by Don Riddle
This game for 2-3 players uses the Silent Hill playing cards (licensed by Konami)
which consist of a 52 card “poker” deck and 2 Robbie-the-Rabbit Jokers.
In this game, you will be using Heroes to defeat Monsters in order to leave Silent Hill.
Along the way, you will also have to use Monsters to defeat Heroes. Silent Hill is a strange
place.
All cards in both Black suits ( and ) are Monsters. The cards in the Red suits ( and )
are Weapons (2 through 7) and Heroes (8 through Ace). The Jack, Queen, King and Ace
cards of each suit are considered Elite Monsters and Elite Heroes respectively. Thus, there
are 8 Elite Monsters and 8 Elite Heroes. There are also two Robbie-the-Rabbit Jokers, one
Black and one Red.
Empty your hand of cards so that Silent Hill no longer has a hold on you.
Shuffle all 54 cards together and deal each player 7 cards. Put the Silent Hill deck aside and
put its top card face-up next to it. This begins the Challenge pile.
For the first match, decide randomly which player will go first. For subsequent matches,
the player who won the previous match goes last.
On your turn, you will play zero, one or two cards from your hand in an attempt to defeat the top card of the Challenge pile. In
general, Heroes (and Weapons) defeat Monsters, and Monsters defeat Heroes. You only ever have to defeat the top card of
the Challenge pile. Card values from lowest to highest are: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace.
The Black-suited cards are Monsters.
To defeat a regular Monster, you need to play any of the following: 1) a Hero (or Elite Hero) that is higher, 2) a Weapon that is
higher, 3) two Weapons whose total value is higher, or 4) a Hero and a Weapon whose total value is higher.
To defeat an Elite Monster, you need to play one of the following: 1) an Elite Hero that is higher, or 2) any Elite Hero and any
one Weapon.
When you play two Weapons, you show them both to your opponents, and place them in any order on the Challenge pile.
When you play a Hero and a Weapon, you must place the Hero onto the Challenge pile first and the Weapon on top of it.
The Red-suited cards are Heroes and Weapons.
To defeat a Hero, an Elite Hero, or a Weapon, you need to play a Monster (or Elite Monster) that is equal to it or higher, or
play any two Monsters (regardless of value).
When you play two Monsters, you show them both to your opponents, and place them in any order on the Challenge pile.
NOTE: If you play a card or combination of cards, they must defeat the top card of the Challenge pile or you can’t play them.
Additionally, you cannot “overkill” by playing two cards to defeat the top card of the Challenge pile when just one of those
cards will suffice.
If you can’t play any cards, or don’t wish to, you draw the top card of the Silent Hill deck into your hand once. If you still can’t
or don’t wish to play any cards, you must pass the turn by saying “Pass.”
Each Joker will defeat any card of the opposite color. But also, each Joker can be defeated by any card of the opposite color.
The game ends when, after a player has successfully played a card, he or she has no more cards in his or her hand. That player
has escaped the clutches of Silent Hill… for now.