by jreicher
As the game designers, my wife and I wanted to share a few ideas for making the game a bit more challenging for older players-- or, more accurately, half drunk-college students.When we say "more challenging," we really mean "swear-like-a-sailor-and- pound-your-fists-while-your-friends-laugh-at-you" challenging.
The original rules, which (according to our publisher) apparently made little kids cry, differed in a few important ways:
1) The "lose one of each color, as well as one of your choice" was actually a "lose all unlocked cards" whammy. It was vicious and cruel, but really made pressing your luck exciting/dreadful. Obviously, more people were taking from the safety pile with this in effect. We called this card "The Black Dragon", a holdover from our original protoype's graphic design. You might think of any number of great names for this variant card, very few of them mentionable in polite company.
2) The "if you get an "Ugh!" card as your first flip" you performed the action indicated and your turn was over. No "booby prize" for pressing your luck-- Only histrionic whining and whinging.
3) When you turn over an "Ugh!" card, it wouldn't go to the discard pile; it would lay on top of the appropriate safety pile-- effectively blocking all the "safe" cards underneath. More than once, a person would be FORCED to press their luck on the draw deck because all the safety piles were blocked. Seeing the safety piles in this state always provided loads of cruel, psychotic joy. Do enjoy.
NOTES:
Occassionally, a player will make a lot of bad decisions and wind up cardless, scoreless, and disgusted. Shut out, it is important to single that person out as a slow-witted buffoon. Of course, if that person is you, than it is surely the result of a poorly-made game, ill luck, or terrible friends who purposely gave you bad advice. (But in your heart, you know the truth of the matter.)
If you've had a few drinks, it is really fun to taunt the current player, pressuring them not to settle for the card they just turned (especially if it "just a two"*) until they get whammied by an Ugh! card.
When someone turns over the variant-rule "lose-all-unlocked-cards" card, be sure to use only your best concilatory tones with the victim, complete with crocodile tears. Or the house rule could be that has a shot of Jaeger.
DISCLAIMER: Don't play this way with kids or they will call family services on you.
* Feel free to use this taunt. It works very effectively.