Week 8 - Card Games

   The card game that I played with my group in class was Zombie Fluxx. This is a themed adaption of the game Fluxx, where the main point of the game is a constantly-changing win state depending on certain items or other factors deciding who wins with a specific set of rules. For Zombie Fluxx, the cards consist of items (gasoline containers, cars, baseball bats, and so on) referred to as “keepers,” and zombie cards referred to as “creepers.” It is within the player’s best interest to utilize both of these cards equally, and amass as many keepers and creepers as you can. There are rule cards that decide what exactly you need to win the game. For instance, say one card says you need a car card, a gasoline card, and no zombies. Whoever has that specific setup of cards in their hand and in front of them wins. However, while you’re trying to get those items, someone else plays a card that changes the rules. Now, you need exclusively zombies and no other items to win the game. It is best to diversify your inventory in the game, especially as certain items will provide blanket coverage for other cards you might not need later, like creepers. The play space of Zombie Fluxx is versatile and is possible (and fun) to play with only a few people or a larger group. Everyone gathers around each other in a circle to make sure everyone can reach the cards they need to draw, but also so you can’t see another player’s hand. The player would want to keep their hand a secret because other players can very easily destroy your chances of winning; at least for the current round. Additionally, if you wanted to set yourself up with a win, you might want to keep a rule card hidden. “New Rule” and win state cards make good use of their medium because cards “create and contain space that is more mobile and modular” (Altice). Once a new rule goes into play, you stack it on top of the previous rule, changing how the game will be played. Another benefit of this game using cards as its medium is that you have the advantage of other players not knowing what you have, that way, “players can stow ‘an ace in the hole’” (Altice). With constantly changing rules and play states, Zombie Fluxx stays consistently fluid and fun. 

   The game I watched on “Watch it Played” is called Hero Realms. This is a game that functions similarly to Hearthstone. The game can consist of two to four players, and has a fantasy/medieval theme. The cards in the game are separated into several different categories, such as currency, Champions, weapons, items, and so on. However, certain cards can overlap these categories and can act as a mixture of two. Additional cards can be purchased alongside the base games in booster packs or campaign packs. The “scarcity and concealment” of the blind packs ensure that the cards will continue to sell, as well as provide players with a more versatile or powerful deck (Altice). Similarly to Zombie Fluxx, players will want to keep their cards hidden from other players, as to hide what they will be capable of in the following turns. This game also benefits from using cards as its medium, as cards “excel at both displaying and concealing information” (Altice). At the beginning of every turn, players use their currency to buy cards from the market; which is five cards spread out in front of the players face-up. The player must use their currency now as it is discarded at the end of their turn. Another integral part of gameplay is the player’s health. Health is kept track of by two cards, spanning from 0 to 80+. Once a player loses all of their health, they are out of the game. Whether the game is played by two or four players, whoever is the last standing wins.