Gamer

Background: One thing I really love about playing FPS computer games is the fact that you don't know where your enemy is before you actually see them. For Frag Double Blind you need to split the players into two teams.

Concept: In a double blind game, you only see what is in your line of sight. For it to work, you will need to divide the players into two teams, designating one player the referee. Frag Double Blind works for three to seven players. The referee keeps track of where the opposing team is, and informs the players when they see an enemy.

How to do it: Frag Double Blind assumes that as soon as one player in a team sees something, the rest of his team know it. The game is played with the same rules as regular Frag, with a couple of differences. The first has already been mentioned; the players play as a team, leaving one player to referee. This could potentially open up for friendly fire. This is solved by assuming that if a team-mate is in another team-mates line of sight, the other team-mate cannot shoot.

The second change is that instead of each player taking their turn separately, each team takes their turn as one, then steps away and lets the other team take their turn. The referee keeps track of where players are, informing the opposing team if they spot an enemy.

The first team to score anywhere from eight to twelve frags (depending on what length game you want) wins the game.

These are, as far as I have been able to find out, the original rules for a Monopoly short game (60-90 minutes):

1. During preparation, the banker shuffles and deals three Title Deed cards to each player. These are free---no payment to the bank is required.
2. You need only three houses (instead of four) on each lot of a complete color-group before you may buy a hotel. Hotel rent remains the same. The turn-in value is still one-half the purchase price, which in this game is one house less than in the regular game.
3. If you land in jail you must exit on your next turn by a) using a "Get Out of Jail Free" card if you have (or can buy) one; or b) rolling doubles; or c) paying $50. Unlike the standard rules, you may try to roll doubles and, if failing to do so, pay the $50 on the same turn.
4. The penalty for landing on "Income Tax" is a flat $200 (i.e., the option to pay 10% of cash on hand is removed). The UK version of the game makes Income Tax a flat tax anyway.
5. The game ends when one player goes bankrupt. The remaining players value their property: a) cash on hand; b) lots, utilities, and railroads owned, at the price printed on the board; c) any mortgaged property owned, at one-half the price printed on the board; d) houses, valued at purchase price; e) hotels, valued at purchase price including the value of the three houses turned in. The richest player is then declared the winner.

These are the house rules that I play with at home. They make for a shorter, more enjoyable game.

• Players may not lend other players money
• Free Parking lasts an entire turn, and covers taxation, but not Chance-cards nor Community Chest-cards.
• If you hit "Go to Jail" while on Free Parking, you still go to jail.
• Should a player land on "Go", they collect double the amount, except when sent there by a card.
• Trades may only be made on the turn of the person who wants to make the trade, before the dice are tossed.
• Houses and hotels may be purchased during the players turn, before the dice are tossed.
• Once a player has tossed the dice, the previous player may no longer purchase property.
• On the third round in jail, if a player does not roll a double, they will move the number specified by the dice.
• If a player is caught cheating by the other players, he or she must go directly to jail. They don't pass go or collect $200.
• If a player is bankrupted, the properties are returned to the bank, and available for purchase.

I love Chez Geek, I think it's a great little game, that has a lot of merit, especially with regards to game mechanic. There's one change I usually make to the rules though:

• At the start of the game, decide whether the Life discard pile is open (face-up) or closed (face-down)
• If the Life discard pile is closed, you may not sift through it before playing cards such as dumpster diving
• If it is open, you may sift through it