Stitches: A Card Game of Monstrous Proportions (2016)

Overview

Description from the publisher:

Stitches is a semi-co-op fast-paced brawling card-game for 3-7 players. You play a cast-off thesis project from Franken State University, left to fend for yourself in the Dark Woods. Upgrade your appendages by Scavenging from the woods or Attacking your fellow monsters, learning language as you go. Once you’re strong enough, attack the Abomination to win! Words optional.

You start with five cards, a head, torso, legs and two arms. Each round you’ll choose whether to spend the Stitches you’ve earned to Scavenge a new part from a common pot, or to Attack your fellow monsters and take one of their limbs instead. As you attack each other you’ll learn new words, giving you more options than just growling and grunting to communicate. Once your monster is strong enough, attack the Abomination to try and win the game, pulling in any other players who have words in common. But beware! The King will fight back…

Stitches uses a simple Rock-Paper-Scissors mechanic for combat that is easy to understand but can lead to some surprisingly deep decisions. Players decide whether to Scavenge or Attack simultaneously, then resolve their chosen action in turn order. The semi-co-op mechanic of teams building as the game continues sets a natural limit to how each game lasts.