mrge is a unique AI-generated trading card game designed for transmasculine individuals, focusing on the fundamentals of safe and effective weightlifting.
Let’s dive into the essential rules and mechanics so you can get started on your first Strength Showdown. In order to play this game, you will need at minimum of any 12 cards (= 1 pack) per player.
Kinds of Cards
There are currently about 50 different cards available in randomly assorted packs. The cards are split into two types: Exercise cards and Power-ups.
Exercise Cards: Each card represents a specific weightlifting exercise, its muscle group, and Strength score.
Power-up Cards: Tips on weightlifting, sorted into 5 categories (Transmasc, Fuel, Motivation, Technique, and Program). These cards can help you in the game with 4 types of hacks and also have a Strength scores of their own.
Setting Up Your Game
To begin, each player brings a deck of their own with at least 12 cards. Shuffle your deck well before starting and set it face-down on the table.
Here is the table layout for your game:
Taking Your Turn
You’re now ready to start the game! Whoever went to the gym last gets to start the first round.
On your turn, you can play up to 2 cards, which can be a mix of Exercise and Power-up cards. After playing your cards, draw 1 card from your deck to end your turn.
This is an example first turn:
Adding Cards to Base
Exercise cards form your Base for Strength Showdowns. You can only add cards of the same muscle group and must ensure they are of equal or higher Strength compared to the ones already in your Base.
You can also play Power-up cards during your turn (or a combination of cards). Move them to the Discard pile at the end of the round.
Strength Showdown
Either one of the players can initiate a Strength Showdown at the beginning of their turn (with the exception of the first round) and before they had played any cards.
Both players “bet” a card from their hand and reveal it simultaneously. You can pick any card you want from your hand.
After the showdown, calculate the total Strength by adding up all cards in your Base and the revealed Bet card, then follow any instructions on the Power-up cards.
The more Power-ups of the same type you have in the Base, the higher Strength scores for each.
For Exercise cards, count the total score for each while following any special instructions on the Power-up cards.
The player with the higher total Strength gets to keep both of the Bet cards. This finishes the round.
Resetting the Round
If players wish to continue playing, the round is reset by shuffling all of the cards on the table with the exception of the Discard pile into the new deck for each of the players.
Completing the Game
The game continues until one player doesn’t want to play any more or runs out of cards.