Grimmel

Grimmel is a dark collection of mysterious figures and legendary wanderers, set in a world where everything is dangerous and wants to kill you. In a place like this, where bizarre creatures lurk behind every corner, conflicts are not settled with swords but with cards. In Grimmel, you do not argue or plead. You play a risky duel that demands everything — your life and your death. Every card you play, every choice you make, could bring you closer to victory or to your grave. One moment, you will face wild beastfolk. The next, a bone-crowned king or a bloody hound. You never know what waits for you in this mystic game of cards.

At the start of the game, you and your opponent each draw a full hand of seven card. No more, no less. Whenever your hand runs out of cards, you immediately draw a new hand of seven cards. After both players have drawn their hands, the first Push starts and a random player takes the first turn.

The duel is played in rounds that we call Pushes. In each Push, players make alternating turns, choosing either to play a card onto the field or to skip their turn. When the push is over, you look at the cards laid out on the field. Each card holds a value we call Stand, reflecting its might and importance. The total Stand of all your cards is shown on the left side of your board. The player with the higher Stand claims victory of that Push and gets a Sacrifice from the loser.

Each Push begins with a Rage value set to 100, shown at the center of the board. As players take turns, the Rage decreases with every action. Every time a player plays a card or passes the turn, the Rage goes down by ten. When Rage reaches zero, the Push ends. The player with the higher total Stand then wins a Sacrifice.

All your claimed sacrifices are shown at the bottom right of the board. A sacrifice is not just a token — it is a wound, a mark of dominance that brings you closer to ultimate triumph. The game ends when one player claims three sacrifices. By then, your opponent is broken, unable to continue, swallowed by their wounds. But beware the cards left in your deck. If you ever need to draw a new hand and find your deck empty, you lose instantly. No second chances. No mercy.

What makes Grimmel truly cruel is the unpredictable flow of the game. You never know how long a Push will last. Some cards have special effects that change the Rage, either speeding up the round or slowing it down. The risk is simple and deadly: play enough cards to survive, but never so much that you lose your advantage. Every card you play is lost forever. If you run out of cards before winning, your opponent will tear you apart. You cannot see your enemy’s hand, nor guess the strength of their cards. Every choice is a gamble. Deciding when to play your strongest cards and when to wait and build your position is critical. Each deck has a total Stand value of exactly 100. Some decks rely on a few powerful cards to dominate pushes early, while others use many smaller cards, gaining strength through the endurance of their deck. Be cautious, or you might only get to play Grimmel once. Remember, there is no escape.

To play the game, download the ZIP file, extract it, and run the Grimmel.exe program. The game is optimized for a 16-inch display. Support for larger screen sizes is not currently available. The presentation may differ from the images shown in the portfolio.