*Update* I've had a few people reach out about getting a copy of the game - if you'd like to purchase a copy of Pug Time, you can contact me at [email protected] and we can work something out!
Pug Time is a competitive card game for 2 to 4 players that lasts about 15 to 30 minutes that's all about pugs and their loving owners. Pug owners try to earn as many points as they can in each of the three pug areas of happiness - eating, sleeping, and playing - in an attempt to make their pug the happiest of all. Find rules here and cards here.
Playing Pug Time
Goal: Achieve Maximum Pug Happiness
Each player tries to gain 12 total points, with at least 3 points contained in each of the three pug areas of happiness.
Setup: Becoming a Pug Owner
Each player chooses one pug with whom to become best friends. Each new pug owner is given a Guide to Pugging Reference Card. The deck is shuffled and all owners are given four cards.
Phases: The Guide to Pugging
- Play: Each pug owner chooses one card to play and puts it face down. After all owners have chosen a card, every card is revealed simultaneously.
- Solve: The actions on each card are performed, starting with the card with the lowest resolution number.
- Break: If a pug has reached maximum happiness, that pug and owner win the game! If not, return to Play and go again.
Meet the Pugs
The Brave Pug: The Brave Pug thinks of herself as a sort of a heroine. She does not care about how big or how scary someone or something might be; she's always willing to stand up for her friends and make sure they're ok. In game, the Brave Pug protects herself and others from disasters by removing them from the game.
The Curious Pug: The Curious Pug loves to explore. He's great at looking in every nook and cranny to find the most interesting things. Because of this, he always loves when he gets to go on adventures. In game, the Curious Pug gets to look through the deck and play adventures.
The Cute Pug: The Cute Pug is only a puppy, but she's quick to learn and has only just begun to figure out her favorite things to do. Whether it's eating, sleeping, or playing, the Cute Pug always finds one area she loves best. In game, the Cute Pug learns new abilities over the course of the game and tends to focus in one area.
The Fast Pug: The Fast Pug knew from day one that no one was ever going to catch him. He's so fast, he loves to tease other pugs and play with them by stealing their toys; other pugs have to be careful, or he might steal something from them! In game, the Fast Pug steals one card from every opponent.
The Garbage Pug: The Garbage Pug knows exactly what she loves more than anything: digging through garbage. She's really grown quite adept at it, though, and can even find some pretty awesome treats. In game, the Garbage Pug can play two treats to gain a large number of happiness points.
The Mischief Pug: The Mischief Pug isn't a bad dog; he just likes to play pranks. He's gotten so good at his pranks he can completely confuse other pugs into doing things they never would have otherwise wanted to do. In game, the Mischief Pug forces players to give earned points to other pug owners.
The Smart Pug: Most pugs like to show off and be flashy, but not the Smart Pug. She sits quietly and watches from afar, making only the necessary moves to manipulate any situation to her advantage. In game, the Smart Pug can draw a large number of cards and choose cards that fit the situation best.
The Strong Pug: The Strong Pug is quite burly, likes lounging around, and hates being messed with. Adventures definitely don't suit his relaxation style, and any pug that tries to make him go on one better watch out. In game, the Strong Pug forces all played cards to be discarded with no effect.
Introduction to the Cards
There are six types of cards that can be played in Pug Time. In game, the type is notated by the color of the card and a small note in the bottom left corner. The types are as follows
- Basics: These are simple cards that are essential to any pug's happiness in life. Toys earn playing points, food earns eating points, and places to sleep earn sleeping points.
- Tricks: These cards are a neat way to show off a cool trick your pug has learned. Trick cards can provide the pug with more points than basics, but can also occasionally fail if played at the wrong time.
- Disasters: While pugs are great dogs, they're also pretty prone to accidents. If you're not careful, your pug might end up in a disastrous situation. These cards prevent an opposing pug from gaining points.
- Treats: These are special morsels of food that excite your pug to such great amounts that they are able to activate their special ability. For instance, if the Strong Pug were to get a treat, he would cause all other players to discard any cards they had played in the round. More detail on the special abilities is above.
- Buried Treasure: These cards allow to to see other cards opponent have played before you play a card or store a card to use it later. Great for combos and making smart plays!
- Adventures (not displayed here): There are only four of these in the deck, but they have an enormous impact on the current game state. While the benefits are always clear before using them, players have a chance to make a sizable difference in an outcome by playing these cards optimally.