This Old House by Wes Franks

This Old House is a GMless game for 1 to 4 players that uses the act of building a House of Cards to tell the story of just that, a house. You will use a standard deck of playing cards, a 4-sided die, and prompts from the zine to tell the story of a home, the family and things that inhabit it, and the land it sits on. From the first piece of lumber laid, through its first family celebrating new life, mourning death, and dealing with heartbreak. Then that story ends with the house being consumed by fire, lost in foreclosure, or just left vacant depending on whether the House of Cards tumbles or if a Joker is pulled.

These stories will be crafted by you, even with some friends, as a way for you to create land, give it life, and then tell the full history of a single home. From the first piece of lumber laid, through its first family celebrating new life, mourning death, and dealing with heartbreak. Then that story ends with the house being consumed by fire, lost in foreclosure, or just left vacant depending on whether the House of Cards tumbles or if a Joker is pulled.

Cover Image based on Edward Hopper’s House by the Railroad (1925). House of Cards breakdowns were cited from this wikiHow article on How to build House of Cards. It includes detailed photos to help show you how in more detail.

This game was released in partnership with Carrion Comfort and was created by Wes Franks with support from Bran Lavigne.

Written By: Wes Franks

Cover By: Wes Franks

Layout By: Bran Lavigne

Editing By: Bran Lavigne

House of Cards System by Wes Franks

It was release as part of Zine Club Story membership in August of 2024 thanks to the members of Zine Club.