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Summer Boredom Buster: Craft Your Own Unique Card Game!

ByShannon L. Mokry

Summer is here, and with it comes the challenge of keeping everyone entertained. If you’ve exhausted your list of usual activities and are looking for a new way to beat boredom, why not create your own card game? Not only is it a fun project, but it can be done solo or in a small group (think friend or family). Whether you want to tweak the rules of your favorite game or design an entirely new one, here’s a guide to get you started on your card game adventure.

Step 1: Decide on the Game Type

First, think about what type of card game you want to create. Here are a few categories to consider:

  • Trick-taking Games: Like Hearts or Spades, where players try to win specific rounds or tricks.
  • Matching Games: Like Go Fish or Memory, focusing on matching pairs or sets.
  • Building Games: Like Solitaire, where the goal is to build or arrange cards in a specific order.
  • Role-playing Games: Like Werewolf or Munchkin, where cards represent characters, items, or actions.

Step 2: Create the Rules

If you’re adjusting the rules of an existing game, think about what you want to change. Do you want to make it more challenging, faster-paced, or add new strategic elements? Before you can do any of that you need to know what the rules are. Here is a link to a bunch of popular card games: Learn To Play (bicyclecards.com)

Take a peek and start there with making your changes. Here are few simple examples of how you might tweak a classic game:

  • Instead of numbers, create 13 designs and then make 4 color coded versions of that
  • Try creating 4 designs and make it in 13 colors
  • Change the number of cards that each player starts with
  • Add a Twist, similar to Joker cards Wild Cards, and designate what they can do

Write down your rules so you can keep track of them. I’ve added a free printable idea sheet and rules page to my Free Printables Resource Page to get you started (This page is password protected, to get the password sign up below for my newsletter.) Or if doing this digitally here is a template to create your Rules Page on Canva: PRINTABLE GAME RULES TEMPLATE

Tweaked Game Example: Speed Solitaire

Objective: Clear all the cards from the tableau as quickly as possible.

Setup:

  1. Shuffle a standard deck of cards and deal them into four piles of six cards each, face down. These are the tableau piles.
  2. Place the remaining cards in a draw pile.

Gameplay:

  1. Players take turns drawing one card from the draw pile and placing it on any tableau pile, following Solitaire rules (alternating colors and descending order).
  2. If a tableau pile is empty, any card can be placed there.
  3. The first player to clear all cards from their tableau piles wins.

Twist: Add action cards (e.g., skip turn, draw two) to the draw pile to increase the strategic element.

Step 3: Design Your Own Suits and Graphics

If you’re feeling particularly creative, go all out and design your own cards! This project can be as computer-friendly or as unplugged as you want. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

  1. Choose Your Theme: Think about a fun theme for your card game. It could be anything from space exploration to mythical creatures.
  2. Design the Suits: Create four unique suits that fit your theme. For example, if your theme is “Under the Sea,” your suits might be Shells, Fish, Coral, and Pearls.
  3. Draw the Graphics: You can draw these by hand or use digital art software.
    • A Free Printable to help with this is also in the Free Resources Library.
    • A free online resource for designing is Canva, but there are definitely others available. Here is a free template to use on Canva: Card Deck Template
  4. Print and Cut: Once your designs are complete, print them on sturdy cardstock and cut them out. If you’re going offline, make sure you print plenty of cards for experimentation.

Step 4: Test and Refine

Gather your friends and family to test out your new game. Pay attention to any rules that may need tweaking and be open to feedback. Here are some tips for refining your game:

  • Balance the Difficulty: Ensure the game is challenging but not too difficult. Adjust the number of action cards or the structure of the rules as needed.
  • Clarify the Rules: Make sure all rules are clearly defined and easily understood. Print multiple copies of the template until you are Satisfied with the rules.
  • Playtest Multiple Times: The more you play, the more you’ll understand what works and what doesn’t. Keep refining until the game feels smooth and enjoyable.
  • Optional: Laminate Final Rules Sheet and cards

Step 5: Share Your Game

Once your game is polished, share it with others! Host a game night, create a video tutorial, or even consider submitting it to a card game competition. Sharing your creation can lead to valuable feedback and the joy of seeing others enjoy your game.

Please Remember that if you use a Copyrighted Theme, you cannot sell this game. However, making your own Fan Based Card Game is allowed.

Free Resources

To help you get started, I’ve created a free printable worksheet and card design printables available on my Free Resources Page. Download them, print them out, and let your creativity flow!

Creating your own card game is a fantastic way to spark creativity. Whether you’re tweaking an existing game or starting from scratch, the process is sure to be a memorable and rewarding summer project. So, download your resources and let the games begin!

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