DESIGN YOUR OWN GAME

Materials Needed

Card Template - Download

Scrap paper for planning

Pencil/Pen

Scissors

Drawing utensils (optional)

Directions

I. Make your game

Pick a topic: What do you want your TZX deck to be about? You can modify an existing game deck like adding an event for the explorations of Amerigo Vespucci to the Christopher Columbus deck. Or, you could make an entirely new deck about your family history, your town, or anything you can think of.

Brainstorm 5-8 events that help tell the story of your topic. You could work on this yourself or split up the cards with your friends. Write the title at the top of the card, then turn it over and write the date.

On each card, draw a picture to show the event.

Write clues. On each card, add more information about what happened and a clue to help your players place the event in the timeline.

II. Play

Play with friends! Begin by shuffling the deck. Pictures face up and dates face down - no peeking at the dates! Find five tokens (pennies or paper clips work) to represent five Lives. Place the top card above the deck as the first event in the "timeline."

Without looking at the dates, place cards one by one in the "timeline." Have a friend look at the back and tell you if your placement was right, or if it should be earlier or later in the timeline.

If you're "right," keep that event on the timeline. If it's earlier or later, then you lose one life token. The card goes back to the deck.

Place all events without losing all five Lives, and you win!

III. Iterate your game

The secret to great games is testing and revision! After you see someone play, think about what went right and wrong. Was the deck too easy or too hard? Was it all about memorizing dates or were there context clues on the cards that could help the player? How could you change the game to make it more fun?