Duke of the Hill

By Dwight Sullivan and Mark Galvez

A party game for 8 to 30 players.

Overview:
This game is played for the duration of the party as an overlay to the party. Ideally everyone at the party is playing the game at all times. People can do any other normal party activities while playing this game.

Each player receives one card that identifies who they are and how far up the hill they are from 0 to 6. Jesters are at the bottom at 0. The Duke is at the top at 6. Players will mostly keep this identity a secret. There can be several of each type of card in play except there is only one Duke. He is on top of the Hill and everyone should pay him GREAT RESPECT during his reign.


The player that has the DUKE card is not a secret. In fact this player may strut if he or she desires. The Duke only has to wait to defend the top of The HILL from challengers.

Next, each player gets a catch-phrase card also kept secret and handy. These cards are simple one or two-word phrases that are commonly said in a party setting. The game also comes with a number of blank cards. The host can use these to create more appropriate phrases if needed. Future expansions can have more phrases.


During the course of the evening if you hear someone (other than the DUKE) say your phrase you can then show them your catch-phrase card and you get to take an Action. Afterward you have to get a new catch-phrase card from the box.

Also, there are multiple copies of The HILL mini-game within the party area. Anytime a player wants they can challenge another player to a game of The HILL. If the challenge is accepted then they find an open game and play. The winner of the challenge gets to do an Action. If the game ends in a tie then nothing happens.

Actions:
When someone says your catch-phrase you can do one of two actions:
1 - See their identity-card: They have to show you their identity card. If their number is one more than yours you can capture their card and move up the hill. Your old card is returned to the bottom of the deck and they have to take a new card from the top of the deck.

2 - Blind Capture: Without looking you capture their card and they capture your card. Maybe you will climb the and maybe you will fall!

Any player that captures an Earl (5): either from an action or from a challenge gets to challenge the current Duke to a game of The HILL! The will be the starting player and the winner of the game is the new Duke. The old duke wins all ties.

The HILL mini-game for two players:
Parts: 29 1” cubes – 3 yellow, 6 red, and 20 black.

On a flat surface the starting player selects one cube and places the cube by itself.

Players in turn choose one cube and place it squarely next to or on top of any other cube with following rules: The first level of the being built can not be larger than 4x4 cubes. The next level has to be a 3x3 set but can be anywhere on top of the first level. The last level is 2x2 and can be anywhere on top of the second level. When you are all done you will have a “Hill” of cubes.

Now players begin removing all the cubes. They remove two cubes per turn, in turn, starting with the starting player. First they remove one block for to score for themselves then one block for no-one that is placed off to the side. You can not remove a cube that is surrounded or has a cube on top of it. In the end each The starting player will have 8 cubes, the challenger will have 7 cubes, and there will be 14 cubes in the middle not scored.

Red cubes are worth 1 point each, yellow are worth 3 points each, and black cubes are 0 points. The winner is the player with the highest score.

Expansions: You can expand this game by introducing new and different Mini-Games.