8-Bit Battle

8-Bit Battle is an epic small deck Player vs. Player card game designed by GeymTheori Studios.

THE STORY

The legend of the 8-bit battle goes as follows. In a distant kingdom lived a King who ruled over a mighty nation. But alas, the kingdom was torn in two as factions began to form against the King. Now the king must draw upon his closest allies else he will battle against them for the future of the kingdom. They are: The Warrior, The Wizard, The Queen, The Goblin and Three Villagers (also known as NPCs).

Which side of the battle will you choose, and what gifts of the gods will be bestowed upon your mighty fighters as you wage war and determine the fate of this 1980's, retro-style arcade kingdom?

THE RULES

Selecting Character Cards

The 8 character cards are shuffled and placed between the two players, face down. The youngest player goes first (Player 1). Player 1 draws one card and decides to keep it or give it to Player 2.

If Player 1 keeps it, then Player 2 takes the next card in the deck and keeps it. If Player 1 gives it to Player 2, Player 1 takes the next card in the deck and keeps it.

Now Player 2 does the same. They draw and decide to keep it or give it to Player 1. Repeat until all 8 character cards are distributed.

Selecting Item Cards

The 10 item cards are shuffled and placed between the two players, face down. Player 2 draws one card and decides to keep it or give it to Player 1 (just like the character card selection).

If Player 2 keeps it, then Player 1 takes the next card in the deck and keeps it. If Player 2 gives it to Player 1, Player 2 takes the next card in the deck and keeps it.

Now Player 1 does the same. They draw and decide to keep it or give it to Player. Repeat until each player has 3 item cards.

Game Play

The player with the King attacks first. They select one character card and one item card (optional) and place them face down. The other player is the defender. That player select a character card face down and an item card (optional) face down.

If either player played a key, it is revealed now. Now the attacker reveals their cards. if a card allows additional cards to be played, it is played now. Then the defender reveals their cards. If a card allows additional cards to be played, it is played now.

The Battle

If the attacker's Attack value is higher than the defender's Defense value, the attacker wins. Else the defender wins. In the event of a tie, the defender wins. Winner takes all of the cards and puts them in their discard pile.

Players now select another character and item card (optional) and battle again. Once a player is out of characters to play with, the other player places the rest of their cards into THEIR discard pile. Players go through their discard pile and count up the Health Points (which are Victory Points).

The player with the most Health Points (aka Victory Points) that round wins the round. Winner decides who goes first for the character select on the next round.

Winning
Best of 3 rounds wins the game.

Alternate Ending (optional):
After 3 rounds, the player with the most Victory Points wins.

SPECIAL CARDS

Queen - When you play the queen, you can also play the King card with it raising your attack to 3, defense to 3 and health to 5.

Wizard - If attacking, automatically wins unless the defender plays the Torch card. This is because the wizard is able to summon a thick fog that renders the other player blind allowing the wizard an instant victory. Only the torch can cut through the fog to counter the attack and defeat the wizard, regardless of the attack/defense values.

Common questions about the Wizard:
- Does the Wizard always win when attacking? Yes, unless the defender uses the torch.
- What is a good strategy to play against the Wizard if you don't have the torch? Use the Villager (NPC) card. The Wizard only has one health and the Villager only has one health so the attacker only wins two Victory points for the round which is not a lot of points.
- Does the Wizard always win if he defending too? No, the Wizards special ability only applies to attacking. When defending, the Wizard only has one Shield point which makes him weak.

Ale - Allows another fighter to join the attacker or defender.

Key - Gives the player the ability to see what the other player is planning so they can plan according.

If attacking: The attacker looks at the defenders face down character card. Then the attacker can add another item to their character if they choose.

If defending: The defender looks at the attackers face down character card. The defender can take their character card back and play a new character if they choose. Note: The defender cannot add another item card.

STRATEGY

This game creates several unique strategies. Do you choose items or characters that you can stack up to ensure victory, but at the risk of letting your opponent have automatic victory points because you cannot engage in every battle? Or will you go with special characters like the wizard who have a high probability of victory on their own? Or will you use special items to gain the advantage by increasing your attributes or peeking at the other players cards before you have to make a decision. The choice is, but choose wisely, because every decision you make will lead to victory or your untimely demise.