Très Sure (Treasure)

A spinoff/clone/continuation on the idea of “Exploding Kittens”.

Every player is a treasure hunter. In the center of the table is a stack of cards you’ll be “digging through” => the digging stack or playing pile.

Players also have cards in their hands and draw from the “adventurer shop” => the draw pile.

Setup

Shuffle all the cards into one huge deck: the digging stack. Hand each player 3 cards, place the rest in the center of the table.

During the game, cards will be played next to it: the adventure stack.

Also give each player 3 Life Cards.

Objective

The game ends when only one living player remains or the digging stack is empty.

Living players score all the (regular) treasure they stored.
Ghosts score all the ghost treasure they stored.

Highest score wins!

Gameplay

Take clockwise turns around the table. Each turn has the same three quick steps: Play, Draw, Store.

Play

Play cards from your hand. As many as you want, but at least one. Execute their effects.

If you cannot play anything (your hand is empty or some rule forbids it), draw two cards from the bottom of the stack and end your turn immediately.

All cards can be played, except for “DANGER” cards.

Draw

Draw as many cards from the digging stack as you played. Most cards go into your hand, but “DANGER” cards execute their effect immediately.

Store

You may store one card for free. Your storage is simply a facedown pile in front of you. At the end of the game, the treasure on these cards determines your score.

(Remark: the cards are safe in storage and cannot be touched. But they’re also out of your hand and never coming back.)

Ghosts

The digging stack holds many dangers. They either remove your lives (discarding the card permanently) or negate them (you have one fewer life as long as you hold this card).

If you ever run out of lives, you die and become a ghost. All cards with a heart icon go back into the stack, wherever you want. You keep your other cards.

You only get one more turn … in reverse. You may use it at any time until the end of the game.(Otherwise, you get no more turns.)

What’s a reverse turn?

You may store one more card.
Then you discard cards to the digging stack ( = draw pile)
And finally, you draw equally many cards from the playing pile

Card Types

“Base” cards have an action and a treasure value. The action must be executed when the card is played. The treasure value is your score at the end.

For example: “(play this card) to make someone skip their turn” + “value = 5”

“Ghost” cards also have an additional ghost function

“Curse” cards have curse points (for ghosts to collect) => perhaps it’s better to combine this with treasure value. (Like: big value for treasure, smaller purple value for ghost.) In general, curse values are much higher than treasure, as they are more rare.

Many cards also have a “ghost action”. That’s what they do when the ghost plays them, which they’re allowed to do at any time.

What will cards generally do?

Remove the restriction of having to play a card.
Remove the restriction of having to draw as many cards as played.
Check what’s at the top of the stack.
Change what’s at the top of the stack.
Ask information about the hand of another player. (Or their storage. Or their status/lives.)
Ask specific cards from the hand of another player. (Or their storage, though that would be rare.)
Require a player to take cards from their storage back into their hands, or something like that.
Split the stack into multiple, or recombine stacks.
A way to make the game end (way) quicker. (By removing cards from the game, burning through them, maybe a card introduces some special end condition which can be triggered. For example: someone must sacrifice a life to remove this card, otherwise the game ends on your next turn.)

Campaign

It’s recommended to follow this campaign. It teaches the game gradually and provides variants, so you can learn at your own pace (and decide which version you like the best and want to keep playing).

1. Base Game

Have the most treasure when the game ends. (It ends when the stack runs out or only one player is left.)

Cards only deal with basic game functions + treasure value.

We need (simple) cards that:

Change the digging stack order
Change how much you can or must play/draw
Can somehow attack other players (steal their treasure, or insert traps into the stack)
Actually take away player’s lives

Card list (N = Name, A = action, T = treasure value)

Change stack order

N = “Scouting”; A = “Look at OR shuffle the top 10 cards”; T = 2
N = “Insert”; A = “Insert one of your cards into the digging stack, below the top 5; you may draw two more as a reward”; T = 4

Steal/Attack

N = “Ask”; A = “Ask someone else for a card with a specific treasure value”; T = 4
- (If they have one, they must give it to you. Otherwise, they say “nope” and do nothing.)
N = “Treasure”; A = no action, simply worth a lot of treasure; T = 5-10
N = “Unwanted Gift”; A = “Steal a random card from someone, play it immediately”; T = 2

Change drawing/playing

N = “Draw Skip”; A = “Skip drawing cards at the end of your turn”; T = 3
N = “Lost”; A = “Don’t draw a card for this one and all cards played before it”; T = 4
N = “Turn Skip”; A = “Skip your next turn (place in front of someone, can be yourself)”; T = 1

Lives

N = “Life”; represents one life
N = “Spikes” (Instant); A = “lose one life; put this card back into the stack”
N = “Trap” (Instant); A = “negates one life; only need to reveal this if you’re completely out of lives”

2. More Ways to Die

Adds more good cards and more bad cards. Also adds sets to the game.

Sets

You can play sets: multiple cards at the same time. In that case, their action is not executed: their special set action replaces it.

Play 2 cards with the same treasure to look at equally many cards at the top of the deck. (Play two “5s” to see 5 cards.)

Play 3 cards with the same treasure to steal equally many cards from other players. (Yes, that’s powerful … but losing 3 cards with high treasure is also quite a cost to pay.)

If you play a combination of cards that sums to 10+ treasure, look at the top 10 cards of the deck and put them back however you want.

Card List

General

A = “Healing Potion; TO DO”
A = “Sword; TO DO”

Lives (have a heart icon)

N = “Beast” (Instant); A = “immediately removes as many lives as shown” => is there some way to prevent this or see this coming?
N = “Poison” (Instant?); A = “removes a life at the end of every turn”
N = “Curse”; A = “when it leaves your hand for whatever reason, immediately lose two lives”
“Draw a Map”: draw the top X cards and place them open, in the center of the table, in a rectangle (so everyone can see them). Once you’re satisfied, publicly put them back however you like.
“Sharing Riches”: draw as many cards as there are players from the digging stack, look at them. Either distribute them to everyone (in clockwise order, starting with yourself), or put them back on top.
“Stacksorcery”: split a stack into two (at any point), or combine two stacks into one.
Draw any card you want from the play/discard pile.
Shuffle the playing pile back into the digging stack; remove this card from the game. (Otherwise this goes on infinitely.)
N = “Reverse”; A = “reverse the playing order; keep it in front of you as a reminder” (Whenever direction changes again, remove both reverse cards from the game.)
N = “Backdoor”; A = “draw your cards from the bottom of the stack (at the end of this turn)”

Cards from Exploding Kittens not copied yet:

Attack
Nope
Attack Targeted
Blind

3. Ghosts

Dead players become ghosts. They must pick a player to support and will win if they win.

Cards now have ghost functions.

4. Independent Ghosts

Ghosts have their own objective: collect as many curse points as possible.

Cards now have curse points.

5. Lore

Some amazing treasures are placed into the deck, including ways to find them => “lore” (maps, myths, charts, etc.)

(Not sure how this would work.)

6. Equipment

Players can get, trade, upgrade equipment to change their digging. (Allowed to play fewer cards than they’ve drawn, or the other way around. Allowed to do two turns in a row sometimes, or do the turn in a different order. Or equipment protects you against stuff once, then breaks and is gone.)

A spinoff/clone/continuation on the idea of _"Exploding Kittens"_. Every player is a treasure hunter. In the center of the table is a stack of cards you'll be "digging through" => the digging stack or playing pile. Players also have cards in their hands and draw from the "adventurer shop" => the draw pile. ## Setup Shuffle all the cards into one huge deck: the **digging stack**. Hand each player 3 cards, place the rest in the center of the table. During the game, cards will be played next to it: the **adventure stack**. Also give each player **3 Life Cards**. ## Objective The game ends when only **one living player remains** or the **digging stack is empty**. * Living players score all the _(regular) treasure_ they stored. * Ghosts score all the _ghost treasure_ they stored. Highest score wins! ## Gameplay Take clockwise turns around the table. Each turn has the same three quick steps: **Play, Draw, Store.** ### Play Play cards *from your hand*. As many as you want, but **at least one**. Execute their effects. If you cannot play anything (your hand is empty or some rule forbids it), draw **two** cards from the **bottom** of the stack and end your turn immediately. All cards can be played, except for "DANGER" cards. ### Draw Draw as many cards from the digging stack as you played. Most cards go into your hand, but "DANGER" cards execute their effect immediately. ### Store You may **store** one card for free. Your storage is simply a facedown pile in front of you. At the end of the game, the treasure on **these cards determines your score.** (_Remark_: the cards are safe in storage and cannot be touched. But they're also out of your hand and never coming back.) ## Ghosts The digging stack holds many dangers. They either remove your lives (discarding the card permanently) or negate them (you have one fewer life as long as you hold this card). If you ever run out of lives, you die and **become a ghost**. All *cards with a heart icon* go back into the stack, wherever you want. You keep your other cards. You only get one more turn ... *in reverse*. You may use it at any time until the end of the game.(Otherwise, you get no more turns.) What's a reverse turn? * You may store one more card. * Then you discard cards *to the digging stack (* = draw pile) * And finally, you draw equally many cards from the *playing pile* ## Card Types "Base" cards have an *action* and a *treasure value*. The action must be executed when the card is played. The treasure value is your score at the end. For example: "(play this card) to make someone skip their turn" + "value = 5" "Ghost" cards also have an additional ghost function "Curse" cards have curse points (for ghosts to collect) => perhaps it's better to *combine* this with treasure value. (Like: big value for treasure, smaller purple value for ghost.) In general, curse values are much *higher* than treasure, as they are more *rare*. Many cards also have a "ghost action". That's what they do when the ghost plays them, which they're allowed to do at any time. ## What will cards generally do? - Remove the restriction of *having* to play a card. - Remove the restriction of *having* to draw as many cards as played. - Check what's at the top of the stack. - Change what's at the top of the stack. - Ask information about the hand of another player. (Or their storage. Or their status/lives.) - Ask specific cards from the hand of another player. (Or their storage, though that would be rare.) - Require a player to take cards from their storage back into their hands, or something like that. - Split the stack into multiple, or recombine stacks. - A way to make the game *end (way) quicker*. (By removing cards from the game, burning through them, maybe a card introduces some special end condition which can be triggered. For example: someone must sacrifice a life to remove this card, otherwise the game ends on your next turn.) ## Campaign It's recommended to follow this campaign. It teaches the game gradually and provides variants, so you can learn at your own pace (and decide which version you like the best and want to keep playing). ### 1. Base Game Have the most treasure when the game ends. (It ends when the stack runs out or only one player is left.) Cards only deal with **basic game functions + treasure value.** We need (simple) cards that: - Change the digging stack order - Change how much you can or must play/draw - Can somehow attack other players (steal their treasure, or insert traps into the stack) - Actually take away player's lives #### Card list (N = Name, A = action, T = treasure value) Change stack order - N = "Scouting"; A = "Look at *OR* shuffle the top 10 cards"; T = 2 - N = "Insert"; A = "Insert one of your cards into the digging stack, below the top 5; you *may* draw two more as a reward"; T = 4 Steal/Attack - N = "Ask"; A = "Ask someone else for a card with a specific treasure value"; T = 4 - (If they have one, they must give it to you. Otherwise, they say "nope" and do nothing.) - N = "Treasure"; A = no action, simply worth a lot of treasure; T = 5-10 - N = "Unwanted Gift"; A = "Steal a random card from someone, play it immediately"; T = 2 Change drawing/playing - N = "Draw Skip"; A = "*Skip* drawing cards at the end of your turn"; T = 3 - N = "Lost"; A = "*Don't* draw a card for this one and all cards played before it"; T = 4 - N = "Turn Skip"; A = "*Skip* your next turn (place in front of someone, can be yourself)"; T = 1 Lives - N = "Life"; represents one life - N = "Spikes" (Instant); A = "lose one life; put this card back into the stack" - N = "Trap" (Instant); A = "negates one life; only need to reveal this if you're completely out of lives" ### 2. More Ways to Die Adds **more good cards and more bad cards.** Also adds **sets** to the game. #### Sets You can play *sets*: multiple cards at the same time. In that case, their action is *not* executed: their special set action replaces it. **Play 2 cards with the *same* treasure to look at equally many cards at the top of the deck.** (Play two "5s" to see 5 cards.) **Play 3 cards with the *same* treasure to steal equally many cards from other players.** (Yes, that's powerful ... but losing 3 cards with high treasure is also quite a cost to pay.) **If you play a combination of cards that sums to 10+ treasure, look at the top 10 cards of the deck and put them back however you want.** #### Card List General - A = "Healing Potion; TO DO" - A = "Sword; TO DO" Lives (have a heart icon) - N = "Beast" (Instant); A = "immediately removes as many lives as shown" => is there some way to prevent this or see this coming? - N = "Poison" (Instant?); A = "removes a life at the end of every turn" - N = "Curse"; A = "when it *leaves* your hand for whatever reason, immediately lose two lives" - "Draw a Map": draw the top X cards and place them *open, in the center of the table, in a rectangle* (so everyone can see them). Once you're satisfied, publicly put them back however you like. - "Sharing Riches": draw as many cards as there are players from the digging stack, look at them. Either *distribute them to everyone* (in clockwise order, starting with yourself), or put them back on top. - "Stacksorcery": split a stack into two (at any point), or combine two stacks into one. - Draw any card you want from the *play/discard pile*. - Shuffle the playing pile back into the digging stack; remove this card from the game. (Otherwise this goes on infinitely.) - N = "Reverse"; A = "reverse the playing order; keep it in front of you as a reminder" (Whenever direction changes again, remove both reverse cards from the game.) - N = "Backdoor"; A = "draw your cards from the *bottom* of the stack (at the end of this turn)" Cards from Exploding Kittens not copied yet: - Attack - Nope - Attack Targeted - Blind ### 3. Ghosts Dead players become ghosts. They must pick a player to support and will win if they win. Cards now have **ghost functions.** ### 4. Independent Ghosts Ghosts have their own objective: collect as many curse points as possible. Cards now have **curse points.** ### 5. Lore Some *amazing* treasures are placed into the deck, including ways to *find* them => "lore" (maps, myths, charts, etc.) (Not sure how this would work.) ### 6. Equipment Players can get, trade, upgrade equipment to change their digging. (Allowed to play fewer cards than they've drawn, or the other way around. Allowed to do two turns in a row sometimes, or do the turn in a different order. Or equipment protects you against stuff *once*, then breaks and is gone.)