For very weird cribbage

October 15, 2016 4:46 PM

I'd like to buy a deck of cards that includes negative numbers. So all number cards should have a negative equivalent; ideally there'd be anti-face cards and zeroes, too. Where do I buy/commission this?
posted by blnkfrnk to Shopping (10 answers total)

Best answer: Sounds like you need 2 decks of cards, and a marker so you can put minus signs on the cards in one deck.
posted by w0mbat at 5:14 PM on October 15, 2016 [5 favorites]

Best answer: I was going to suggest something like this, but w0mbat's solution sounds much cheaper and easier.
posted by Shmuel510 at 5:26 PM on October 15, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Sounds like you need 2 decks of cards, and a marker so you can put minus signs on the cards in one deck.

Most decks will also include two jokers. Put them together and you have four of each positive number, four of each negative number, and four jokers which you mark with a big Zero.
posted by solarion at 6:25 PM on October 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

Nothing to add on how to mark up a deck as I think the above covered it. But I would like to hear more about the weird cribbage and it's rules.
posted by MandaSayGrr at 7:55 PM on October 15, 2016

Best answer: If you do go with a custom deck, I can attest that makeplayingcards.com does nice quality work.
posted by Candleman at 8:25 PM on October 15, 2016

Nothing to add on how to mark up a deck as I think the above covered it. But I would like to hear more about the weird cribbage and it's rules.

Would you get -2 points for -15?!
posted by monkeymonkey at 8:43 PM on October 15, 2016

Response by poster: Yes, you get negative points for -15, which you use to steal points from others. You use negatives to reduce to 15 or to extend a run or to force 31; I would want the anti-faces to have a function, like a multiplier or directional like in Uno but I don't know what yet. I think with a custom board and the expanded deck you'd have a good game for larger groups. I was going to start out with the expanded deck and standard rules and see how that goes.

I was boping for professional printing, but these are all good answers!
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:19 PM on October 15, 2016

Best answer: Honestly, if you're playtesting, the cobbled-together two decks sounds better. Save something professional for when you've really nailed down what nega-Nibs really does in your game. And post to Projects when you're done!
posted by stevis23 at 9:31 PM on October 15, 2016 [2 favorites]

Trying to get my head around the odds of playing 21 with deck like this.
I like the 2 deck with one marked - option.
posted by boilermonster at 10:12 PM on October 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ooh...if you do go the custom printing route, don't make negative numbers, make negative cards...i.e. reversed in color and flipped left to right...so, green hearts on a black background, white clubs on black, E instead of 3, p instead of q. (Not exactly, just flipped over in photoshop)...like Bizarro universe cards. See, if you do it this way, you can make up a ton more games...mainly, not just ones with negative numbers, but also negative/additional suits...hearts and antihearts, etc
Also for the zero card, I would just use the joker, mostly as-is, but just change the O to 0 by making it the kind with a / through it...maybe up the font size a tad? Bold?
posted by sexyrobot at 6:49 AM on October 16, 2016 [2 favorites]