Hi, I'm Shingo Suzuki, also known as Suzushin.
Some time ago, I invented a card game called Override.
I came up with it to pass the time in hospital. I played it with someone else staying there, and we had a surprisingly good time. Before I knew it, an hour had disappeared.
Later, I also prototyped a web-app version. But I never released it, and the idea lay dormant.
“I've gone to the trouble of making it; I'd like more people to try it.”
“The best thing is for people to actually play!”
So I've decided to share the rules here. Override Classic uses one ordinary deck and is simple enough to play casually with someone nearby. I'd love you to try it!
A game born in hospital
I had a lot of time on my hands in hospital and often played cards with other patients.
Eventually, I got tired of the familiar games. “Is there anything new to play?” Then: “If there isn't, why not make one?” That impulse became Override.
The earliest rules differed a little from today's version. They gradually improved through playtesting.
Once the rules had settled down, I played with someone I'd become particularly friendly with. “Hey, this is actually pretty fun!” We got absorbed and played for about an hour. It made me think I might have created something worthwhile.
Some time after leaving hospital, I remembered Override and made a web prototype against a simple AI. It wasn't bad, though playing with another person still felt best. I didn't release it then.
Now, I've decided to revive it. Sharing the rules and letting different people try them sounded interesting, which is why I'm writing this article.
What is Override Classic?
Override Classic is a two-player game using one standard deck.
The goal is simple: place cards on a 5×5 board and complete a line of your color horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to win. But there's one distinctive feature.
That's overriding: you may place a stronger card on top of a card already on the board.
What you need
- One standard deck, without jokers: 52 cards
- Two players
- Space for a 5×5 arrangement of cards
No special cards or board are needed. An ordinary deck is enough.
Setup
- Separate red cards (♥ and ♦) from black cards (♠ and ♣).
- One player takes red; the other takes black.
- Each player shuffles their 26 cards into a draw pile.
- Decide who goes first.
- Prepare a 5×5 playing area.
Basic play
On your turn:
- Draw one card from your pile.
- Place it on the 5×5 board.
- Pass the turn to your opponent.
You must use the card you drew during that turn. You may place it on any empty square. As soon as five cards of your color form a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, you win. If both piles run out without a completed line, the game is a draw.
The key feature: overriding
You can place a stronger card on top of an occupied square. This is called overriding.
The normal ranking is:
A < 2 < 3 < 4 < 5 < 6 < 7 < 8 < 9 < 10 < J < Q < K
For example:
- 8 on 5 → allowed
- 10 on 8 → allowed
- 7 on 10 → not allowed
- 8 on 8 → not allowed
Cards of equal rank cannot override one another.
One exception: A can beat K
A is normally the weakest card, but there's one exception: A can override K.
So even the strongest card isn't completely safe.
K: “There, I've played a king. Safe now.”
A: “Hello.”
K: “!?”
This exception adds an enjoyable twist to the tactics.
You can override your own cards too
It isn't limited to your opponent's cards. You can override your own cards.
Suppose your 3 occupies an important square. It's vulnerable to being overwritten. Playing your 10 on top can reinforce that square.
A square can be overridden repeatedly
Overwritten cards stay in place; new cards are stacked on top.
For example, black 4 → red 7 → black 10 → red Q is possible. A square belongs to the color of the top card.
Extend a line, or overwrite a card?
That's the decision I find interesting when I play.
It's tempting to overwrite an opponent's card. But if I do only that, I don't build my own line. If I focus only on extending my line, I may miss a chance to stop theirs.
“Build my line, or interfere with theirs?” That tension is part of the appeal.
There's some luck too. “One override and I win! Come on, give me a strong card!” Then I draw something low. Or just when I think I'm done for, a strong draw reverses the situation.
I think it's the sort of game that makes you say, “One more!” We did spend over an hour playing, after all. Simple rules, but perhaps more depth than you'd expect.
Override Original is a little different
The original rules were slightly different. I'll call that version Override Original.
Classic has a fixed 5×5 board. In Original, a new card can go in any of the eight directions adjacent to an existing card, provided the overall board never exceeds 5×5. Instead of starting with a fixed board, you expand it as cards are played.
So Classic asks where to play within the 5×5 area. Original adds a choice about which direction to expand the board. That makes the rules more complex, but it might also add interest.
Honestly, I don't know which version is more fun. I'd like to try both and explore whether other rule changes might work too.
Developing the game in my game workshop
I've decided to publish these rules as Override Classic, but I don't consider the game finished. I want to test things through play, such as:
- Is Classic or Original more fun?
- Does going first or second offer an advantage?
- Is the center really strong?
- What if players had hands instead of drawing one card at a time?
- Will standard strategies emerge?
- What would a web version be like?
I'd like to keep refining it into a more enjoyable game.
This blog's “Game Workshop” will be a place to invent different games: think of a game → build it → play → test → improve.
I want to enjoy that process and write about it, rather than only present finished games. It could become a series about watching games take shape and grow.
Wouldn't it be fun if this blog someday became known as a home for original games? And if a game born here developed into a competitive activity, perhaps even with professional players… My imagination is running away with me!
Let's set feasibility aside for now. First, I want to enjoy developing Override myself.
If you have a deck, please try it
Override began as a way to pass time in hospital. I've now decided to bring it back.
The rules are simple, so it's easy to try with a deck. I'd love you to play and share your impressions. Anything is welcome:
- What was fun?
- What was unclear?
- Which tactics were strong?
- What might happen if a rule changed?
Please feel free to comment. What kind of game will Override become? I'll keep experimenting in the Game Workshop and sharing the results here.
See you in the next article!