This is a collection of videos from James Ernest, Chief Creative Officer of Crab Fragment Labs. It includes instructional videos, travel videos, advertising videos, and other random stuff.
Yes, manufacturing pennies is apparently a protected American way of life, but surely you uncented Canadians can find an adequate substitute. :)
@MysteriousMose11 күн бұрын
One tip on that last step: If your counters are a known size, you can line up the ruler marks on your paper cutter with the "handle" on the counter strip in order to cut them all the same size.
@glenndallas717113 күн бұрын
Towel art is weirdly fascinating.
@bensbrain19 күн бұрын
Hello again! I was making myself a tabletop simulator mod of this game to play with a friend online, and I noticed that in the rules, there is an "ST" card in the card list, whereas in the PDF, that card has been replaced by a "HI" card. Not sure which is the most recent iteration of the deck, but I figured I'd let you know there was a discordance between the two documents. :)
@CheapassJames19 күн бұрын
Good question, I'll take a look.
@bensbrain13 күн бұрын
@@CheapassJames didja figure out anything? :)
@CheapassJames12 күн бұрын
@@bensbrain Hi Ben, yes, I found that I'd failed to upload the most recent print-and-play PDF, so I fixed it. Everything should match now.
@bensbrain12 күн бұрын
Fantastic!
@bensbrain25 күн бұрын
I haven't found anyone to play this with me yet, so I'm just trying to wrap my head around the red cards. They seem to only be relevant to determining whether a word is "legal." Which, if I understand the rules correctly, is only relevant in the case of a challenge. Am I understanding this correctly? If I fold after a red card is played, or I play a red card during my turn, there is no immediate consequence?
@CheapassJames25 күн бұрын
Hi. The red cards are "easy" and so they are not allowed as the final card played to the table. This doesn't restrict where they are placed in the word, only the order in which they can be added. So if the last card that hit the table is a red card, the word is not complete.
@bensbrain25 күн бұрын
@@CheapassJames Thanks. I understand what you're saying. My question is more about "when" in the game that mechanic would matter. In the rules, I only see any mention of checking for word completeness during a challenge. Is there some other time when it would matter in any way?
@CheapassJames25 күн бұрын
@@bensbrain The legality of a word determines who scores points for it. I think if you play through a few hands it will make sense.
@bensbrain25 күн бұрын
@@CheapassJames Perhaps so. I guess I'll just have to play!
@bensbrain25 күн бұрын
@@CheapassJames Somehow I had missed this key point: ""If the current string of cards is not a legal word ... you may challenge." It's all clear to me now. Your opponent could make an "actual" but "illegal" word (using a red card), which you could then challenge them to make a different "legal" word from. Devilishly clever.
@NikolajLepka28 күн бұрын
Is there an option of a zero bid?
@GetUpGetUpGetUp25 күн бұрын
18:45 It looks like it's optional
@MyOtheHedgeFox28 күн бұрын
Really like you presentation style -- especially the way you fan the cards! Do you always use the same table cloth / mat for card games? Is there any preferred card game surface you carry to events, or do you make do of what is already there?
@CheapassJames28 күн бұрын
Hi! Glad you enjoy it. This table cover is by "poker hoody" who are no longer in business - it's a reversible neoprene cover with a drawstring. Very cool and I wish I knew where to get another one.
@MyOtheHedgeFox27 күн бұрын
@@CheapassJames Thank you very much! I'd really appreciate a video on your go-to accessories if that was in your plans!
@bensbrain29 күн бұрын
Thank you, James! Another fun and elegant contribution to mankind. One comment: on the PDF version of the rules on your website, in the section under Bear’s Turn: Empty Column, twould be nice of you to mention the possibility of an immediate attack when coming from the cave, as you do mention in this video. Later in the section on Raining Pieces Back it says "Bear pieces that land on player pieces during this step act like other capturing pieces," which seems to imply "only during this step" at least in my OCD brain.
@CheapassJames26 күн бұрын
Good catch. I've moved the clarification up to where it belongs and uploaded a new rulebook. Thanks!
@bensbrain26 күн бұрын
@@CheapassJames the new version is great. Thank you for doing that!
@user-mv6id9dk9gАй бұрын
Sir i have a new board game idea, would you mind listening to me😅
@Big_DaiАй бұрын
Interesting combat system. Sad to head the resolution is math at the end..
@NikolajLepkaАй бұрын
Do you have any rulebooks for these available anywhere?
@CheapassJamesАй бұрын
Hi, Niko. All the Pairs games are collected at Crab Fragment Labs: crabfragmentlabs.com/pairs Port and Starboard are in the 2018 Deluxe Edition rules PDF. Thanks!
@NikolajLepkaАй бұрын
@@CheapassJames Yep, found it, thanks!
@fan-i-amАй бұрын
My favorite card game is a THREE player game called Knaves! kzread.info/dash/bejne/e4uW1tNufrHeacY.htmlsi=3431pkokBEglT_tE James Ernest!...I challenge you to invent a similar game with a Pairs deck!
@fan-i-amАй бұрын
Have u played Cockroach Poker? I think u would love it!
@DanielSolisАй бұрын
Looks like fun!
@MistaManlyGuyАй бұрын
You guys are fun 😆 Great job on the video!
@PrincessPolyhedraАй бұрын
Insert witty comment here
@SilverGothАй бұрын
That was delightful. I especially liked the mention of air pockets. Also the French rug.
@BsnsobscuregamesАй бұрын
I was (eventually) going to cover this, but now I don't have to.
@MyOtheHedgeFoxАй бұрын
On the contrary! The more people learn about this game, the better it is!
@stephaniehomeschoolproject1453Ай бұрын
thx! good ideas.
@musescore7588Ай бұрын
Nice video and very funny and interesting game. It would be cool to write a computer program with minimax algorithm and play it against the comuter. I would not comment if it did not remind me of a game I have developed which is similar to your game but without being intentionally similar: It is a card game called "Infinity ∞ A unique card game with potentially infinitely many cards.". I will not leave a link, but if you would like to play it online against a computer, you can google for it and hopefully will find it. It is based on the idea to give each card a unique natural number such as 1,2,3,4,5... etc. Since there are infinitely many numbers, there are potentially infinitely many cards. Each number comes with its own set of symbols, which makes the visual appearance of each card unique.
@jamesdoble7580Ай бұрын
wow kool
@MyOtheHedgeFoxАй бұрын
Wonderful little game -- which also doubles as a teching exercise for new players who need to learn their poker chip denominations! Getting a circle cutter and printing a sticker sheet _really_ opens it up.
@DanielSolis2 ай бұрын
My google is failing me, where can I find the Havoc deck?
@CheapassJames2 ай бұрын
Haha, it's complicated. KC Humphrey, one of the GameLab founders, created a game called Havoc: The Hundred Years War, and he made me a Whispers deck with extra cards from that game. I don't think there's actually a "Havoc Deck" that can play Whispers. But you can still make it from two poker decks.
@NikolajLepka2 ай бұрын
Hey James, got any plans of going to Essen Spiel this year?
@CheapassJames2 ай бұрын
Not this year - I don't have a good enough reason. But maybe someday I will return.
@PrincessPolyhedra2 ай бұрын
Was great seeing you and meeting Jeff, I look forward to next year!
@CheapassJames2 ай бұрын
Same! I will continue to go to GameStorm as long as they let me.
@MyOtheHedgeFox2 ай бұрын
That's a wonderful recount, James! I've been meaning to ask -- what camera do you use these days? Good visuals, crisp sound!
@CheapassJames2 ай бұрын
Thanks! This was my first outing with the Osmo Pocket 3 (aside from JoCo, which I have not posted yet). I actually think this audio is not all that great, and I could have done a lot better to use the bluetooth microphone instead of the ones on board the camera. But it's "good enough" and yeah, for an on-camera mic, the sound is actually pretty usable. :)
@MyOtheHedgeFox2 ай бұрын
@@CheapassJames Ooh, a new model! Thank you for putting it on my radar!
@NikolajLepka2 ай бұрын
where'd you get those tiny poker chips?
@NikolajLepka2 ай бұрын
Meanwhile I'm just here doing everything in InkScape...
@NikolajLepka2 ай бұрын
It sorta reminds me of Camelot in some ways, except far more complex and interesting
@NikolajLepka2 ай бұрын
1% plays sorta similar to this except it also features 2d10 to add extra fluff to the game
@NikolajLepka2 ай бұрын
this looks super solid, I might craft my own set to play!
@NikolajLepka2 ай бұрын
it kinda reminds me of ricochet poker in a way
@robot77592 ай бұрын
No laminating? A4 l-machines are cheap as dirt nowadays.
@kpmedia89772 ай бұрын
thanks, saved to my favorites.
@ceciliadixon37672 ай бұрын
Promo>SM
@hewtoi3 ай бұрын
I bought a couple sets of DnD dice and I dont even play it, i just think they look cool, I'll definitely give this game a go 😄
@MyOtheHedgeFox3 ай бұрын
Liar's Dice plus Pit? Sounds solid to me! Really like the Wilds + Natural Numbers rule, although Super Wilds definitely require a counterbalance -- something like: "If your hand only has cards of the same rank and/or wilds, you must reveal your hand and call 'Fortune!'. If you do so, discard your hand and get dealt a new one. If you are the first player to do so during a round, also collect all coins but one from the pot. The play then proceeds as normal (with a single coin in the pot)."
@yousifhassanein85623 ай бұрын
What are all the materials we need
@xJohnnyOCx3 ай бұрын
AI says thanks i think- not sure yet
@benstylus3 ай бұрын
Got a deck on order from drive-thru cards. Looks fun
@benstylus3 ай бұрын
One reason I could think of to hold onto a 1 or 2 on the first round is an insurance policy if you have a few high cards. So if you have a 1, two 7s and 8s, you might want to play the higher cards instead. Depending on how the other cards come out, you could be forced into a situation where you play a high card with several on the table already and risk a big penalty or play the 1 as a pseudo-fold.
@CheapassJames3 ай бұрын
I can see that... I guess it never happens, so I hadn't thought about it much, but if I had that hand I'd definitley try running one of the sevens (or just trying not to be involved in any showdown) rather than keeping the 1 so I can fold cheap if I have to. Or, as always, looking for better opportunities to actually win!
@GetUpGetUpGetUp3 ай бұрын
Pairs is probably the card game I play the most especially with new people because it so simple, quick and easy to explain.
@coloradocookseys3 ай бұрын
One of my favorite hangout games (not a pub guy, but...). Plus a comment appearance by the wonderful Daniel Solis! I've spent all my Drive Thru Cards money on both of your games.
@benstylus3 ай бұрын
Been playing this one for years, never gets old
@DanielSolis3 ай бұрын
Total classic.
@CheapassJames3 ай бұрын
Thank you sir!
@MyOtheHedgeFox3 ай бұрын
Another explanation video for my collection! =) Still cherish the Pairs deck I bought way back when -- you managed to nail down the simple yet effective aspect with those games.
@MyOtheHedgeFox3 ай бұрын
Also I appreciate you showing how you burn the cards after each reshuffle: I was thinking of "burn" as "return to the box" (i.e. the burnt cards are not included in the reshuffle, so each reshuffle is -5 cards until end of game)!
@CheapassJames3 ай бұрын
Sorry, yeah, I use some lingo from related games that not everyone knows. "Burn" just means "discard facedown." @@MyOtheHedgeFox
@MyOtheHedgeFox3 ай бұрын
@@CheapassJames No worries about that -- lingo differs from community to community! By the by -- for the purposes of context and plain ole curiosity, which games were you referencing? Thank you in advance!
@CheapassJames3 ай бұрын
Poker, blackjack, casino games in general. @@MyOtheHedgeFox
@flickingbollocks55423 ай бұрын
1st
@Peter-Williams4 ай бұрын
I’ve been making board games for years but still haven’t ever thought of some of the techniques in this video. Great advice, I’ll start using some of these methods on my upcoming games :)
@Chromaticosomaermati4 ай бұрын
Is there any consideration to putting all of your card games into one big tome?
@CheapassJames4 ай бұрын
Absolutely. The goal (eventually) is to compile all the Pairs variations into an updated Companion Book. They all live at the Pairs page in various forms already but it would be nice to have a single file / book. As to ALL my card games, that is too much for one volume. :)
@Laarye4 ай бұрын
I use this in my games with the lore: Human Bandits had tried teaching Goblins they partnered with a game like poker, but the Goblins just couldn't quite grasp it, along with adding extra cards to cheat with, eventually over a hundred years or so, Deadfall is the final product of it. So it is the preferred game of goblins, orcs, and kobolds.
@CheapassJames4 ай бұрын
Ha ha, well the actually origin story of this game is that my daughter and I invented it over a weekend at a steampunk festival.
Пікірлер
We don't even have pennies in Canada anymore, lol
Yes, manufacturing pennies is apparently a protected American way of life, but surely you uncented Canadians can find an adequate substitute. :)
One tip on that last step: If your counters are a known size, you can line up the ruler marks on your paper cutter with the "handle" on the counter strip in order to cut them all the same size.
Towel art is weirdly fascinating.
Hello again! I was making myself a tabletop simulator mod of this game to play with a friend online, and I noticed that in the rules, there is an "ST" card in the card list, whereas in the PDF, that card has been replaced by a "HI" card. Not sure which is the most recent iteration of the deck, but I figured I'd let you know there was a discordance between the two documents. :)
Good question, I'll take a look.
@@CheapassJames didja figure out anything? :)
@@bensbrain Hi Ben, yes, I found that I'd failed to upload the most recent print-and-play PDF, so I fixed it. Everything should match now.
Fantastic!
I haven't found anyone to play this with me yet, so I'm just trying to wrap my head around the red cards. They seem to only be relevant to determining whether a word is "legal." Which, if I understand the rules correctly, is only relevant in the case of a challenge. Am I understanding this correctly? If I fold after a red card is played, or I play a red card during my turn, there is no immediate consequence?
Hi. The red cards are "easy" and so they are not allowed as the final card played to the table. This doesn't restrict where they are placed in the word, only the order in which they can be added. So if the last card that hit the table is a red card, the word is not complete.
@@CheapassJames Thanks. I understand what you're saying. My question is more about "when" in the game that mechanic would matter. In the rules, I only see any mention of checking for word completeness during a challenge. Is there some other time when it would matter in any way?
@@bensbrain The legality of a word determines who scores points for it. I think if you play through a few hands it will make sense.
@@CheapassJames Perhaps so. I guess I'll just have to play!
@@CheapassJames Somehow I had missed this key point: ""If the current string of cards is not a legal word ... you may challenge." It's all clear to me now. Your opponent could make an "actual" but "illegal" word (using a red card), which you could then challenge them to make a different "legal" word from. Devilishly clever.
Is there an option of a zero bid?
18:45 It looks like it's optional
Really like you presentation style -- especially the way you fan the cards! Do you always use the same table cloth / mat for card games? Is there any preferred card game surface you carry to events, or do you make do of what is already there?
Hi! Glad you enjoy it. This table cover is by "poker hoody" who are no longer in business - it's a reversible neoprene cover with a drawstring. Very cool and I wish I knew where to get another one.
@@CheapassJames Thank you very much! I'd really appreciate a video on your go-to accessories if that was in your plans!
Thank you, James! Another fun and elegant contribution to mankind. One comment: on the PDF version of the rules on your website, in the section under Bear’s Turn: Empty Column, twould be nice of you to mention the possibility of an immediate attack when coming from the cave, as you do mention in this video. Later in the section on Raining Pieces Back it says "Bear pieces that land on player pieces during this step act like other capturing pieces," which seems to imply "only during this step" at least in my OCD brain.
Good catch. I've moved the clarification up to where it belongs and uploaded a new rulebook. Thanks!
@@CheapassJames the new version is great. Thank you for doing that!
Sir i have a new board game idea, would you mind listening to me😅
Interesting combat system. Sad to head the resolution is math at the end..
Do you have any rulebooks for these available anywhere?
Hi, Niko. All the Pairs games are collected at Crab Fragment Labs: crabfragmentlabs.com/pairs Port and Starboard are in the 2018 Deluxe Edition rules PDF. Thanks!
@@CheapassJames Yep, found it, thanks!
My favorite card game is a THREE player game called Knaves! kzread.info/dash/bejne/e4uW1tNufrHeacY.htmlsi=3431pkokBEglT_tE James Ernest!...I challenge you to invent a similar game with a Pairs deck!
Have u played Cockroach Poker? I think u would love it!
Looks like fun!
You guys are fun 😆 Great job on the video!
Insert witty comment here
That was delightful. I especially liked the mention of air pockets. Also the French rug.
I was (eventually) going to cover this, but now I don't have to.
On the contrary! The more people learn about this game, the better it is!
thx! good ideas.
Nice video and very funny and interesting game. It would be cool to write a computer program with minimax algorithm and play it against the comuter. I would not comment if it did not remind me of a game I have developed which is similar to your game but without being intentionally similar: It is a card game called "Infinity ∞ A unique card game with potentially infinitely many cards.". I will not leave a link, but if you would like to play it online against a computer, you can google for it and hopefully will find it. It is based on the idea to give each card a unique natural number such as 1,2,3,4,5... etc. Since there are infinitely many numbers, there are potentially infinitely many cards. Each number comes with its own set of symbols, which makes the visual appearance of each card unique.
wow kool
Wonderful little game -- which also doubles as a teching exercise for new players who need to learn their poker chip denominations! Getting a circle cutter and printing a sticker sheet _really_ opens it up.
My google is failing me, where can I find the Havoc deck?
Haha, it's complicated. KC Humphrey, one of the GameLab founders, created a game called Havoc: The Hundred Years War, and he made me a Whispers deck with extra cards from that game. I don't think there's actually a "Havoc Deck" that can play Whispers. But you can still make it from two poker decks.
Hey James, got any plans of going to Essen Spiel this year?
Not this year - I don't have a good enough reason. But maybe someday I will return.
Was great seeing you and meeting Jeff, I look forward to next year!
Same! I will continue to go to GameStorm as long as they let me.
That's a wonderful recount, James! I've been meaning to ask -- what camera do you use these days? Good visuals, crisp sound!
Thanks! This was my first outing with the Osmo Pocket 3 (aside from JoCo, which I have not posted yet). I actually think this audio is not all that great, and I could have done a lot better to use the bluetooth microphone instead of the ones on board the camera. But it's "good enough" and yeah, for an on-camera mic, the sound is actually pretty usable. :)
@@CheapassJames Ooh, a new model! Thank you for putting it on my radar!
where'd you get those tiny poker chips?
Meanwhile I'm just here doing everything in InkScape...
It sorta reminds me of Camelot in some ways, except far more complex and interesting
1% plays sorta similar to this except it also features 2d10 to add extra fluff to the game
this looks super solid, I might craft my own set to play!
it kinda reminds me of ricochet poker in a way
No laminating? A4 l-machines are cheap as dirt nowadays.
thanks, saved to my favorites.
Promo>SM
I bought a couple sets of DnD dice and I dont even play it, i just think they look cool, I'll definitely give this game a go 😄
Liar's Dice plus Pit? Sounds solid to me! Really like the Wilds + Natural Numbers rule, although Super Wilds definitely require a counterbalance -- something like: "If your hand only has cards of the same rank and/or wilds, you must reveal your hand and call 'Fortune!'. If you do so, discard your hand and get dealt a new one. If you are the first player to do so during a round, also collect all coins but one from the pot. The play then proceeds as normal (with a single coin in the pot)."
What are all the materials we need
AI says thanks i think- not sure yet
Got a deck on order from drive-thru cards. Looks fun
One reason I could think of to hold onto a 1 or 2 on the first round is an insurance policy if you have a few high cards. So if you have a 1, two 7s and 8s, you might want to play the higher cards instead. Depending on how the other cards come out, you could be forced into a situation where you play a high card with several on the table already and risk a big penalty or play the 1 as a pseudo-fold.
I can see that... I guess it never happens, so I hadn't thought about it much, but if I had that hand I'd definitley try running one of the sevens (or just trying not to be involved in any showdown) rather than keeping the 1 so I can fold cheap if I have to. Or, as always, looking for better opportunities to actually win!
Pairs is probably the card game I play the most especially with new people because it so simple, quick and easy to explain.
One of my favorite hangout games (not a pub guy, but...). Plus a comment appearance by the wonderful Daniel Solis! I've spent all my Drive Thru Cards money on both of your games.
Been playing this one for years, never gets old
Total classic.
Thank you sir!
Another explanation video for my collection! =) Still cherish the Pairs deck I bought way back when -- you managed to nail down the simple yet effective aspect with those games.
Also I appreciate you showing how you burn the cards after each reshuffle: I was thinking of "burn" as "return to the box" (i.e. the burnt cards are not included in the reshuffle, so each reshuffle is -5 cards until end of game)!
Sorry, yeah, I use some lingo from related games that not everyone knows. "Burn" just means "discard facedown." @@MyOtheHedgeFox
@@CheapassJames No worries about that -- lingo differs from community to community! By the by -- for the purposes of context and plain ole curiosity, which games were you referencing? Thank you in advance!
Poker, blackjack, casino games in general. @@MyOtheHedgeFox
1st
I’ve been making board games for years but still haven’t ever thought of some of the techniques in this video. Great advice, I’ll start using some of these methods on my upcoming games :)
Is there any consideration to putting all of your card games into one big tome?
Absolutely. The goal (eventually) is to compile all the Pairs variations into an updated Companion Book. They all live at the Pairs page in various forms already but it would be nice to have a single file / book. As to ALL my card games, that is too much for one volume. :)
I use this in my games with the lore: Human Bandits had tried teaching Goblins they partnered with a game like poker, but the Goblins just couldn't quite grasp it, along with adding extra cards to cheat with, eventually over a hundred years or so, Deadfall is the final product of it. So it is the preferred game of goblins, orcs, and kobolds.
Ha ha, well the actually origin story of this game is that my daughter and I invented it over a weekend at a steampunk festival.