GUBS

By: Alehkhs

On: March 4th, 2009

If you are looking for a computer game that is indie to the core, look no farther than “”http://gubcards.com">GUBS: Pixel Edition."

What makes this an indie-game of indie-games is the past of the project. “GUBS” started around 1992 as a series of doodles in the margins of a child’s homework. That child, a young Cole Medeiros, went on to make a home-made deck of cards created with pencil on squares of index-card. The cards depicted small creatures that would take the title ‘Gubs,’ and other cards depicted the world of these creatures.

Through the game that took shape over the following years, with cards being added and scraped, a story began to take shape, of Gubs and the timeless wars fought between them. With each new version, Cole would play GUBS with his brother Alex and their friends, trying to find a balanced game.

As the years passed and the game developed, Cole looked into printing a professional deck of his cards. After years of trying different processes and even sending sample decks to publishing companies, Medeiros decided to self-publish the game, and in 2007, the “GUBS: A Game of Wit and Luck” went on sale as a finished project.

Of course, this is a site for “computer” games, and so the story obviously does not end there.

In 2008, Medeiros’ close friend, Matthew Griffin, one of the developers behind the game “Wanderlust: Rebirth,” began the process of developing “GUBS: Pixel Edition.” Simply a single, 7MB executable, “GUBS:PE” contains an impressive amount of polish, containing all of the official art-work from the card-game, as well as a very intuitive interface. Cards are drawn and played with a smooth “click/drag” system. Players of “GUBS:PE” are pitted against two very-competent computer-controlled players (with two levels of difficulty), and within a few quick games, even the most-unfamiliar player to the card-game world will understand the rules. What they may not understand however, is the true depth and complexity of the game.

GUBS’ plays like how I would imagine a cross between card games like “Magic: The Gathering” and “UNO” would play. Each player plays and protects their cards while at the same time attempting to steal or discard their opponents’ cards. Yet, GUBS is not a card-collecting game. Each game is played entirely out of one 72-card deck, evening the playing field as far as “who has what” is concerned.

The rules of GUBS are fairly simple, whoever has the most free or “barricaded” Gubs on the table at the end of the game, wins. However, it is GUBS’ very concept of “end of game” makes each round excitingly frantic: within the deck, there are three “letter” cards, which together spell out “GUB.” When the title is complete on the table, the game is done, and scoring takes place.

Until the three letter cards are drawn, players fight to not only protect their own Gubs, but to steal, trap, or kill those of their opponents. As each player takes their turns, they can draw new cards and play or discard those they already have. “Lure” cards allow you to take Gubs from another player’s hand. Various “Barricade” cards can be placed over Gubs on the table, protecting them to an extent, but even these barriers can be overcome with certain cards. Natural disasters, monstrous creatures, espionage, traps; all these fates can be set against your Gubs. A player might go from having the best hand to having nothing at all in a single draw of the deck. Better yet (and inducing even more paranoia), each player can keep up to 8 cards off the table and hidden from their opponents’ view. Remember though, if a Gub is not on the table (or trapped) at the end of the game, then it counts for nothing.

GUBS:PE is also perhaps the most unique “share-ware” I’ve ever seen. I say this because while GUBS:PE is entirely free to download and play, and if you are content with the computer-controlled opponents (which are very competent at crushing you game after game),then you will be content simply with GUBS:PE. However, there is a “Buy” button on the main menu, and if you are interested in playing against friends, then this is for you. The button leads not to a purchase form for GUBS:PE though, but rather, allows you to purchase an actual GUBS deck.

Concerning the physical deck you will receive should you wish to play GUBS with friends, it is just as polished and colorfully illustrated as the ‘Pixel Edition’ would have you believe. In fact, there are several alternate images for some of the more common cards, and seeing these new illustrations was a pleasant surprise. The cards themselves are of good quality as well, and I was quite satisfied with the overall experience, from GUBS:PE to having a deck to play with against my friends and family.

Truly, it has been awhile since I have been so addicted to such a casual game, let alone a card-game, and I find myself wondering why this doesn’t just come as a default on my computer, right next to Solitaire and Minesweeper.