At last, after more months of tweaking, the next draft to what looks to be the first of my games to go to prototype is complete and ready for posting/critques/comments/what have you.
--for anyone who was so kind to plow through this before :) -- note the radically redone first phase ( cutting 80% of the card amount ) -- and an overhaul of how many of the rules are stated.-
-- A huge shoutout to my man A.J.P. of Van Ryder Games for his HOURS of assistance in all the draft tweakings that have led up to this here latest version.
--Also I am excited to report at the end of this draft is the link to the first public posting of the photobucket link for the first phase's cards !! Adam Andrews is doing a spectacular job and he should have the whole game done in a scant few weeks, HOORAY!!
with that -- here we go !!!--
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THE CIVIL WAR BATTLE OF THE BAKERIES : You Take The Cake !!-- A Themed Card Game By P. K. Waddle ( VERSION 4.2)
-----------------------A Union Soldier and a Confederate Soldier stop in the heat of battle say," I don't know why we are fighting this war, all I really want to do is bake cakes!"
Voila !! A time portal opens and the soldiers have been transported to another dimension: a dimension of sight... a dimension of mind, ... a dimension of baking !!!
Unfortunately the dissension begins again as the Union Soldier says " I want to make a lot of Boston Cream Pies." The Confederate Soldier counters with " No, I want to make lots of Mississippi Mud Cakes."
Alas, a new fight begins...
.....And it takes place in this game that combines card flipping/memory, card drafting, and rolls of the dice all to decide the winner of The Civil War Battle of The Bakeries :You Take The Cake !!! --------------------------------
OBJECT : To make the most money by selling the most expensive cakes !
NUMBER OF PLAYERS : 2
CARDS :
22 Bakery Case Cards ( 11 for each player's bakery titled Union Yummies and Confederate Concoctions)
30 Hire a Chef cards ( Phase One Cards)
78 You Take The Cake cards ( Phase Two Cards)
30 Cake Going Stale -20% Cards ( Phase Three Cards )
2 regular 6 sided dice
The game is played in three phases. In phase one players attempt to find "chef sets" of 5 cards with as high of a multiplier they can find. In phase two players fill up their 11 slots in their bakery case with cakes. In phase 3, the players try to be the first one to sell 7 cakes.
PHASE ONE : HIRE A CHEF
For this phase use one of the regular 6-sided dice and the 30 cards with the back that says " CHEF HIRING CARDS." This phase's mechanic is card flipping/memory.
These cards are as follows:
5 Different Chefs each with a different color and multiplier(2x-6x inclusive.)
20 cards, 5 of each of 4 components ( Hat, Apron, Oven, Cake Batter & Pan) with each set of four sharing a color and multiplier with each of the chefs. ( i.e. For the blue 2x Yellow Chef, Sally Sconeface, there is a yellow 2x hat, a yellow 2x apron yellow 2x oven and a yellow 2x cake.)
5 Different Wild cards that can be substituted for one of the components EXCEPT FOR THE CHEF CARD.
The WILD CARDS are in two sets as follows :
3 WILD 2x/3x CARDS : Can Be Substituted for any 2x YELLOW or 3x PURPLE components except for the CHEF card.
2 WILD CARDS : Can be Substituted for any 4x BLUE or 5x RED components except for the CHEF card.
( There are no wilds allowed to complete the 6x set, that set must be completed by flipping over all five 6x cards.)
The goal of this phase is to try to find all 5 components of a CHEF SET of the same color and multiplier. This multiplier will increase how much it is possible to add to your score in the third phase of the game.
PHASE ONE SETUP:
Shuffle the 30 HIRE A CHEF cards and lay them in an array of 6 rows of 5cards face down. This will serve as the "board" for phase one. Each player takes one of the 2 d6 dice.
Each player rolls their die and the person with the highest roll gets to decide whether to go first or second, there are advantages to both.
PLAY OF PHASE ONE:
A player can do one of two things on his turn. He may roll the die and follow the directions for that roll's number OR declare " I AM GOING TO HIRE A CHEF" and try to turn over all 5 cards of one color ( A CHEF SET) and claim that set's multiplier for the round.
If he chooses to roll the die, he follows the directions for that die roll's number as given in this list :
--- If he rolls a 1 , 2, 3, or 4 -- he turns over THAT many cards of his choice from the board and then turns them all back over after they have ALL been revealed, thus ending his turn. He CANNOT turn over any other number greater or smaller less than the number rolled. (i.e. For a 4 the player MUST turn over FOUR cards , for a 3 THREE cards, etc.)
-- If he rolls a 5-- he may turn over 2 cards and turn them back over ( just as if he rolled a 2 ) OR he can choose to turn over NO CARDS and add $500 to his score for a free and clear bonus. This bonus possibility increases by $250 every time a 5 is rolled whether the money option is chosen or not. ( i.e. For the 2nd 5 rolled in this round, the player can turn over 2 cards or add $750 to his score and NOT turn over any cards. $1000 for the third 5 .. etc.)
-- If he rolls a 6-- he has an option. He may turn over 1, 2, 3 OR up to 4 cards with the OPTION TO STOP any time and turn the cards back over and end his turn.
IF a player thinks he has seen enough cards to remember where all the cards are to complete a chef set (either all of the same color or with one of the wild cards that can complete that set) he doesn't roll the die, he declares " I AM GOING TO TRY TO HIRE A CHEF".
He then proceeds to attempt to turn over 5 cards to complete a set. To do so he MUST TURN OVER THE CHEF CARD first, then he may turn over the other 4 components that match that chef's color and multiplier in any order. ( Or three components and an appropriate wild card, he may not use more than one wild card for a set.)
If at anytime he turns over a card that shows making the set is impossible, he turns all the cards he has chosen up to that point back over face down and his turn is over. He then LOSES his next turn and his opponent gets two turns in a row. Therefore one shouldn't attempt to HIRE A CHEF unless he thinks he is sure he remembers where the 5 cards he needs to make a set are on the board !!
Play alternates between the players until one play successfully completes a chef set. He then removes those 5 cards from the board and puts the chef card of the set he completed in front of him to serve as his multiplier in the third phase of the game.
After one player completes a set, the other player gets ONE CHANCE to complete a set of LESSER multiplier value. He then turns over five cards and if he completes a set, he gets to claim it for his multiplier. ( For this chance, there is no roll needed and he may find the cards in ANY order. UNLIKE so far in the game before the first set is declared, he does NOT have to find the chef card first, nor does he have to roll the die.)
This player again can ONLY try for a multiplier CHEF SET of LESSER value per this list:
----- If the first player claimed the 6x set, the 2nd player may try for ANY other set.
------If the first player claimed the 5x or 4x set, the 2nd player may try for the 3x or 2x set.
------If the first player claimed the 2x set, the 2nd player does not receive a final chance at the board and just has a multiplier of 1x for the round.
After PHASE ONE is done, take all the HIRE A CHEF cards and set them aside except the Chef card that signifies the set that player claimed, if any, which remains in front of the player.
Play then proceeds to PHASE TWO.
PHASE TWO -- YOU TAKE THE CAKE!
PHASE TWO SETUP:
Take the 78 " You Take The Cake Cards" which have pictures of cakes on them (and say " YOU TAKE THE CAKE" on the back ) and make a messy pile of them in between both players. ( a la the "pond" in the Go Fish" game)*-- this will be the " store" from which both players will get the cakes to put in their case.
(*-- If you actually don't know how to play Go Fish or how it works, then please go to your computer right now and look it up. :) )
Take the 2 sets of 11 "BAKERY CASE " cards and divide them into their two decks of 11. Both sets of 11 consist of cards that have the numbers 2 to 12 plus a multiplier on them. One set is marked UNION YUMMIES and one set is marked CONFEDERATE CONCOCTIONS. Each player takes one of the shelf decks and plays their 11 cards in a line in order from lowest (2) to highest (12). These are the cards the players will place their cake cards on top of in phase two.
The dice rolls ( 2 d6) on each card and their multipliers are as follows :
ROLL on cards/Multiplier
7 1x
6 & 8 2x
5 & 9 3x
4 & 10 5x
3 & 11 8x
2 & 12 13x
There are 11 different cakes in this deck. Each cake has a dollar value and the number of each cake in the deck decreases as the amount the cake is worth increases.
( CAKE / # IN DECK)
Wedding Cake $500 -- 2
Boston Cream Pie $350-3
Pineapple Upside Down Cake-- $200-5
Cinnamon Coffee Cake $125-- 7
Sheet Cake $75 - 12
Lemon Cake $50 -20
Bundt Cake $75- 12
German Chocolate Cake $125 --7
Black Forest Cake $200-5
Mississippi Mud Cake $350 --3
Birthday Cake $500--2
At the end of phase two each player will have 11 cake cards placed onto each of their 11 bakery case spaces that were laid out at the beginning of this phase. The placement of these and which chef they are using ( if any ) will determine the price of successfully selling that cake in he phase 3 dice rolling CAKE SALE phase.
EXAMPLES :
--- A player who successfully found the 5x chef set in phase one has a Bundt Cake $75 on the Dice Roll Bakery Case roll 8 (2x) space.
That cake, for rolling an 8 in phase three and selling the cake is worth:
CHEF MULTIPLIER : 5x times PRICE OF CAKE $75 times value of Roll Multiplier Bakery Case Card 2x---
5 x 75 x 2 = successfully sold cake is worth $750
Phase two gameplay is started by the player who DID NOT find the first chef set. He chooses a card at random out of the messy "store" pile and then he has a decision to make:
Either he plays that cake on one of his OWN bakery's slots of 11 cards, or on his OPPONENT'S.
If he chooses to lay the card on his opponent's slots he does so and screams " YOU TAKE THE CAKE !!!"
There are multiple strategies to be considered on whether to play your chosen cake on one of your bakery slots or on your opponents.
EXAMPLES:
You are the player who didn't find a chef set in Phase One so your chef multiplier is only 1x. You choose a Wedding Cake $500. Your opponent's Chef Multiplier is 4x. Do you choose to put it on your 7 slot, where you are very likely to roll it, or on your opponents 12 slot where they aren't as likely to roll it? ( But if they do they could get a bundle of $ !), or on your own 2 slot where you aren't very likely to hit it, but you could rake in the 13 x $500 if you do? Or do you lay it down in your opponent's 7 slot, knowing they are probably going to hit it, but keeping them from getting a ton of " dough" if they hit it in a higher multiplier's slot?
Players alternate choosing cards out of the pile and placing them on his or his opponent's case until all 11 slots are filled on both sides. If one player's side is filled before the other player has more than one slot left, that player keeps choosing and filling up his bakery case slots until his case is completely filled and there is one cake on each of his case/dice roll # cards. Play then proceeds to phase three ,THE CAKE SALE.
PHASE THREE -- THE CAKE SALE
This phase uses the dice and the stack of " CAKE GOING STALE -20% " cards as well as the filled bakery case cards that now each have a cake card on them.
The player who found the first chef set in phase one rolls the dice first. If the number on the dice hasn't already been hit, (which none will have on the first roll) then that cake is considered sold and he says "Hey Bakery Customer, YOU TAKE THE CAKE !!" -- then this sold cake's total ( CHEF MULTIPLIER x CAKE VALUE X ROLL MULTIPLIER VALUE) is written down as the beginning of that player's CAKE SALE TOTAL SCORE.
Then the other player takes his turn and rolls the dice. Players take turns rolling until one player has sold seven of their cakes, hitting seven of the eleven different dice rolls on their bakery case cards.
When a player on their turn rolls a number they have already hit, there is a penalty. The other player then takes one of the CAKE GOING STALE -20% cards and places it on one of their opponent's unsold cakes of their choice. ( The player who rolled something already hit doesn't get to choose which cake to play this card on, the opponent does.) Then when and if that player later sells that cake by hitting that dice number, the value of that cake goes down 20%. A player may play as many of 4 CAKE GOING STALE cards on one their opponent's cake/bakery case slots , thereby lowering a cake's value by 80%.
There is an unlikely chance that the players will both roll a total of 30 already-hit numbers, thereby completely depleting the CAKE GOING STALE -20% deck. If this happens no more CAKE GOING STALE cards can be played and already-hit rolls do not receive any further penalty. Again , A maximum of 4 CAKE GOING STALE -20% penalty cards may be played on any one cake. ( A cake's value may never decrease 100% to zero.)
EXAMPLE :
Myrtle, who found the 2x Chef Set/meld in phase one and has rolled 4 7's after she already sold her cake in the 7 slot. Her opponent Shirley on all of those 4 instances has played a CAKE GOING STALE card on her Lemon Cake on her slot dice roll 2 ( 13x).
Therefore if Myrtle in a later turn hits that dice roll 2 slot, the value of her cake has gone down 80%, from $50 to $10.
Instead of that slot being worth: 2x times $50 x 13 ( $1300) ...
rolling a 2 on her turn will then make her cake only worth 2x times $10 x 13. ($260).
Players keep rolling until one player has made 7 of their dice rolls, selling 7 of their cakes. That person then receives their entire CAKE SALE TOTAL.
If the player sold seven DISTINCT cakes with no repeating types/values of cakes in any of their 7 slots they hit,that player receives a 20% GREAT CHEF BONUS. They then take 20% of their total and add it to compete their score.
EXAMPLE : Myrtle sold 7 distinct cakes worth $8500, therefore her total is $10,200 -- $8500 plus 20% ( $1700) of $8500.
The player who doesn't make their seven rolls first gets to keep 40% of the CAKE SOLD TOTAL SCORE they made.
CATCH UP CONSOLATION CLEARANCE CAKE SALE ROUND ! :
If the player doesn't make their 7 dice rolls first is a player who has a multiplier that is THREE OR MORE less multiplier than the player who DID seven cakes first by hitting 7 of their dice rolls , they get to play the CATCH UP CONSOLATION CLEARANCE CAKE SALE ROUND to attempt to keep the player who won the round from completely running away with the game -- this is an issue especially if someone is lucky enough to be a 6x chef and hit expensive cakes in their 2 and 12 slots !!
( Example: Myrtle did not hit 7 cake slot dice roll numbers first. Shirley did. Myrtle's chef multiplier was 2x. Shirley's was 6x. 6 -2 is 4. 4 is equal to or more than 3, therefore Myrtle gets to play the CATCH UP round.)
HOW THE CATCH UP CONSOLATION CLEARANCE CAKE SALE ROUND WORKS :
The player takes all of their unsold cake numbers from their shelf slots and shuffles them and puts them in a face down pile and draws the top card . He then rolls the dice once, if he hits that number on this top card , he gets to keep 60% of his tab instead of 40%. He then has a decision to make, he may replace this card, reshuffle and choose a card again and repeat the process. If he makes the roll a 2nd time, he gets to keep 80% of his total instead of the original 40% or the awarded 60% from the first successful roll. However, if he doesn't make this roll, his tab goes back to 40% and the round is over. He however, may elect to stop after making the first roll and keep his 60% CAKE SALE TOTAL.
EXAMPLE Shirley's opponent made 7 of his dice rolls first. Shirley had a 3x multiplier chef set and Myrtle had a 6x, so Shirley gets to play the CATCH UP round. Shirley's tab when her other player won the phase 3 round was $8000. She only receives 40% of this total which is $3200.
If she wins her first dice roll in the consolation round , her total goes up to 60% of $8000, which is $4200. She then can elect to stop or try one more time to see if her total can go up to 80% of $8000 which is $6400. If she tries and is unsuccessful, her total goes back down to $3200.
If the player doesn't match the number on the first try, the bonus round ends and the loser of the round's total stays at 40% of their tab.
Players play three complete rounds and the player with the highest total at the end of the third round wins and that soldier is said to have won THE CIVIL WAR BATTLE OF THE BAKERIES !!!!
( STRATEGY NOTE : For a player to try to catch up to another player's perhaps luckily huge total in ROUND 1, that player should make every effort to try to find the 5x or 6x chef set and hope to hit as many expensive cakes as possible in high multiplier slots in Round Two so that a come-from-behind win is possible at the end of Round 3. )
CARD GAME ART :
http://s1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa438/PKWADDLE/
