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Wine Cellar, a 2 player, 15 minute, deeply strategic 18 multi-use card game.
Designed by Andrew Stiles
Rules: Last edited 10/25 (Happy National Wine Day!)
Mechanics:
1. Trick taking
2. Multi – use cards
3. Planning / Sequencing
4. Victory Points
5. Set Collection
6. End game scoring bonuses
7. Engine Building
Basic premise: Each card is a bottle of wine, you play them down in a trick taking format to earn a different bottle which you then put in your cellar: with different values based on when on the timeline (the cellar) you are creating: you drink it. When you drink it determines the value of the wine.
Each card has three purposes:
1. The Suit & Value for winning tricks: Suits are either Bottles or Glasses valued 1-9 (example: 4 of Bottles or 3 of Glasses).
2. The Bottle of Wine and it’s age value: (1-8) Which is how you will score at the end.
3. An end game bonus addition: (+ 6 if you have a specific bottle & +3 for a specific countries wines)
Anatomy of the card:
Upper Left: number and suit, (1-9 of bottles or glasses)
Middle: Country & Region of Origin, Type of wine, placeholder picture of the bottle,
Upper right: Cellar Scoring track (values 1-8 above 1-8)
lower right: recap of card and +1 bonus
Lower Left: Endgame Bonus +6, +3’s
Across the bottom: tasting notes for the wine.
Setup:
Players will shuffle all the cards and be dealt one at a time a hand of 8 cards, with the last two cards lying face-up on the table (these will be the wines you are playing for first). Each player gets one Automatic win token. (feel free to use a coin or poker chip for now)
Gameplay:
The first player leads any card from their hand of 8, and the other player follows suit if able, the higher number takes first choice of the two prize bottles on the table. The other player takes the other bottle. This is the 1st trick of 8 total.
Both players then put their prize into their cellar. Each card/bottle added to the cellar after this can be placed either before or after your current cellar only. (you cannot put a new bottle in-between other bottles in the cellar)
End Game Bonus Card / Last Trick played card: After the first two tricks are complete, each player will pick one card from their hands and put it face down in front of them. This will be the final card played and will also be the end game bonus that is activated. it is also a bottle that you can use to swap and replace one bottle in your cellar if you choose. So choose wisely.
Once all hands are collected there will be 8 cards/bottles laying sideways in your cellar in order top to bottom, 1st – 8th. You may now swap your final card with any bottle in your cellar you are not happy with. You will then score them based on the cellar time value.
Cellar Values: Each card has 8 times on it (numbered 1-8). With a set value at each time. Between 1-8. Representing the quality of the wine at the time of opening. Each time will never have a duplicate number.
Trick Taking: When you win a trick you choose one of the two bottles and place the selected prize bottle in your cellar and set it sideways, the top is earlier than the bottom. The loser takes the other bottle and must place it in their cellar. The cards used to win the trick are now the prizes for the next trick.
The player selecting last leads the next trick with the winner choosing between the two again, and again. Each trick you take after that must only be placed before or after the bottles already played. Never in-between.
Each player has one automatic win token, if you really need a card you may play that token with the card you play and you automatically get first choice in that trick. If played the other player may not play theirs that trick. If you manage to never use the token it’s worth 5 points at the end of the game (so make sure it’s worth using)
Each card has a +1 bonus which increases the value of wines in your cellar based on type: red, white, rose, or bubbly (a card never bonuses itself.) Also two endgame bonuses that only activate if it’s the last card played with a +6 for a specific bottle and +3 for a specific country (which can compound)
Highest total score wins, and gets to choose the next bottle of wine you open. 😄
