munchkin
Goal
The goal of Munchkin is to reach level 10 (or level 20 in an "Epic" Level game). Every player starts as a "level 1 human with no class (Heh, heh)" and has to earn levels by killing monsters or other means. Other means include selling a thousand gold pieces worth of items, or playing "go up a level" cards. A typical game runs for around an hour.
Gameplay
Each person's turn begins with the player "going into a room" by Opening a Door (often referred to as kicking down the door) by drawing a Door card face-up. If there is a monster in the room, the player fights the monster. If the player's level plus bonuses from the player's equipment (such as Really Impressive Title) is higher than the monster's level plus any bonuses the monster might have (such as Enraged, Humongous, or Buffed), then the player wins the fight and moves up one level (though some monsters grant two levels), and takes the monster's stuff. If the drawn card is a curse card, it takes effect immediately. If the player did not find a monster in the room, then the player can choose to either draw another Door card face down (looting the room) or fight a monster from his hand (looking for trouble). To prevent opponents from achieving the winning level (9, 10, 11, 20, or 22 depending on pre-game selections and card play), players can give enhancing cards (such as the Big Honkin' Sword of Character Whupping) to whatever monsters are fighting the other player so that the monsters will win and cause the player to have to try to Run Away from the monsters and maybe have to suffer "Bad Stuff" from the monsters, or throw curses on each other (or have them happen randomly), such as New Edition Rules (causing all players to lose a level). Players can also use items against each other such as Itching Powder (making the player throw away any clothing or armor). Every card played resolves instantly, with few exceptions (which include the use of the card Wishing Ring to cancel curses).
A game of Munchkin being played, with coins being used to denote levels.
Players can help each other defeat monsters, adding together their level and bonuses to beat the monsters. The player who helps the other player can negotiate a deal to receive some of the Treasure cards earned by defeating the monster, or some other advantageous trade, but the helper never gets a Level for helping without playing a card or using an ability that allows it (e.g., the Elf Race, mentioned below). Players can gain extra abilities or advantages by getting "Class" or "Race" cards; as an example, players using the Warrior class win a battle in the event of a tie between their and the monster's level and pluses, while a player using the Elf race gains a Level per monster whenever they assist another player in killing a monster. Certain monsters, such as Squidzilla, gain an advantage against certain races or classes.
Players can Sell one or more of their items to gain a level. Each item card has a value saying how much gold the item is worth. If the combined value is greater than or equal to 1000 gold pieces, then the items can be sold to gain a level. Since the game has no other way to represent money, players cannot get "change." However, a player can buy more than one level, at a cost of 1000 gold pieces per level. Players cannot achieve the winning level by selling items, however, nor can they sell Items and not take a level if the next level is one that has to be earned by killing a monster (usually the winning level).
Winning the game requires getting to Level 10 (or 20). Players can get levels by killing Monsters, selling Items (as described above) or playing cards that let a player go up a level (such as Bribe the DM or Switch Character Sheets). With few exceptions, the only way to get the winning level is to kill a Monster. Exceptions to that rule usually come in the form of cards which specifically state they break the rule (e.g., Divine Intervention).
Munchkin is not a very serious game; the rules make this clear with phrases like: "Decide who goes first by rolling the dice and arguing about the results and the meaning of this sentence and whether the fact that a word seems to be missing any effect." and "Any disputes in the rules should be settled by loud arguments with the owner of the game having the last word." There are many cards which interact with or are affected by a single other card, despite the rarity of the two cards entering play together (such as the interaction between Fowl Fiend and Chicken on Your Head or Sword of Slaying Everything Except Squid and Squidzilla).
Card types
Munchkin has 2 basic card types--doors and treasures--and three supplemental types:
*Door: These are the basic cards turned over every turn and include:
-Monster: Monsters in Munchkin range in level from 1 (e.g. Potted Plant, Lame Goblin or Goldfish) to 20 (e.g. Plutonium Dragon, Kali or Great Cthulhu) and when a player defeats them they go up one or more levels and draw a certain amount of treasures, both depending on the particular monster and bonus effects.
-Curse/Trap/Disaster: Curse cards take effect immediately if drawn when a player kicks down the Door, or can be used to curse other players if drawn at other times. Their effects range from Squidgilator 's "Lose one level." to Dwarven Ale 's "-4 to your next combat due to uncontrollable drunken singing."
-Monster Enhancer: These are cards which affect combat by either enhancing or subtracting from the combat strength of a monster, and adding to or subtracting from the number of Treasures that monster is worth.
-Class: Each player may have one class card in play at a time, unless using the Super Munchkin or Ultra Munchkin card, where he may have two, the Ultra Munchkin from Munchkin Blender and Munchkin Reloaded! that allows three or the Super Duper Munchkin which allows an unlimited number of classes. Each class gives the player special abilities. If a player draws a class card face up, he/she may become that class. If they already have one in play, he/she may choose to replace their current class and discard it, or choose to place the new class in their hand for later.
-Race: Each player may also have one race card in play at a time, again increased to two with Half-Breed and three with 1/3-Breed from Blender and Reloaded!, or unlimited with Chimera. Each race gives the player special abilities.
-Helpers: There are various types of helpers like the Hirelings in base Munchkin, Sidekicks found in Star Munchkin and Super Munchkin, Minions in Munchkin Bites, Mooks in Munchkin Fu, Allies in Munchkin Axe Cop and Comrades in Munchkin Conan. These Helpers allow players who have them to sacrifice them to escape from any combat. Some also allow players to carry and use additional items.
-Steeds, Ships and Vehicles: Depending on the version, these are additional conveyances that can aid a player with further combat bonuses. Steeds are common to base Munchkin, Ships to Star Munchkin and Munchkin Booty, and Vehicles in Munchkin Impossible.
-Portals: Portals are cards that allow the player to enter and exit Dungeons (see below). Some portals will help the player enter dungeons, others will harm others.
-Other: There are also a multitude of other cards, some of which affect combat, some of which give players in-game bonuses, and a bunch which just have weird effects.
*Treasure: These are drawn when a player defeats a monster or by certain door and treasure cards (like Arms Locker) and include:
-Item: Item cards typically give permanent benefits to the player who equips them. They can give abilities or bonuses. Many items go to a specific "slot" (Hand, Armor, Footgear and Headgear) indicated on the card, while some do not. Items also come in two sizes, Big and Small. Each player can carry (i.e., have in play) any number of Small items, even if they cannot use them, but only one Big Item. "One shot" items also exist; these can be played from a player's hand or from the table, and have various effects, including giving a combat bonus to the player or the monsters in a combat, canceling or removing a curse, removing a monster from combat, or modifying a die roll.
-Item Enhancers: These cards are played on a given Item to increase its combat bonus. There are also specialized Item Enhancers that can only be used for certain Items; Example: Ship Enhancers can only be used for Ships.
-GUAL: GUAL (or Go Up A Level) cards allow the player to place them in the Treasure discard pile in order to gain a level (they cannot be used to gain the winning level unless the card's text allows this). Most of these cards can be used at any time (such as Bribe the GM or Shiny Dice... Spinning... Spinning...) but some have special requirements and/or effects.
-Other: There are many Treasure cards which have a huge range of effects that do not fit into any other category.
*Dungeon: Dungeon cards are double sized cards introduced in the sixth Munchkin deck, Demented Dungeons. These cards affect game play both positively and negatively. Certain dungeons can increase treasure, make the player an epic munchkin, make it harder to run away, or add death to the "Bad Stuff" of monsters. To date, three expansions add Dungeons to the game: the above mentioned Demented Dungeons, Crazed Caverns for Munchkin Cthulhu and Hideous Hideouts for Munchkin Zombies.
*Spell: Introduced and only found in the Munchkinomicon mini-expansion, Spell cards function and have effects similar to most regular curse or door cards. By equipping the Munchkinomicon as an item, the player is allowed to draw one card, face down, from a separate card deck labelled "spells".
*Fairy Dust: Introduced in Munchkin Fairy Dust, these cards can only be acquired by helping someone in combat, curing a curse on someone else, or killing the Sparkly Good Fairy. These cards are always beneficial and can often be used more than once.
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