Peaks & Valleys is a lightweight climbing and shedding card game about hiking up and down a stunning mountain range. The number of cards you play will dictate their strength, with peaks (1 or 3 cards) going up and valleys (2 cards) going down. Players will collectively decide what each round is worth, and you gain the most points by playing all of your cards first!
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Peaks & Valleys is a fully designed game that has not yet been published. If you have an interest in discussing publishing possibilities, please send an email to JonGetsGames@gmail.com.
Climbing Up & Down
The central concept of this game is that the number of cards played into a combination will dictate what other cards can beat them. Peaks have 1 or 3 cards, and they can only be beaten by higher-valued cards (as you climb up the mountain). Valleys have 2 cards, and they are beaten by lower-valued cards (as you explore down toward the river). This means that high and low cards can be powerful, and knowing the right time to use them is the key to playing all your cards first.
Set Your Goals
Players gain points when they get rid of all their cards, but the number of points gained is collectively set. At the start of each hand, everyone simultaneously plays 1 card into the scoring pool. As players get rid of their cards, they score the highest scoring card remaining, so the hike has different incentives each round. You win the game by hitting a threshold that increases each hand, depending on the cards picked for the scoring pool, so choose wisely!
Breaking Ties
Each card has a primary and secondary rank, which are crucial for determining strength. When there is a primary rank tie, new cards can still be played if their secondary ranks are stronger. Use this to your advantage as you plan your hike, you don't want to get lost!