Written January 13, 2025 in 11 minutes as part of the Gentle Games Habit
Note: I skipped writing a game yesterday, but thought about these cards a bunch. As a blog/2024/09/22/backgammon-crown winner, I'm excited to come up with an option for each card and then try it out.
Note: I've worked on this a little more, see: Card Backgammon
A backgammon variant, using cards instead of dice.
On your turn, rather than roll dice, you can draw a card or play a card.
When you play a card, you can advance stones the number of spaces listed in parentheses. The card may also offer an option to do something else.
The Cards
2 each of these:
- (1) (2) -OR- If you have a piece on the bar, play another card then advance (1) (2).
- (1) (3) -OR- Keep this in play. When your opponent finishes playing a card you may discard this to take that card into hand.
- (1) (4)
- (1) (5)
- (1) (6)
- (2) (3)
- (2) (4)
- (2) (5)
- (2) (6) -OR- Draw 2 Cards
- (3) (4)
- (3) (5)
- (3) (6) -OR- Discard a card to draw 3 cards.
- (4) (5) -OR- Play a card from your hand, returning it to hand when done.
- (4) (6) -OR- Leave this in play. After playing another card, you may discard this to play that card again.
- (5) (6) -OR- Send an opponent's blot in your home board to the bar.
And one each of these:
- (1) (1) (1) (1)
- (2) (2) (2) (2) - OR- Draw 3 Cards
- (3) (3) (3) (3)
- (4) (4) (4) (4)
- (5) (5) (5) (5)
- (6) (6) (6) (6) -OR- Advance all your pieces on the bar to one empty space in your opponent's home board.