Do You Want to Play a Game?

Back when I was in high school, I used to play various RPGs (Role Playing Games). I was a member of two different Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, a Champions campaign (where I was a superhero named Darkowl), and a GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System) Cthulhu campaign, and I loved them all. I would also play various board games such as Risk, Battleship, checkers, chess, and pretty much anything that people would ask me to play. I love games.

Perhaps my favorite type of game, though, are card games. For some reason, I love holding a deck of cards, a hand of cards, whatever. Back in the day, I was stuck with the old favorites like Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Uno, etc. But recently, a new type of card games have risen; I am referring to the CCG, or collectible card games. These are games where players purchase and create their own personalized deck of cards and then play against other people.  I was heavily into the original CCG called Magic: The Gathering.

The game is too complex to describe in just a couple of sentences, so I will only say that the premise of the card game is that each player is a Planeswalker with various magics at his command (the cards). Taking turns, each player plays his cards in a specific sequence seeking to overpower his opponent by attacking with monsters or spells. In addition, each player needs to build a defense to protect himself from his opponents attacks. It is a ton of fun.

Actual Munchkin cards. Many Bothans died to get us this information.

Well, I have discovered a new card game out there that I really want to try. It is not a CCG, in that each player does not need their own deck, but rather it is a self contained game, meaning multiple people can play using the one game deck. It is called Munchkins.

This game appears to be a Dungeons and Dragons type card game, but where in D&D, you role play a character, decide your own actions, gather treasure, etc., in Munchkins, the draw of the cards dictates what you are, if you are attacked by a monster, what treasures you find, etc. In fact, here is how the company itself describes the game: Munchkin is a stand-alone card game designed by Steve Jackson that "simulates" well, sorta' a fantasy-themed RPG oh, ok, D n D in a simple, card-based game that's chock full o' silliness. Everyone begins the game as a 1st level human with no class heh-heh and via cards, they acquire Races Elf, Dwarf, etc., classes thief, Wizard, Cleric, etc., Items, armor, potions and more that they use to combat hideous monsters like the 4th level Undead Horse, the 10th level net troll and the 14th level unspeakably awful, indescribable horror very nasty, indeed. The object of the game is to reach Level 10 and levels are acquired via the slaying of monsters and the selling of acquired treasure 1,000 gold pieces equals one level. Very silly and a lot of fun. 

In effect, it is a role playing card game without the role playing. I think it sounds great. So, who's up for a game?