June 11, 2010: Listen Before You Leap

Last year, we posted a variant Munchkin rule called "Listen at the Door." We really liked it, y'all really seemed to like it, and it ended up getting added as a variant to all the revised Munchkin core set rules.

The point of Listening at the Door is to speed up the game by getting more cards, and therefore more useful cards, into play. We've heard some great stories telling how well it has worked, but very few compared to a recent playtest session at the SJ Games offices. My group ended up completing two four-player games of Star Munchkin in 90 minutes, and the group at the other end of the room finished a four-player game of classic Munchkin in about an hour, including time for a couple of spirited arguments.

We like this rule. We think we'll keep using it. (And that's why we're making it a required rule in Munchkin tournament play.)

(If you think this Illuminator is an example of "burying the lede" . . . you are very perceptive.)

-- Andrew Hackard

P.S.: Don't forget that I'll be chatting on uStream tonight at 6:30 CDT! Come by and ask questions, or it will be a very boring few minutes for me . . .