Innovation on BGG.

And I totally agree with his opening remarks about the early phase of Civilization being the best part!

So excited to play it

updated 2025-06-27 at 10:03 clarified some of the rules.

updated 2025-06-27 at 13:07 added examples of plays, see comments.

updated 2025-06-27 at 18:20 new images for the instructions because i realize i fucked them up. also put the rules up on wordpress: - will probably use that as reference for updates https://playcrowns.wordpress.com/ !

updated 2025-06-27 at 19:07 - made a BGG page! https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/448970/crowns

update 2025-06-29 at 08:20 - i uploaded a playthrough video on the website for those who prefer to learn the rules that way

I designed an easy-to-learn but tactically deep card game and have been testing it several times with my traditional cards and MTG-player friends who love it, now I'm looking for outside feedback!

The game is super light and easy to learn, less than 400 words on the rules. Despite that, it has great depth, making it feel more like a modern battle card game like MTG rather than a traditional card game like Palace - so if you like MTG or similar games, you'll probably love this one!

Here are the rules and details:

Introduction

Crowns is an area control card game for two, where sharp positioning and smart plays decide the match.

The objective of the game is to win by controlling the majority of squares on the board.

Preparation

The game requires only a standard deck of 52 cards and enough table space to place said cards in an 5x5 row.

Split the deck up by color. Each player then take their respective color, shuffle it, and place it on the table. Both players then draw 5 cards from their draw pile and keeps their cards hidden from their opponent.

Rules

Red player starts the game.

The game is played in rounds where each player places a card from their hand onto the board. On the very first round, each player must place a card in any empty square of choice in their home row - which is the row nearest them, then draw a new card finishing their round. A player must always have no less than 5 cards in hand unless the draw pile is empty. The players then take turn placing cards orthogonally adjecent to their current placed card connected to the home row, filling out the unclaimed squares across the board or placing more cards in their home row. An unconnected card may always be played in the home row to fortify their connections later.

Upon reaching the opponents claims, the opponents square can be stolen by placing a higher value card on top.

Cards need to connect back to the first row in order to advance outside the home row. If the connection is broken by the opponent, no new squares can be claimed from the broken off position.

In situations where a player cannot claim an empty square or steal an opponents square, they must place a lower card on top of one of their existing non-connected cards anywhere on the board to draw a new card. Players are always allowed to place higher cards on their existing connected cards to fortify them or to draw a new card in a situation where that may be a better play.

Once there are no more cards to play, the player with the most claimed squares on the board wins. If a player is unable to place any cards despite still having cards in their hand, they must fold.

Special Cards Mechanics

Kings Are permanent cards that can never be claimed by the opponent. A Queen can however strategically move a Kings position on the board.

Queens When being placed in connection to one of your cards, must swap position with any orthogonally adjecent square of choice, claimed and unclaimed.

Jacks Must leap over one claimed or unclaimed square from the position of one of your claimed and connected squares. Cannot be placed on top of Kings or Queens.

Aces Must be placed diagonally adjacent to one of your claimed and connected squares. Can be played on any non-face card. Aces function as a blank card, allowing any other card to be placed on top.

Board Example

Hello everyone!

I made an app that allows you to create custom trackers (you can change the values of everything and even if they add, subtract, multiply or divide) the idea was to make it versatile (though it has a very ugly UI).

There's also the option to make notes for every tracker and the last thing I added was the ability to save! So you can even use it to save your games for playing later on.

In the beginning I just wanted to make a simple tracker without thinking too much for others to use but then I kept adding ideas and now hopefully is useful to someone else too.

If you have any feedback let me know and I'll see what I can do. I've made some apps but I'm not an expert!

#WhatDidYouPlayMondays John Company

@boardgames @geekygoodies
All other semi-cooperative #boardgames I know focus on a clearcut distinction between (semi-)good players and traitors, given by secret personal role/objective card(s). This game is innovative in that *everybody* is driven by personal gain, and the only reason players don't screw each other over all the time is that people still need the company to stay afloat.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/332686/john-company-second-edition
Photo by @bladerunner007 on BGG.

I know, there are fancy editions with Swarovski, golden pawns, inlaid wooden boards etc. But what are the most expensive base editions?

Some games are complicated - they have really complex rules. Examples of this are games where you have to track many different types of tokens, with different rules for each.

Other games have really simple rules, but still manage to produce extreme complexity in they way they are played.

Go is the perfect example of this. It literally has 2-3 rules, but because you can play anywhere, the complexity it can produce is wide and deep, to the point that tomes have been written on how to play it.

What other boardgames exist that have very simple rules, but produce complex and interesting game play?

Panda has expanded its production operation outside of China for the first time by launching a joint venture in Brazil, as unpredictability over US tariffs continues to weigh on the tabletop industry.

Panda has manufactured more than 70 million board games from China since it was launched in 2007, for companies ranging from Asmodee, Stonemaier and Leder Games to first-time creators launching their projects on Kickstarter or Gamefound.

We'll start off with Catan at 4 and hopefully hit Terra Mystica by 8 🙏

Obviously! From the makers of Strategy

I learned about postmark games a couple years ago, found the print and play format quite interesting and wanted to try something. But it looks like all their games are competitive, which I often don't enjoy.

Mostly I really like talking about the game while playing, so I wouldn't mind a game that's mostly luck-based or where there's little player interaction.

Please recommend me some print-and-play games if possible! I'd love to know if any other publishers do this too

I’ve been working on this concept for 16 years, and just launched a playable MVP it’s called JuryNow, and I’d love your take on it.

The idea: You ask any personal dilemma or life choice (serious or silly) and get a snap verdict from 12 real people from around the world, anonymously, within 3 minutes.

But here's the game loop: 💡 To get your verdict, you "pay" with ** Jury Duty** answering other people’s questions for a 3 minutes. The questions can be on any topic from a fashion dilemma to a workplace problem, to a big life decision or a mini political poll.It’s fast, instinctive, and weirdly addictive.

There is no commentary, discussion or debate...it's just a binary choice powered by human collective intelligence. It gives you a global perspective on a decision if you are stuck, and if you aren't! JuryNow plays like a global social deduction/party game, where objectivity, empathy, and instinct matter more than logic or debate.

You can ask questions like:

"Is Atlas more of a girl name or a boy name?"

"Celery vs. broccoli/ which is more hated by kids?"

"Someone keeps ripping down my LGBTQ activism stickers off of lightposts. Should I super glue them or give up?"

It’s kind of like Wavelength, Cards Against Humanity, or The Resistance, but... micro-sized and real-time.

🎮 Play it here: https://www.jurynow.app/

Would love your honest feedback as board game fans ...what works, what doesn’t, how you’d explain it to others, or whether this could ever make sense as an app or even a table top version one day?

Thank you! 🙏 Just to clarify up front: JuryNow® is trademarked and not open source and not designed for self-hosting. It’s a live, centralized platform I’ve built over many years, and I’m sharing it here and would love feedback from board ganers! (not to release the code or architecture.)

For anyone interested in checking this game out, but daunted by the very large card pool, this article is pretty good. The goal is to give people suggestions without triggering FOMO over stuff that's out of print or way too expensive.

I think it does a good job. Maybe too good: there is still a big wall of text. The core recommendations, which are accompanied by a lot of additional explanation and alternatives, are the following.

1. There is not a single [expansion] for this game that you NEED to enjoy what is available. Even if you never lay your hands on [some particular expansions], you will still be able to have a great experience. Your cardpool will be excellent and you will be able to play great campaigns.

2. You do need a Revised Core Set; the box labeled FFGAHC60, from 2021. That box has everything you need to play the game and see if it's for you. Many of the cards in that box are still regularly used by experienced players---the core set is very good.

3. First investigator expansions: Edge of the Earth or Drowned City, or [other discussion].

4. First campaign expansions: Drowned City or Innsmouth Conspiracy, or [other discussion].

5. Is this game for you!? This is a good question, and there is some discussion of it at the end of the article.

A buddy’s been hosting a board game birthday for ten years now and I wanted to bring some fun printed stuff. Have trophies for the most and second most wins, plus the green one for him as it’s his favorite color, and one for whomever plays the most games that day. Also printing out assorted little meeple with the ten/X on them.