One of the great things about designing small games is that a single restriction can radically reshape the design space, and our “no shuffling” challenge certainly proved that point! Without the ability to rely on random chance, designers were pushed to look for games that emphasized human decisions first and foremost. Despite the difficult assignment we received a total of 96 entries, many of which incorporated high-interaction mechanics like drafting, bluffing, and deduction. From that list we’ve slowly narrowed down to a single Top 10, so without further ado: here are the finalists from the 18-Card No Shuffling Challenge!

 

(Note: We've featured all of the videos below, but YouTube shorts seem to be unable to embed in the blog here, so make sure to click the links to check those games out.)

14 Quests

Scott Czysz

 

14 Quests leads our list of finalists alphabetically, but it also serves as a good guidepost to the kinds of games we were hunting for during this challenge. With each card selected at setup also changing the potential quests available during play, small intentional choices work together to form a game with hundreds of unique combinations and thousands of permutations. The allure of unexplored possibilities here is enough to earn its spot on the list, though its streamlined gameplay with a light spatial puzzle certainly speaks in its favor as well. 

Ballona Birdwatchers

Erica Pinto

It likely isn’t a surprise that we saw a veritable flock of deduction games throughout this challenge, yet Ballona Birdwatchers specifically called to the judges because of its approachable theme and engaging table presence. Having players navigate the titular wetlands, consulting their field guide and trying to identify the bird before it flies away, feels like a perfect dovetailing of theme and gameplay.

Dead Man’s Banquet

Adam Fuller, Noah Fuller, & Nathan Basham

 

VIDEO LINK:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8AHCjv5ZoiA

One of the great aspects of this challenge is that it encouraged designers to make use of open information in devilish ways, and Dead Man’s Banquet is one of the most devilish of those designs. Each player wants to avoid ingesting poison – though a little bit won’t hurt you – while also trying to eat as much as they can. That simple premise can quickly spiral into a buffet of self-doubts and doublethink as players try to balance on the knife’s edge between risk and reward.

Fondue for Two

Bridey Clevenger

 

VIDEO LINK:
https://youtube.com/shorts/LFMdSvwDO-w?si=aEZbl4AofSvIr8On

Fondue for Two, by contrast, is a game that you want to sink into like a warm pot of chocolate. Or is it? Behind its comforting theme is a sharp mixture of clever drafting and take-that gameplay, turning this lovely date night snack into a tight battle for fondue supremacy. The preset card order here ensures that both players know exactly what’s coming, which means that they have to be shrewd rather than lucky to make the most of their meal. 

Jamai Shashti

Santhosh Kumar Subramanian

 

The third game about food to make the finalist list is Jamai Shashti, which celebrates a Bengali tradition in which a married woman’s parents prepare a day of gifts and feasting. This game caught our judges’ attention right away because of its unique table presence, but it’s the interesting draft-and-rebuild gameplay that really whetted our appetites. While the tight draft ensures that each turn has strategically limited options, the game itself promises a bounty of possibilities to savor with every play. 

Robot Wrestling

Luke Wolyncewicz

 

Ready, set, fight! Robot Wrestling pits two programmed pugilists against each other in a battle of reckless maneuvering until one wrestler emerges victorious. While the programming aspect feels smartly integrated into the game, it’s the positional aspect of play that helps separate this battler from the crowd. Anticipating your opponent’s movement so that you can land your most devastating blows feels like a natural way to bring this fight to the table.

Seal the Curse

Stanley Wang

 

Seal the Curse cast a spell over the judges with its straightforward yet intricate design. As each new relic is added to the expanding array of cards, the requirements for success become more stringent. The game’s innate appeal lies in a simple question: can you keep the spell under control to secure the win, or will you be left cursing your decisions?

Teocalli

Steven Smith & Ryan Cooke

 

Teocalli offers a take on spatial arrangement that at once feels fresh and timeless, presented through the history and visual style of the ancient Aztec civilization. What stands out most is its unique drafting method, in which players conceal their cards in a single shared pyramid then slowly dismantle that pyramid to build their own smaller ones. With its clean, elegant scoring and light memory element Teocalli establishes that it has a solid foundation for success.

Two Moons

Kyle Day

 

Night time is the right time in Two Moons, a 2-player duel of changing conditions. The star here, of course, is the moon mechanic: the current phases of the two central moons determine which cards and abilities can be used during a player’s turn. As players race to get their entire hand of creatures into play, they must balance the styles of their two chosen factions to illuminate their path to victory.

Vowlie

Roshni Patel

VIDEO LINK:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OW5enuKJ7Vs

Vowlie wears its Wordle inspiration on its wing proudly, but this bird-themed take on the word game genre impressed the judges with how unique it felt despite its obvious ancestry. The simple restriction of using only one vowel in the secret word is a smart one, enabling players to make shrewd guesses as they circle in on the correct answer. In the right group, Vowlie promises to be an absolute hoot.

And there you have it: all 10 of our finalists for this challenge. We’ll be back in one week to announce our grand winner!