1000 Blank White Cards

What the hell is “1000 Blank White Cards?” You’ve heard about it and you want me to tell you what it is? OK, the basic gist is it’s a card game with no rules. You and your friends have 5+ blank cards, which you write on with pens, and then you “play” the nonsensical game that results. You keep making new cards and play until everyone gets tired of playing.

It seems interesting to me for some reason. The major problem- it seems really pointless. It’s not really a “Game” at all, it’s more like structured screwing around. But it seems to me that it’s only missing a few elements to make it into a new kind of dynamic card game, maybe like Mao but with more interesting cards and a sense of humor.

As I showed above, there are a bunch of “card servers” for 1kBWC. The problem is though that they are not servers for playing the game: since they are not chatrooms, people are not grouped around the game, and cannot see cards people play. Really they are vanity projects: “look at my cards!”

So: Converting to servers: How do you picture people playing the real version? I was thinking people meet at a cafe with a bunch of blank cards and pens. Part of the appeal is being able to make your own cards while the game is going, and another part is seeing the new cards the other people play. But the totally unstructured nature of the minimal rules means 1kBWC is not really a “game.” So lately I’m trying to figure out:

  1. what minimal structure could be imposed to make this an interesting game, while retaining some of the creative aspects
  2. how to convert this to a server game

Right now my solution is looking like a web-based Uno with a rules engine and graphical interface to make new rules during your turn. I am soliciting recommendations!

SHAC: 1000 blank cards is actually wizards of the coast
SHAC: trying to see just how lazy they can be and still keep people interested
BRIAN: yeah they go to costco and buy index cards
BRIAN: then they put it in a colored box and sell it for $30
BRIAN: ($5 for the foil “expansion packs”)
PRECIOUS ROY: BUY MY CARD GAME!!! SUCKERS!!!

2 thoughts on “1000 Blank White Cards

  1. aaargh… it’s not graphical. It’s a “MUSH”! I guess the webification of something like this is still up to me! What I’d also be interested in:

    • a game webservice API for enabling the writing of game-playing and card-authoring clients
    • a card server webservice API for making decks available to clients
    • enhancements to the above server APIs to allow multi-server and multi-deck games

    Also, the card approval process in Dvorak seems really weak to me. There should be deterrents from making crazy powerful cards, but no VOTING.

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