Vulture Culture (2015)

Competitive dice game where vultures fight over a carcass.

You're a vulture. She's a vulture. Everyone is a vulture -- and everyone is hungry. You are going to fight beak and claw with those other vultures for the sake of first dibs on dinner. But don't get too greedy, or you might wind up with little more than scraps.

Vulture Culture pits five or more "friends" against each other in a feeding frenzy free-for-all. The game takes place over five rounds, each of which represents the revelation of a fresh carcass to consume. Yummy. The vulture that escapes the scuffle with the fewest feathers ruffled will enjoy the privilege of prime pickings among the tasty treats available. Conversely, the most beat-up buzzards develop an attitude adjustment, which just might earn them the edge next time around.

Every round, each player receives the same three actions: one each of Attack, Avoid, and Assist. Each round consists of a series of Attacks which take place without a conventional turn order. Attackers choose the strength of their attack, but increasing the strength makes it increasingly likely that the attack will miss its intended target and strike another bird instead. Additionally, every Attack presents an opportunity for all players to Assist with the devious deed at hand, or Avoid taking damage should events go awry. The catch? Every action can be played only once. You can block any one Attack and take no damage, but that leaves you vulnerable for any other actions that occur that round. Success requires roughly equal parts of clever hand management and deft social manipulation.

Vulture Culture was created to combine the thrill of thematic games like Munchkin and Cosmic Encounter with the mechanically-minded strategic sensibility of eurogames like Power Grid and 7 Wonders, all in less than an hour.