Dvorak is an extremely unusual card game, but it is disturbingly fascinating and fun to play all at once.

Dvorak is original in the way that, being a Nomic-type game, you make up the rules using an established ruleset. In other words, you make up the cards. You can’t do that in Magic!

Basically, the game is played as follows:

Each player is given about fifty small pieces of card or paper, as well as a medium-thickness pen (for the titles) and a thin-thickness pen (for the rule text as well as the picture or flavor text if desired). Each person proceeds to create cards, but must make a “non-cheap” “I Win” card (they do not need to be named thus). Some non-objectionable I Win cards include: “Skip three turns. If this card is not destroyed at the end of your opponent’s turn, you win” or “If you own card x, y, and z, you win the game.” Cards can also be created midgame. However, midgame cards must be shown to all players, who all must accept the card, and then the card is placed at the bottom of your deck.

There are two kinds of cards: Thing cards, and Event cards. Thing cards stay in play until another card puts them out of play. Event cards are immediately discarded, but their event may wear on. Event cards may have an extra rule tacked on allowing them to be used outside of the turn sequence.

The sequence of play begins by the players choosing which order they wish to go. Then, the first player draws five cards, then can play one Thing and one Event. He then draws a card and ends his turn. The second player follows suit. This goes on until the game is won.

The game can even be played with one deck, making the strategies different. Dvorak is extremely exciting with simultaneous moves or more than three players, or with a lot of cards that interact with the outside world.

For more information, see the Dvorak website at http://uncertain.org/~kevan/dvorak/. The game can even be played on some MUD’s.

The most important thing to remember about the game: use your imagination.