YOU WIN and MISS MATCH are two very similar games, so it makes sense to talk about them together. I will point out the differences a little later on. For now, imagine yourself at a game convention. As you pay for a game you've been eager to get hold of, the booth staff hands you a couple of linen finish poker-sized cards with your purchase and says, "And here is a free game for your collection. Everyone is going to be playing it at 4 pm near the main stage. There are prizes to be had."
The cards contain all the rules and a link to a website for more explanation. But since there are no other customers right now, you get a quick explanation and get to play the game - 1 vs. 1. You can only play 1 vs. 1.
When playing MISS MATCH with another player, you must decide who will be "Miss" and who will be "Match" any way you like. It does not matter who is who. You secretly place as many cards as you are keen to win (or willing to lose) on your palm and reveal them. Your opponent also does this simultaneously. You can think of the cards as bidding tokens. Then you flip over their top card, and they do the same to your top card. Unlike the backs of the cards, the faces have a clear top and a bottom. If the faces are the same way up, Match wins. Otherwise, Miss wins. Whoever wins takes up to as many cards as they bid from their opponent's bid. And that is it. If you still have cards, you can play again. The player with the most cards at the end of the event wins.
"That is so simple," you say, "Can we play?" and before you know it you have 4 cards. You see someone buy a game and they also get two cards. They look friendly and the booth is getting busy, so you step in and offer to teach them the game. If things go well, you might even play for real. Either way, you helped out the booth, taught someone a game, met someone who also loves the game you bought earlier, and had a good laugh playing. Let's say you won. You now have 5 cards.
The booth staff gives you a flyer of other Miss Match participating booths. It turns out you already visited one of them and they already slipped 2 more cards and the same flyer in the bag. Now you have 7 cards! It is almost 4 pm and the stage is nearby. And all you want to know is "How many cards do I need to win?".
As you approach the stage, many people are playing the game, bidding thick stacks of cards, and saying, "All or nothing. I don't have time for small bids folks." or, "10 cards or more. The game is about to end." People are comparing decks. Yes, that's right. Mainly the guys. Many people are talking, showing off their purchases, and keen to play. All except one player, who has a bag of cards. They sure think they have the most cards and do not want to lose them. They kindly refuse everyone's invitation with a smile that says, "I already beat you, my friend."
The announcer goes on stage, warms up the crowd, and soon gets to the point, "Who has more than 10 cards?" The whole crowd cheers. "If you don't, play them now, ladies and gentlemen. Play them now. There are just a few minutes left. And don't just give them away. Play to win! You can also just take the cards home if you want to play this on game night. Ok. Who has more than 20 cards?"
The clock ticks and the announcer blows the whistle. "If you have more than 100 cards," the announcer holds up his hands to show how thick a 100-card deck is, "please come on stage now." Only two people push through the crowd and climb on stage to a round of applause. Both have a bag of cards. Both are about the same size. The bags are about the same size, too. The organizers count the cards and... "It is a tie! The two winners must play one last round to see who wins."
It's luck, at the end of the day. There is no gameplay. There is no strategy. It's just fast and fun. The two players agreed to just play one card. The winner got a prize, and both of them got to keep the best massive multiplayer card game they ever played at a convention. Perhaps the only one they ever played at a convention. The End!
When you want to keep gaming and meet people, Miss Match has got your back. Play between games, in line, while you wait, at any time, and with anyone. It's a great icebreaker. You might win big, or bust early. Or you might just win enough cards to try this out at your birthday party next week. Miss match is great at parties, events, conventions, etc.
Pragmatically speaking, Miss Match is a party game with bidding and player elimination. The game incentivizes people to play, mingle, and meet others, with the prospect of winning a prize. But you can also just play for fun. As players are eliminated, remaining cardholders should convene at a predesignated time and place to finish off the game.
From the convention organizer's point of view, Miss Match is a super light card game ideal for thousands of attendees - providing you have at least 1 card per participant. It's a fun event for all ages that can take place over the course of a long event, and even carry over to future events. The game is easy to implement and teach. You can have participants return cards to registration to claim a smaller prize or have them present their stack on stage at the end of the show, or both. The cards can be given with the show program or as a gift for donating, buying, or visiting certain booths. Participating is free, easy, and fun. The organizers should have ambassadors to facilitate, demonstrate, and monitor the game. The organizers should also provide the rules, an FAQ, and contest details in the event program, website, posters, and at registration/reception.
YOU WIN and MISS MATCH are two very similar games in form and function. So what is the difference? Miss Match does not have ties, and You Win does. You might think Miss Match is better because of that. But ties in You Win are broken by, in part, the player who bid the most cards. In other words, playing more cards gives you a better chance of winning. The stakes are higher, and the game is faster for it. Miss Match is more accessible and cleaner. It's hard to say which is best.
When playing YOU WIN with another player, you secretly place as many cards as you are keen to win (or willing to lose) on your palm and reveal them. Your opponent also does this simultaneously. Then you flip over their top card, and they do the same to your top card. These cards have arrows on their faces. If both arrows point to you, you win. If the arrows point differently, then count who has the most cards and whoever bid the most wins. If still tied, collect all the cards, and have the other player flip the top card. If the arrow points to you, YOU WIN! The winner takes up to as many cards as they bid from their opponent's bid. And that is it. If you still have cards, you can play again. The player with the most cards at the end of the event wins.
YOU WIN and MISS MATCH are both released as Forever Free Print and Play Games for personal use. This means you can download them and try them for free provided you are not running this at a convention or as part of a business. The designer is very open to working with convention organizers to make sure they know what they are getting into, and help convey the spirit of the game. This line of games have been in development (on and off) for 8 years. Thank you for all the support and feedback.