Imagine getting a birthday card through the post – but it’s not just a card. It’s also a game. Yes really, a playable birthday card! Picture on the front, rules on the back! Why buy a standard birthday card or Valentine’s card when you can buy a game instead?

Dissent Games produces a range of greetings cards. Each card is A5, printed on high quality paper, and comes with its own colourful envelope. Depending on the game, the card is generally either 300gsm with a gloss lamination, a 300gsm recycled card stock, or a 280gsm textured card. Some games have counters included, while other games ask the players to find dice or pens. If sold individually at a craft fair or convention, each card and envelope comes in a recyclable cellophane wrap.

Multiplayer cards

Snowball Slide. 2 players, wintery theme of racing snowballs down slopes. Comes with cogs you cut out and place on the card. Roll dice and use the results to turn cogs to direct the snowballs to the right place. Medium difficulty.

Penguin Pairs. 2-4 players. A race game round a track. Each player has two counters (included inside), and needs to get them both on the same space, while collecting points. Very popular as a Christmas card, especially for small children. Easy.

The Frog & the Princess. 2-4 players. A race game round a track. Each player has two counters, and needs to get them both on the same space three times, while hopping over other players. Can be simple, or can be more strategic. Easy-medium.

Hearts. 2 players. Roll dice and colour in hearts. You end up with a unique piece of art made by the two of you. It’s a perfect Valentine’s Card (especially as it gets more and more competitive). The colouring in is simple, but it also needs good spatial awareness! Medium.

Snakes & Ladders & Jellybeans. 1-5 player. Just like snakes and ladders, but you roll two dice and choose which to use — and the winner is the person who collects the most jellybeans! An excellent card to give to a children on their birthday. Easy.

Logic puzzles

Cherry Cake. 1 player. This is a simple logic grid, where you need to read the clues on the card (some in text, some as the picture) and work out the answer. This card is simple, so you may not even need the grid at all. Easy.

Biscuit. 1 player. This is a slightly harder logic grid. Read the clues on the card to work out which character took which item, from where, and in which order. Who got left with a wormy biscuit? Dungeon & Dragons themed. Medium-hard.

The Feline Crimes Of No.29: Cats at Christmas. 1 player. A logic grid about four cats. Which cat knocked which shape and colour bauble from the tree, in which order? Takes about 10 minutes. Medium-hard.

The Feline Crimes Of No.29: Garden. 1 player. A harder logic grid about the same cats. Follow the clues to deduce which cat left which “gift” from which location at which time. Takes most people about 10 minutes to complete. Hard.

The Feline Crimes Of No.29: Birthday Bookcase. 1 player. Another logic grid about the same cats. Which cat knocked which item over, in which order, and what noise did it make when landing? Says “Happy Birthday”. Takes about 10 minutes. Hard.

Solo games

Tulips. 1 player. Roll dice and colour in tulips according to the results, trying not to put the same colours next to each other. A mindful game…but one which will also test your skills of spatial awareness! Easy-medium.

Nourish. 1 player. Race against time with dice. Bees and flowers themed, with a particularly bold colourful design. A proportion of profits from this game go to the Chester Sexual Advice Support Service. Medium.

Plastic Currents. 1 player. Puzzley game involving dice and moving jellybeans around a grid. Place the jelly beans (plastic in the ocean) on the grid, then roll for the current. You get to net and remove some plastic, but more appears in uncleared rows or columns… Hard.

Interested?

If you’d like to buy any of these cards, please head over to the Big Cartel shop. Cards are £2.50 per card, or five cards for £10.

If you’d like to stock some for your shop or cafe, please do email Jess at dissentgames@gmail.com or phone 07763 854706.

All cards are designed by Jessica Metheringham and are printed in the UK.