March 30th Grand Opening Games
How to play the event games for Mana Cloud’s Grand Opening Event
11:30-1:30pm – Dixit (all ages):
Dixit is an enchanting card game inviting you to let your imagination run wild. Discover dreamlike illustrations on large text-free cards, and interpret those mysterious images!
How to play:
Each turn one player is the storyteller, who secretly chooses one of the six cards in their hand, makes up a sentence based on that card’s image, and says it aloud without showing it. Each other player then selects the card in their hand that best matches the sentence and gives it to the storyteller face-down. The storyteller shuffles their card with all of the received cards and reveals them. Each player then secretly guesses which card belongs to the storyteller. If nobody or everybody guesses the correct card, the storyteller scores no points, and each other player scores 2. Otherwise, the storyteller and whoever found the correct answer score 3 points. Additionally, the non-storyteller players score 1 point for every vote received by their card. The game ends when the deck is empty or if a player has scored at least 30 points. In either case, the player with the most points wins.
2-4pm – Eat Poop You Cat / AKA: Telestrations (ages 8+):
This game may be known by many names, but always using the same concept as the party game Telephone, reveling in our individual interpretations of the sensory world. All players start the game with a unique phrase, pass it, interpret the phrase they received into a drawing, pass again, and rinse/repeat until the end of the game where you all get to enjoy the (de?)evolution of your original phrase!
How to play:
Each player starts with a piece of paper and a pencil. At the top of the paper, each player writes a sentence and pass it to their left. The next player draws the sentence, then folds the paper so only the drawing is visible and passes it to their left. The next player looks at the drawing and writes a sentence that they think the drawing represents. This continues until all players have their original paper back. At the end, players unfold their paper and take turns taking us through the journey as to how “I am the Walrus, koo-koo-ca-choo” evolved to “Darth Vader and I danced the night away in a disco.”
4:30-6:30pm – Werewolf / AKA: Mafia (ages 10+):
Another party game that goes by many names, but most commonly known as Werewolf or Mafia. No matter the name, the concept remains the same: innocent civilians are the target of a ruthless killer, and it’s up to the investigator to sleuth them out before it’s too late!
How to play:
Werewolf takes place in a small town where a minority of the townsfolk hold a dangerous secret. Each player is secretly assigned a role – Werewolf, Villager, or Seer. There is also a Moderator who controls the game flow.
The game alternates between night and day phases. At night, the Werewolves secretly choose a Villager to kill. Also, the Seer (if still alive) asks whether another player is a Werewolf or not. During the day, the Villager who was killed is revealed and is out of the game. The remaining Villagers then vote on the player they suspect is a Werewolf. That player reveals his/her role and is out of the game. Werewolves win when there are an equal number of Villagers and Werewolves. Villagers win when they have killed all Werewolves.
Depending on the player size of this game, more villager roles may be assigned.
7pm+ – Joking Hazard (MA 18+):
We’ll be winding down the evening with a game intended for a more “mature” audience! Following the popular Apples to Apples format and inspired by the Cyanide & Happiness Random Comic Generator, Joking Hazard is a game in which you compete with friends to finish an awful three-panel comic from a deck of cards with millions of possible combos.
How to play:
Players compete against one another to make the funniest joke from random art panel cards. All cards are either black-bordered cards (which may be used as joke “setup” or “punchline” cards), or red-bordered cards (which are joke “punchlines”). It takes three cards to make a joke: two black cards (the “setup”) and either another black or a red card (the “punchline”).
Players draw 7 cards, immediately drawing back up to 7 at any point after they lose one. The first player reveals the top card of the draw pile. If the card has a black border, the card is one of two parts of a setup, and it is now up to the player who revealed it to select a card from their deck to complete the joke setup. Other players then choose a “punchline” from their decks, placing them face-down in a communal pile. However, if the randomly revealed card has a red border, the card becomes the joke punchline, and other players now have to place TWO cards down to create the joke setup.
The first player randomizes the results (while retaining 2-card submissions in their intended order) and flips them over one at a time, choosing their favorite as the turn’s winner.
BONUS GAMES
Fluxx (ages 8+)
Tired of having to learn rules in order to play? Take a mental breather with Fluxx! The only thing you need to know to play: each turn you draw a card and play a card. Don’t like those rules? Play a card and change them as you go!
How to play:
Fluxx is a simple card game in which the cards themselves determine the current rules.
Each player starts the game with three cards. On their turn players draw one card, then play one card. By playing cards, you can put new rules into play that change numerous aspects of the game: how many cards to draw or play, how many cards you can hold in hand or keep on the table in front of you, and (most importantly) how to win the game!
Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger (ages 10+)
The classic Choose Your Own Adventure series comes to life in the narrative adventure game. Will your choices help you survive? Enjoy this game solo, or with any number of players!
How to play:
Players will take turns reading story cards that work in the style of a choose your own adventure book. Each story section will lead you to a cross roads where you must make decisions about what to do next.
Each choice you make will send you to a different story card where you will continue reading, following the story and encountering many different challenges, some that you will be required to face and other that you can choose to face, if you dare.ย
Smash-Up (ages 12+)
The totally righteous Shufflebuilding game!ย In Smash Up players choose two factions (such as pirates, ninja, robots, zombies, and more), then combine their gnarly decks into a big time force to be reckoned with.
How to play:
Players choose two different thematic faction decks, shuffle them together, then compete to crush more Bases than their opponents. Each faction involves a different gaming mechanism, and each combination of factions brings a different gaming experience.
During the game, basic cards (each with their own difficulties and abilities) are at stake. You try to have the most power on the basis of your minions when the base is broken. Sounds easy? Is it easy when an opponent’s Alien-Ninja decides to tie your minions to other Bases – flat Murder them? What happens when the Pirate-Dinosaur Full Sails player and frees King Rex to trample your minions in the ground, or when wizard-zombies use their mystic power to create an outbreak, suddenly flooding minions on the base of the discard pile?
When a base is smashed, each player in first, second and third place scores points. Fourth place? Sorry, brother, next time.