Coming soon · Book Profile
Chambers Card Games 100 Best-Loved Games
A comprehensive guide to learning and playing 100 of the world's best-loved card games, complete with clear rules, examples of play, and strategic advice for players of all levels.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Tired of playing the same old card games? Peter Arnold's 'Chambers Card Games' is your essential guide to a universe of entertainment packed into a standard deck of 52 cards. This comprehensive compendium provides simple, step-by-step instructions for 100 different games, catering to any number of players and every occasion—from simple children's games like Go Fish to complex strategic classics like Bridge and Skat, and from family favorites to high-stakes gambling games like Poker and Baccarat. With clear examples of play, a helpful glossary, and indexes that let you choose the perfect game by player count or type, you'll be able to confidently introduce new and exciting games to your friends and family, ensuring every game night is a memorable one.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- The reader is a social person who enjoys games with friends and family but feels limited by the small number of card games they know how to play.
- The problem
- Not knowing the rules to enough card games, which leads to boredom with the same old options or being unable to play at all when the group size is wrong for the few games they know. Feeling uninspired, socially limited by their narrow repertoire, and intimidated by the prospect of learning new, seemingly complex games.
- The plan
- Use the indexes to find a game suitable for your number of players and desired game type.
- Read the simple, step-by-step instructions for the chosen game.
- Follow along with the provided examples of play to understand the game in action.
- Consult the 'Card Games Basics' section and the extensive glossary for any unfamiliar terms.
- Confidently introduce a new game at your next social gathering.
- The payoff
- Becoming the go-to person who can always suggest and teach the perfect card game for any group or occasion. · Hosting and enjoying more engaging and varied game nights with friends and family. · Feeling confident and prepared to participate in a wider variety of social gaming situations.
See our guide
Additional reading
- Start with Why · Simon Sinek
The book's core idea—'People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it'—is central to crafting a compelling crowdfunding narrative that connects with backers on an emotional level.
- To Sell Is Human · Daniel Pink
Provides insights into the psychology of pitching and influence, such as the importance of making the audience (backers) feel like collaborators, which is a key strategy for engagement.
- Funding the Dream Podcast · Richard Bliss
A recommended resource for creators, offering interviews and specific insights into crowdfunding tactics and strategies.
- jamesmathe.com (blog) · James Mathe
A creator's blog recommended by the author for its detailed, list-based entries full of practical information for crowdfunders.
- Ready Player One · Ernest Cline
Recommended as an enjoyable alternative read for those who decide crowdfunding isn't for them, showing the author's engagement with geek culture.
- Homo Ludens · Johan Huizinga
Referenced for its foundational concept of the 'magic circle,' which defines play as a separate, protected space outside of ordinary life. This contextualizes the author's own theory.
- Man, Play and Games · Roger Caillois
Cited for its academic definition and categorization of games, providing a counterpoint to the more practical definitions offered by game designers.
- Rules of Play · Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman
Mentioned as a key contemporary text offering a precise, systemic definition of a game, which the author uses as part of his survey of existing definitions.
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience · Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The concept of 'flow' is discussed as a state of deep immersion that is often associated with fun, but the author distinguishes his theory by focusing on learning rather than mastery.
- The Essential Difference · Simon Baron-Cohen
The theory of 'systematizing' versus 'empathizing' brains is used to explain why different types of games may appeal to different people, particularly along gender lines.