YACG (Yet Another Cthulhu Game)

MessCthulhu

“Don’t Mess with Cthulhu”

designed by Yusuke Sato, published by Indie Boards and Cards

Social deduction meets the Lovecraft mythos. A simple game where players are secretly either investigators or a sneaky cultist. Five cards are dealt to each player, take a look at them, and then place them randomly in front of yourself. Try to get players to open Elder Signs (if you are an investigator), or ill omens (if you are a cultist). First side to get all their necessary cards face up wins. So, basically, lie, bluff, cajole, and convince other players to do what you need.

Plays quickly and easily, and fun as well, if a little like other social deduction games.  But, theme?

Like “Bang,” but with Anime

“Shadow Hunters”

designed by Yasutaka Ikeda, published by Z-Man Games

Players take a hidden role of either Hunters, Shadows, or Neutral characters in this anime-themed card game. Each role has a specific win condition: Hunters must eliminate all Shadow characters and vice versa while Neutral characters will have unusual conditions. Roll dice, move around the board, and play cards to deduce the identities of the other players before you attack them and utterly kill them. Or get killed yourself by an anime girl armed with shotgun, rusty axe, and chainsaw.

Love the art, love the theme, and the deduction cards make the game more focused and less random than “Bang.”