Quick Silver

The gold rush is on! And you know what’s easier than digging for gold? Stealing it.

It sure is dark down here. Steal what you can before everyone rushes to the market. But don’t make your haul too heavy or you won’t get there in time to sell. Oh, and watch for dynamite!

This old corrupt town needs a new mayor. I bet about $100 can get you in. Out-steal your rivals, or blow them up instead.

Quick Silver is a card-swapping game of cash and dynamite for 2–6 players.

How It Works

The first player to earn $100, or the last player left alive wins. Make cash by hauling goods from the mines to the market.

Players each start with 4 plate tokens, representing the strength of their mine cart. More on these in a bit.

Down in the Mines

You’ll get a new hand of 3 cards each round.

Take turns swapping these cards with others’ cards (without seeing what you’re getting). Most cards are things like gold, silver, and copper. But there are a few sticks of dynamite out there too, and they’re not very stable.

Happy with your hand? Skip the swap and grab a sneak token instead. This gives you a small advantage in the end.

Redirect Others’ Swaps

You can redirect someone trying to swap with you by returning one of your plate tokens to the tin. You then choose who they swap with instead. But redirect carefully! Once a plate token goes back to the tin, it’s there for the game.

Two Dice Change Each Round

The white 3-sided die changes how many cards get dealt face-up to start the round, letting you see a bit of who has what. The black 3-sided die shows how many turns you’ll get for the current round.

Deal with Dynamite

On your way to the market, anyone holding dynamite takes a blast.

Flip 1 plate token per dynamite you’re caught holding to its blasted side. Run out of plate tokens? The blast takes you out instead, sending you out of the game.

Find the replacement plate to flip a blast token back to its plate side.

Everyone still alive now tries to unload at the market.

Unload at the Market

Total up your cards and sneak tokens. The number on each card is its potential value, but also how hard it is to get to the market in time.

The highest total won’t arrive in time, and scores nothing. The 2nd-highest total scores their highest card in cash. The 3rd-highest total scores their lowest card in cash.

$100 or More to Win

Once anyone has at least $100, the richest player wins. Or, if you’re the only player left alive, you win.

Take It With You

Unlike dynamite, Quick Silver is easy to take with you. It all fits into this sturdy little mint tin that you can bring anywhere.

Learn Quick Silver in a single round, then let the mind games being. Do you dump your dynamite right away, or hope someone grabs it from you? Where is your best card… not always on your left, is it?

Comes With Two Variants

The rules include a variant to remove player elimination, and a variant to add a non-player character that can gum up the works.

Some Assembly Required

You’ll need to punch out this game’s token before playing into the mint tin. Because they’re laser-cut, they’ll have a black soot on them. It only takes a few minutes to punch them out and clean them up, and your hands will look like you’ve been digging in a mine yourself! Such immersion!