tissue. As it assimilates the crew work to prevent its escape or successfully destroy the affected crew before calling for rescue.

The Setup

• Each player has a token bag labeled with their profession (Mechanic, etc.)
• A map of Station Theta, with areas for a token stack at each location. Printed are token combinations that provide actions.
• Main bag full of tokens.
• Each player gets a stack of three tokens. One (or more, if more players) stacks have a couple Alien tokens. Player(s) with ALIEN token(s) are assimilated and working to escape Mars and/or assimilate the other players.

Objectives

Players will collectively combine tokens into stacks at station locations, eventually electing someone to resolve the location (at risk of uncovering a contributed Alien token).

Some of location actions slow the Aliens from launching an escape craft or calling for a pickup too early.

Other locations might let them investigate players or "torch" players suspected of being an alien. Torched players have reduced roles, but stay in the game as un-voting members.

Example: The Hanger:

1. Disable/Repair Escape Craft 5 tokens, at least 3 Wrenches
2. Fuel Craft takes 4 Fuel
3. Launch Craft 3 Know-How. (Aliens win)
4. Explore Martian Dig Free, draw three tokens from main bag. (Alien tokens drawn here same as when resolving location - see below)

Gameplay

Rounds with three phases:

1. Planning

   • Players draw a hand of three tokens from their bag. (Get tokens in your bag with free "explore" action at some locations).
   • They may trade these with any other player, but do so without revealing what they are ahead of time. In fact, it is suggested that trading players do so away from the group.
   • Alien players may only give an Alien token if they have at least two in hand.
   • If an Alien token is received, you are Assimilated. (Secret to rest of group).

2. Playing tokens - Freely play tokens on locations, based on the number of players in the game:

   3-5: up to 3 tokens 6-8: 2-tokens 9-10: 1-token

3. Resolve locations - In location order one player is elected to resolve the location. Their Profession may give a bonus. (Mechanic = free wrench token)

   • Each player may only resolve one location.
   • If elected player uses token stack to resolve actions, he may encounter an Alien token. He may chose to keep them (be assimilated), or reveal them. Revealing causes havoc, as it removes tokens at a chosen location and prevents it from being used for one round.
   • If a stack completes an action(s), they are resolved in order.

After each round, check to see if the Aliens have won. Otherwise, if the "call for rescue" action is completed, players reveal their tokens. If anyone has an Alien token, Aliens win. If not, Humans win.

Christmas Crunch

It’s better to give than to receive. It’s 3pm on Christmas Eve and you’ve got until noon tomorrow to give like your life depends on it (because, well it doesn’t, but grandma may guilt you to death if you miss her party.)
Bet you wish you’d started shopping before now?
You need to shop, wrap, gift, (and probably regift) the day and night away. Maybe grab a snack and a nap while you are at it. The most appreciated player at the end of Christmas wins.

Game Elements and Setup

1. The town of Bescherung is a simple map of shopping locations, non-family celebration locations, family locations, and Grandma’s House. Movement is region to region with extended road travel. Some regions indicate they can be used for wrapping (e.g. outside the mall.)
2. Standup cardboard pawns represent each character and have corresponding character info cards that include specific celebrations they must attend.
3. At setup, each player receives two hidden personal likes and dislikes cards that influence the value of presents given to them. They also get card sleeves (wrapping paper,) and appreciated and disappointed feedback tokens in their color to handout.
4. Locations with hosts (e.g. The Boss at The Office) receive a hidden like/dislike card and locations without a party time on the board receive a schedule card showing the 1-3 hour time the party will be open for guests. All locations share common feedback tokens.
5. A clock with an hour hand tracks the time. Tired and hungry tokens are given out at certain times and affect your action points per hour until removed.
6. Decks for nice presents and adequate presents. Presents have categories such as jewelry, sports, gag (likes and dislikes refere to these; Grandma is disappointed when she gets gag gifts.) Some presents have special effects (like Box of Chocolates allows all players at the location to remove a hungry token but discards the present.)

The Play

Balance your time spent shopping with attending as many parties as you can. Each hour you have four actions for moving, browsing, gifting, wrapping, snacking, or napping. If you enter the same square as another player you may give them a gift, and they may give you one in return.

Different parties have different gift rules, such as gift the host or leave one, take one.

If you miss a required party, the host will be doubly disappointed.

When you receive a gift, you must unwrap it right away. If it matches one of your likes or dislikes reveal your preference and give them a feedback token; give an appreciation token if it’s a nice present. Save the wrapping paper!

Scoring

• Add up your appreciateds (+1 each) and subtract your disappointeds (-2 each)
• Add up the wrappings from each other player, give 2 appreciations to any player who gave you more presents than you gave them.

Refugees
Players play as diplomats trying to find homes for refugees in their country. All players start with a pool of refugees, which they try to give to other nations. When a player gets rid of one of their refugees, space may be created in their country, which can allow other players to get rid of their refugees. Avatars are moved around the board between player countries, neutral countries, and the U.N. Players can take different actions depending on where they are located. The first player to empty their country’s refugee pool wins.

Elements
Player Countries - Each player has a Player Country Card showing their current Refugees, Refugee Cap, and pathways to adjacent Neutral Countries. Players start with a Refugee Cap of 10, and 10 Refugees on their Player Country Card.

Neutral Countries - Each Neutral Country is defined by a face up card, showing the Country’s Name and starting Refugee Cap (between 1 and 3). Country Cards are aligned together to create movement paths between Countries.

Refugees - Each Refugee is represented by a Meeple, which are placed on Player and Neutral Country Cards.

Refugee Cap - The Refugee Cap is the maximum number of Refugees that can be placed in a Country. This can be reduced or increased through the use of certain cards. Refugees may only be added to a Country if there is space (Refugee Cap minus current Refugees).

U.N. - The U.N. is represented by the U.N. Card, which is placed in the centre of the game map. Player Countries are connected to the U.N. Card via Neutral Country Cards.

Player Avatar - Each player has an avatar, the location of which defines what actions a player can take, as well the targets of those actions.

Offence / Defence Cards - Certain actions allows players to draw cards to their hand, and played on their turn.

Turn Order
Players take turns, moving one space and taking one action per turn.

At home
Draw Defense Card - Player draws a Defense Card to their hand. Defensive Cards allow actions such as; block other players from giving a Refugee to a nearby Country for a certain number of turns, or lowering the Refugee Cap of a Country.
Play Defense Card - Player plays a Defense Card from their hand.

In another country
Give Refugees Away - Player may give up to 1 Refugee to the Country they are currently located in, as long as doing so would not exceed that Country’s Refugee Cap.
Play Offense Card - Player plays an Offence Card from their hand.

At UN
Draw Offence Card - Player draws an Offence Card to their hand. Offence Cards allow actions such as; moving Refugees from one nearby Country to an adjacent Country, raising the Refugee Cap of a nearby Country, or discarding Refugees from a nearby Neutral Country.

Win Conditions
The first player to get rid of all of the Refugees from their Player Country wins.