Shopgifting

I notice people really like it when there’s a shop in the game. They like getting more and more stuff, buying better cards with points collected, immediately spending money/points earned on something.

So let’s see if we can turn the entire idea of shopping into a simple game.

The “Mean” Version

Material

The Money Cards just show a singular money value and nothing more.

The Item Cards show …

An item
A Thief Number
A Monetary Value ( = Price)
Optionally an action or power
- Some items give bonuses when played during the night or used for paying.
- Some items change your scoring at the end.
- Some items protect the shop automatically. (Example: “If there are multiple thieves tonight, only the first one is allowed to steal.”)

These are identical from the back and should be held (mixed) in one hand comfortably.

Setup

Create a deck of Money Cards and Item Cards.

Give 1 Money Card (of value 1) to each player. (@TODO: better money setup probably??)
Place as many Item Cards on the table as double the number of players: the shop.

Whoever shops the most becomes start player.

Objective

The game ends when the Item Cards run out. Players sum the values of their collected items: highest score wins!

Gameplay

The game alternates between a DAY round and a NIGHT round.

In a DAY round, players take turns in clockwise order.

You can pay facedown Money Cards to buy Item Cards from the shop.
You can lie about this and pay less than you need to. However, other players can challenge you.
If they challenged successfully (they claimed you lied and you did), you are caught
Otherwise (they claimed you lied but you did not), they are caught.

In a NIGHT round, all players take their turn simultaneously.

Each player places a card from their hand facedown before them. Once done, they are revealed a the same time.
If somebody played a Money Card, they do nothing this night.
Everyone else tries to steal. In order of Thief Number (high to low), they may grab any item for free. HOWEVER, if the total amount they try to steal exceeds the total Money played this night, they are all caught.
If all thieves are caught, anybody who played money gets it back doubled. (So they get back their own card and get another one of equal value from the Money Deck.)

The shop only refills with new cards at the end of the night.

When you are CAUGHT, it means that …

You must skip the next two rounds. (One DAY and one NIGHT.)
Or you pay 10 Money to free yourself. (You can do this with actual Money Cards or using the value of Item Cards.)

The “Kinder” Version

This is a more lighthearted and positive spin on shopping, shopping, shopping.

Setup

Each player

Receives X Item Cards in their hand.
Receives Y secret Market Cards.
Places 3 items before them: their shop.

Place the deck of remaining Item Cards next to the table. Place the possible Shop Improvements as faceup decks, sorted by type, next to it.

The Market Cards of a player tell them how much items are worth to them, and for what they can use them.

Example: “2 Wood / 2 Stone = 1 Brick”
Example: “1 Brick + 2 Wood = 1 Home”

Objective

The game ends once the deck of Item Cards is empty. Players value their shops: sum the values of all improvements and add +1 for each item left on sale. Highest score wins!

Gameplay

Take clockwise turns until done.

On your turn, you may buy and build as much as you want.

BUY = purchase an item from another player’s shop. Give the card(s) used for buying to the other player, take the card(s) received into your own hand.

BUILD = purchase an improvement to your shop. Discard the card(s) used for buying, place the improvements in a row behind the items you’re selling.

You may also freely add cards from your hand into the shop. The default maximum shop size is 5 cards.

You always pay for something what it’s worth to you, based on your Market Cards. If they don’t say anything about this card, you can’t buy it.

EXAMPLE:

Another player has a Wood on sale. Your Market Card values it at 2 Stones, so you pay the other player 2 stones from your hand and take the Wood.
Another Market Card of yours explains you can build a Shop Sign for 1 Wood. So you pay the Wood, take a Shop Sign card, and place it with your improvements.

Verdict

@VERDICT: Will probably work fine. Those Market Cards will have to be balanced. Those Shop Improvements will be key: they should have special actions and powers that are really interesting, such as allowing you to see/switch/modify Market Cards, or your maximum shop size, or refuse to sell something, etcetera. (The Item Cards will be standard and boring in this version, as those will just be Brick, Wood, Stone, Water, etcetera.)

@ISSUE: What if somebody receives NO market card for one type? (So no Shop Improvements or no Items?) Then we really need a freeform way to change these around or work around that.

We could allow placing the Market card in the shop. If somebody buys it (or upon placing it in there), you draw a new one.

I notice people really like it when there's a shop in the game. They like getting more and more stuff, buying better cards with points collected, immediately spending money/points earned on something. So let's see if we can turn the entire idea of shopping into a simple game. ## The "Mean" Version ### Material The _Money Cards_ just show a singular money value and nothing more. The _Item Cards_ show ... * An item * A Thief Number * A Monetary Value ( = Price) * Optionally an action or power * Some items give bonuses when played during the night or used for paying. * Some items change your scoring at the end. * Some items protect the shop automatically. (Example: "If there are multiple thieves tonight, only the first one is allowed to steal.") These are identical from the back and should be held (mixed) in one hand comfortably. ### Setup Create a deck of **Money Cards** and **Item Cards**. * Give 1 Money Card (of value 1) to each player. (@TODO: better money setup probably??) * Place as many Item Cards on the table as double the number of players: the **shop**. Whoever shops the most becomes start player. ### Objective The game ends when the Item Cards run out. Players sum the values of their collected items: **highest score wins!** ### Gameplay The game alternates between a DAY round and a NIGHT round. In a **DAY round**, players take turns in clockwise order. * You can pay _facedown_ Money Cards to buy Item Cards from the shop. * You can _lie_ about this and pay less than you need to. However, other players can challenge you. * If they challenged successfully (they claimed you lied and you did), you are **caught** * Otherwise (they claimed you lied but you did not), they are **caught**. In a **NIGHT round**, all players take their turn simultaneously. * Each player places a card from their hand facedown before them. Once done, they are revealed a the same time. * If somebody played a _Money Card_, they do nothing this night. * Everyone else tries to _steal_. In order of Thief Number (high to low), they may grab any item for free. HOWEVER, if the total amount they try to steal exceeds the total Money played this night, they are all **caught**. * If all thieves are caught, anybody who played money gets it back _doubled_. (So they get back their own card and get another one of equal value from the Money Deck.) The shop only refills with new cards at the end of the night. When you are **CAUGHT**, it means that ... * You must skip the next two rounds. (One DAY and one NIGHT.) * Or you pay 10 Money to free yourself. (You can do this with actual Money Cards or using the value of Item Cards.) ## The "Kinder" Version This is a more lighthearted and positive spin on shopping, shopping, shopping. ### Setup Each player - Receives X Item Cards in their hand. - Receives Y secret Market Cards. - Places 3 items before them: their **shop**. Place the deck of remaining Item Cards next to the table. Place the possible Shop Improvements as _faceup_ decks, sorted by type, next to it. The _Market Cards_ of a player tell them how much items are worth to them, and for what they can use them. * Example: "2 Wood / 2 Stone = 1 Brick" * Example: "1 Brick + 2 Wood = 1 Home" ### Objective The game ends once the deck of Item Cards is empty. Players value their shops: sum the values of all improvements and add +1 for each item left on sale. **Highest score wins!** ### Gameplay Take clockwise turns until done. On your turn, you may **buy** and **build** as much as you want. **BUY =** purchase an item from another player's shop. Give the card(s) used for buying to the other player, take the card(s) received into your own hand. **BUILD =** purchase an improvement to your shop. Discard the card(s) used for buying, place the improvements in a row behind the items you're selling. You may also freely add cards from your hand into the shop. The default maximum shop size is 5 cards. You always pay for something what it's worth to _you_, based on your _Market Cards_. If they don't say anything about this card, you can't buy it. EXAMPLE: * Another player has a Wood on sale. Your Market Card values it at 2 Stones, so you pay the other player 2 stones from your hand and take the Wood. * Another Market Card of yours explains you can build a Shop Sign for 1 Wood. So you pay the Wood, take a Shop Sign card, and place it with your improvements. ### Verdict **@VERDICT: Will probably work fine.** Those Market Cards will have to be balanced. Those Shop Improvements will be key: they should have special actions and powers that are really interesting, such as allowing you to see/switch/modify Market Cards, or your maximum shop size, or refuse to sell something, etcetera. (The Item Cards will be standard and boring in this version, as those will just be Brick, Wood, Stone, Water, etcetera.) **@ISSUE: What if somebody receives NO market card for one type?** (So no Shop Improvements or no Items?) Then we really need a freeform way to change these around or work around that. * We _could_ allow placing the Market card in the shop. If somebody buys it (or upon placing it in there), you draw a new one.