Minecraft Card Game

Product Information

The aim of this fun, quirky card game is simple; you need to be the first to reach the points goal. The Minecraft card game can be played between 2 – 4 people, and the points goal varies depending on the number of players. When I reviewed Minecraft Builders & Biomes I commented on the fact that the Minecraft theme is not one that is a natural fit for board games. The game has so many different mechanics and things that you can do that I thought it would be hard to translate to a board game. I was actually surprised by how well Builders & Biomes adapted the theme to a board game. The same holds true for the Minecraft Card Game? as well even if it might not do quite as good of job. Instead of trying to bring in all of the different elements of the video game, it decides to focus on the resource gathering and crafting aspect of the game. While it is not exactly the same (the blueprints don’t always exactly match the video game), it actually does a surprisingly good job replicating this aspect of the game in a card game format. Honestly I don’t know how much more could have been done to create a card game that simulates Minecraft better. When you are about to play your penultimate/second last card, you must yell “Uno” so that the others know that you are about to go out. If you don’t yell “Uno” and someone notices it and catches you before the next player plays anything, you have to draw 2 cards as a penalty. Setting up the game is relatively easy. First, shuffle all the resource cards into five piles, with 15 cards in each. The piles should also include special cards. When done, make sure you turn the piles over, so the cards are face-up. Minecraft is a game of resource management, and there are many different materials in play. Wood, stone, iron, gold, and diamond are all included, and some are rarer than others. Players need to gather resources to build tools and earn points. Craft Cards/ Tools

Each tool you have crafted has a special power. You may use these powers at any time during the game and using a tool does NOT count as an action. Uno Minecraft has 112 cards in total, which is a bit more than the usual. 2-10 players may take part in the game. The goal of the game is to discard all your cards before the other players do, and to accumulate a score of 500 points (or a number that everyone is ok with). Next, shuffle the craft cards and then deal them into four piles of six cards each, with the "crafting" side up. One card is left over, which is used for the discard pile. Shovel: When a player uses this tool they will choose another player who will lose one of their actions on their next turn.If you choose to craft as an action, you trade in your resource cards to acquire a Craft Card. The Craft Cards have icons on them that designate how many resources are required to craft that card. This brings me to those that aren’t fans of Minecraft. As a fan of Minecraft myself, I can only guess how a non-fan would feel about the game. Clearly a fan of the video game will get quite a bit more out of the game than someone who only has a general idea of the game. Familiarity with the video game will certainly help, but I don’t know if it is totally necessary to enjoy the game. Those not familiar with the video game may take a little longer to understand the concept. It doesn’t help that two of the resource types look pretty similar for those who aren’t familiar with the game. The game is simple enough and the gameplay is fun enough on its own that I still think you could get some enjoyment out of the Minecraft Card Game? even if you don’t have much interest in the video game.

A Wild card may be used as any 1 type of resource. You may NOT split the value of the Wild card. For example, a Wild 3 card may be used as a 3 Diamond card or a 3 Wood card, but NOT a 2 Diamond card and a 1 Wood card in combination. If you want to craft something, you first will need enough resources to do so, and this can be seen by looking at the craft cards. So, to craft something, choose the craft card you want and trade in the required number of resource cards. When cards are blown up due to a TNT Card, sacrificed due to a Creeper Card or traded in when Crafting (more on all of this later), they go into the discard pile. All cards in the discard pile are placed FACE DOWN. The craft cards are the tools you can build in the Minecraft card game. Each tool is worth a set number of points, and they have one-time-use special abilities that can help give you an advantage during gameplay. Special CardsWhen a player mines a card and removes it from a pile, if they expose a Creeper card beneath it then ALL PLAYERS must discard a resource card of their choice. The Creeper card is then placed in the discard pile.

Points are scored as per the scoring system below, by adding up all the card values from the other players. For each Craft Card that a player gathers, they will gain access to a tool. Each of these tools have their own unique power. These powers can be used at any time and using them does not count as an action. Once you have used a tool you will flip over the Craft Card to indicate that the ability has been used. The tools will provide the following abilities to players: Note: There Will Be One Craft Card Left Over. Set It Aside As It Will Not Be Used In The Game. This Will Become Your Discard Pile. If you mine a TNT card, you must play it IMMEDIATELY. Take it and the top card of the 4 other Resource Card piles.

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You can take two actions; you can even mine, craft, or reserve. You can do these actions in any combination you like, including making the same move twice! Please think carefully before acting because once you do it, it can’t be undone. Mine Each craft card has a point value, which is used by the player for adding points. The tool associated with the craft card can also be used by the player during the game (see this section for more info).

To win the Minecraft card game, you need to be the first to reach the point goal. Points are earned by trading in your resources for craft cards/ tools. If you are playing with two players, the points goal is 24 points, with three players it is 20 points, and finally with four players, it is 16 points. The Minecraft card game is much easier to play than you might think. However, at first glance, it can look not very clear. This is because there are many cards included, similar to classic board games like Clue or Monopoly, so before we look at the rules, let’s outline the various cards. Resource Cards Sword: This tool may be used when a Creeper card is exposed to prevent the player from discarding a resource card.Each tool a player "crafts" has a special power. A player may use the powers at any time, and using one does not count as an action. When a tool's power is used, the player is to flip the craft card face down to show that the tool was used. Points on the card are counted even if the tool is used. The tool can only be used once. The tool powers are as follows: I wouldn’t consider the game to be filled with a lot of strategy, but there are some decisions to make in the game. Most of the decisions revolve around how much risk you want to take. The Craft Cards basically boil down to low value cards that are easy to complete, and harder cards that require more or rarer cards to complete. On top of this players need to analyze what cards they think the other players will be going after on their next turn. For example the Reserve action doesn’t really get you closer to winning the game, but you may have to use it if you think another player will steal the Craft Card that you have been acquiring cards for. Between choosing which cards to take/pursue and how much risk you decide to take, your decisions will have an impact on what ultimately happens.