- Overview
Elemental is a card game based on the idea that 4 is not a sufficient number of suits for a deck of cards. The game consists of a deck of sixty four cards in six suits of ten with four special cards. The first iteration was on binder paper and simply was a proof of concept, next I tried to find a satisfactory method of manufacture, settling upon scanning my Sharpie on card blank art, doing some digital touch up and then getting them printed through a professional card printing service. After much play testing I decided to create higher quality art, as well as improve the readability of the cards.
The game is an interesting balancing act. Because of the way scoring works players must create in imbalance in order to gain points, but an imbalance can be just as good for their opponents as it is for them.
- Rules
The rules are loosely based on hearts, but adapted to use a special deck and with some interesting balancing mechanics. The deck has six suits: Earth Air Fire Water Life and Death, ten cards of each suit and four special cards. There are three paradoxes, considered the zero of both suits: one of earth and air, one of fire and water, and one of life and death. The last card is the arch and is considered to be of all suits.
The game starts with the entire deck dealt out evenly to the players, setting the arch and paradoxes if necessary. Each player then chooses one card from their hand to place in front of them, face up, as their affinity. The suit of the card determines how hands they receive will be scored, and it cannot be a special card.
Gameplay proceeds in a series of rounds in which each player will play exactly one card. The first round starts with a randomly chosen player, or passes around clockwise if more than one game is played. When they place it in the middle of the table the must state its suit and value. Subsequent players must play either that suit or its opposite (the suit shared on its paradox) and cards opposite the leading suit count as negative. once every player has played a card the player who played the highest card of the leading suit places all the card into their discard pile. They then start the next round by playing any card from their hand. If someone plays a paradox they may change which of the two suits counts as positive. When a player plays the arch they declare the suit and value of the card. The game is over once all cards have been played.
The game is scored based on the cards in the discard pile of each player. Players gain one point for each life card in their pile and lose one point for each death card in their pile. Additionally every card of their affinity, including the card used for declaring their affinity, gains them one one point and each card of it's opposite loses them one point. It is important to note that a life affinity grants two points for each life card and negative two points for each death card, and a death affinity causes a final score of zero regardless of cards taken. The player with the highest score wins.
- Alternate Rules
Closed face affinities: Players place their affinities face down as opposed to face up.
adds a bluffing element to the game, but decreases intentionality of player interaction.
Extended games: Play several games and add the scores up as you play.
Great for reducing the amount of luck involved in winning.
