The Blackjack River | Solitaire Game

Major updates to the rules. I will also be adding some images for further rule clarification in the next few days.

Thanks! I can't wait to hear your feedback.

I would say the percentage of 21 in a two player game is a little higher because you have 3 rivers to choose from versus a four player game with only 4 rivers at a time but that is to incite a little competition with the face cards and contested locations. I am still testing to allow 5 rivers for a 4 player game if the perfect 21 is too hard.

In a two player game id say well over 80% of time players got that 21. But, with the fisherman rule added in version 3 a lot of friends would lay a fisherman and just try to complete asap regardless of sum for the quick 6 points so that has lowered the need or incentive to get that perfect 21 a little.

The "Hungry Bear" Jokers variant also helps find the desired 21 sum by playing it and subtracting 3 from a river on any turn you choose in the game.

Yep! Any of your fisherman already attached to the completely populated river is earned. And its pretty hard to do with the opposing players gunning for completion. I just played 4 two player games and was only able to get a fisherman in my reservoir twice in all those games. Fishermen are definitely the risk vs. reward element.

I may even push the fisherman worth to 7 points as we test more.

Oh yeah, and a heads up. The rule I see most people forget is creating a new river after an overpopulated river has been completed. Usually they will remember when its a perfect 21 because there is a missing space in the river source row after taking their earned cards but when its 22,23,24 and the river is left in play they forget and want to draw their end of turn cards instead of first adding a new river source to the row.

I made this as a family game, the theme is non combative and there is actually a bit of math and calculation so great for learning.

Anyone who gets a chance to play this, I am considering changing contested rivers from:

If the river’s fish population is 22, only Jack anglers can be placed there to declare control.
If the river’s fish population is 23, only Queen anglers can be placed there to declare control.
If the river’s fish population is 24, only King anglers can be placed there to declare control.

to:

If the river’s fish population is 22, Jack, Queen, or King anglers can be placed there to declare control.
If the river’s fish population is 23, only Queen and King anglers can be placed there to declare control.
If the river’s fish population is 24, only King anglers can be placed there to declare control.

This opens up the Queen and King face cards to be used at more contested rivers and asserts the King angler as the best angler to have since he can be placed at any contested river. However, this also means that Queens and Kings will be played less often as Fishermen which I do not want to happen.

I liked having all fisherman worth the same points for ease of play but may change them to Jacks worth 6, Queen worth 7, and King worth 8 to maintain the incentive balance.

Just something to consider while you playtest the game. Thanks!

Taking a note from my late buddy Jason I am asking for playtesters. First of all, thank you for taking a look at the game.

I am looking for gamers who would be dedicated to helping polish Rivers through constructive criticism on the game's design, mechanics and fun factor to be posted in this forum thread or via GeekMail. I am very comfortable with criticism and public posts help stimulate other testers' discussion and debate, so GeekMail is only preferred if you feel more comfortable communicating in that way.

a.) How easy was it to read the rules and learn the game?
b.) How easy was it to teach the game?
c.) How easy was it to play through your first game?
d.) Do the card powers and effects make sense?
e.) Did the mechanics integrate with the theme?
f.) Did you use the Jokers?

And:

g.) How many times did you play? How many players?
h.) About how long did each game last?
i.) Is the game fun?
j.) Did you enjoy how the game "felt"?
k.) Did you want to play the game again?
l.) Did you feel that you had a level of control during the game?
m.) Or, did you feel the game was too random?
n.) How does the game work for 2-, 3-, and 4-Players?

And:

o.) Write a general, brief, report on how the game played-out--at least a few of these reports would be nice, preferably not-too-long after the game session so that your memory is fresh. These do not have to be long, just informative and critical. Bullet points are fine; prose is not necessary. Opinions are great, too: did your opponents laugh with glee as they picked your pockets, did they upend the gaming table when you beat them by one point, did they beg to play "one more time"? Or, as facts-are-facts, did your group hate the game and build for it a funeral pyre?

Here are the rules:

1.) Download the Rules PDF and review.
2.) We will test the game, collect feedback, discuss/debate, and tweak/polish the game as necessary.
3.) I will close the testing phase once I feel that the game is as ready as it can be for publication.
4.) Upon publication, testers who were reasonably active with feedback will receive two free copies of the published custom deck.

Any questions?

Very neat idea! I may just do that with the net if I can incorporate it in such a way that it fits.

Btw, why I have decided to move forward with Rivers as the standard 52 deck;

1) If the graphics are custom but maintain the suits on the sides these can serve as multi purpose cards for other standard card games, particularly "Go Fish". I still think people will prefer a deck with these graphics over plain poker cards especially if these are cheap enough. Also, if I stay with the standard 52 card deck instead of adding new custom cards, the cost to make each deck (and custom tuck box) is <$5 with US manufacturers. If I went for a non playing card template custom deck of X cards it would have to be with an overseas manufacturer which easily raises the cost to over $10 a deck. Not worth it with a limited print run.

2) Without revealing too much, if "Rivers" is successful we are creating a game using the same mechanical principles but with a lot more added content called "Forests" (Two Forests which the adventurer chooses to explore, Dark Forest & Magic Forest). This will have the custom and unique cards. However, this is a project for 2014 after "Rivers" has been completed.

Thank you for the participation!

I will definitely look into it to see how feasible a handful of extra cards is.

The GameCrafter sells by the sheet which are 18 cards per sheet. So instead of 54 it would be 72 for the promo but these cost a little more per unit.

Some playtesters informed me that a bad draw ruined their experience. So I will be taking steps to alleviate unlucky draws and randomness while minimizing additional complex rules.

First off I added a mulligan system known in this game as "watershed". The game rules now state:
"Each player is dealt 5 cards as their hand. A watershed is an area or region drained by a river, river system, or other body of water. Prior to the start of the game, a player may announce they will “watershed” their initial hand and put any undesired cards at the bottom of the deck and redraw until they have a full hand again. This can only be done once per game."

Second, another variant I have thought about adding that can be used as the Jokers or the "Bicycle Advertisement" cards that come in those boxes is (temporary name) The Icthyologist.

The Icthyologist - In this variant each player receives a Joker (or the "Bicycle advertisement" card) as a “The Icthyologist”. Icthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. This card can be played along with a river card, that has 4 or less fish, on any of the player’s turns once per game. Playing the Icthyologist with that river card doubles the fish of that card. Once that flowing river is completely populated the Icthyologist is removed from play. Icthyologists have no effect on contested rivers.

This variant favors the lower numbered cards while the hungry bear favors higher numbered cards. I am looking for a better thematic name for the card however.

Correct, one card either a river or face card.

How would you like to see contested rivers changed? Keep in mind that a tie of anglers at a location means no points for that river so that IS a strategy to just tie.

You think if contested river cards were only worth 2 points each that fisherman might again become more attractive?

river cards (non matching colors) 1 point each
river cards (matching colors) 2 points each
contested river cards 2 points each

So with fisherman current worth a King fisherman would equal 4 contested river cards
Jack: 6
Queen: 7
King: 8

Some major rule changes and updates

Notable changes:
Scoring of fisherman has completely changed. All fisherman will score some amount of points but more points are scored when you OR your opponent ends that river at 21 rather than 22,23, or 24. Tweaking values may be required but that is an easy fix through playtesting

Instead of populating a river it now "ends/empties" into the river mouth to form a lake. This fits with stacking them in your reservoir and (see below) contested lakes.

Contested rivers now changed to contested lakes.
1) cuts down on space by stacking all cards together.
2) creates further distinction between flowing rivers and contested lakes and what that means for face cards
3) reworded it to "fishing tournament" and "winners" instead of "gain control" to give it more of a competitive feel

Added a note about using tokens as a means to identify card ownership (meeples, coins, wads of paper, etc).

The pictures in the rules still need to be updated to reflect the shift to contested lakes (stacks) which I will be working on over the next few days.

A preview of the numbered card pips.

Click to see full image.

The next version of the rules, hopefully released sometime in the upcoming weeks, will contain the new art.