Munchkin: Make Your Own Rules and Win.

By now I'm sure the overwhelming majority of people are aware of Munchkin, the "dumbed down" Dungeons and Dragons type card game from Steve Jackson. It's a brilliant little setup that accommodates nearly any number of players and is easy accessible to seasoned gamers and new comers alike. The rules can be a bit confusing at first, but after a few rounds everyone will be on the same page.

The original Munchkin game. There are eleven different versions! Source.

Munchkin is all about dungeon exploring, but there's no role playing involved. Players will collect items from treasure chests and level up from defeating monsters, all in the name of being the first player to reach level ten. The cards are all absurd and hilarious, and a lot of the "rules" set forth in the game box will just be broken by whatever the card in your hand says. One of the best rules of Munchkin is that players are allowed to make up their own rules, with the owner of the copy that is currently being played having ultimate power (at least that's how it has always been played in my circles).

This catches you up to speed on the gameplay style enough to tell my personal Munchkin story.

The first time I played I was with my best friend Jacki and two guys that we had recently met who also happened to be best friends. She and I listened carefully to the rules and then began to play. Very quickly alliances were formed, and backstabbery came out in abundance. Tyler and Xandre quickly turned on one another, but Jacki and I remained strong.

As the game progressed, Tyler became doubtful and leery of my alliance with Jacki. He taunted us, trying to generate fear and paranoia, insisting that one of us would turn on the other. Jacki and I just shook our heads and smiled, both confidently declaring that we'd never betray the other person. Eventually Tyler dropped out of the game, and it was us against Xandre. The taunts continued while Jacki and I smiled knowingly.

An entertaining sampling of the type of cards Munchkin has to offer. Source.

Finally, Xandre was out, and Jacki and I remained. The moment of truth was upon us. Tyler was gleeful, ready to watch the fur fly, when Jacki and I turned and faced one another.

"Tie?" she asked me.

"Tie," I agreed.

We laid down our cards and smiled across the table at Xandre and Tyler, who proceeded to exclaim loudly and disbelievingly that we couldn't do that. We begged to differ, though, because the set of Muchkin we were playing belonged to Jacki, and therefore, she could make up any rule she wanted. Including that of a tie.

Are there any Munchkin lovers out there?

-MJ

Posted in: backstabbery,card game,dungeons and dragons,game,jacki,munchkin,steve jackson,tabletop