Payback (2025)

Overview

This is a modded version of Palace, also known as Shithead or Karma.

We made it more intuitive so kids can pick it up easily. We also made it more vengeful by introducing mechanics to get back at the person on your right (the one who's usually bullying you).

Here are some of the changes:

Redesigned and simplified the card hierarchy: 1 to 10. No suits, no color, no faces, no aces.

Special cards now have unique designs instead of numbers (BURN, RESET, GHOST).

New special cards were added to get back at the person on your right: SKIP, MIRROR. This increases the deck size from 52 to 58 cards.

Rules were modified to speed up gameplay. If you lose with a face-up card, you take it with the pile.

If the 1st place player is out of the game, they can decide that 3 cards make a BURN, instead of 4.

Expansion includes spell cards. These cards can reveal game information or cast spells on other players. For example, if they don’t address you with a silly name, they have to pick up the pile.

Card sizes are increased to 7 cm by 10 cm.

Game modes have been added to introduce gambling and drinking mechanics.

Roulette mode: All the cards are placed face-down in a giant circle.

The art was drawn in MS Paint and features bold, flashy graphics, with big influences from Keith Haring and Justice, the band.

—description from the designer