On the original Mirage owned NinjaTurtles.com there was a page that had these neat TMNT solitaire type games. Check them out and if you create your own let us know and we will post it here!
Since they now make Ninja Turtles playing cards, it might not be a bad idea to try to create some TMNT-based games that take the current TMNT deck’s quirks into account. Here’s a description of a TMNT-deck-specific solitaire game, which is based on a solitaire classic.
“QUEST FOR THE LAIR”
From bottom to top, deal cards as follows. In the bottom row, deal one card. In the next row up, deal two cards, both overlapping the bottom card. In the third row, deal three cards, each overlapping the cards below. Continue in this way until you have a pyramid-shaped layout, with a top row of 7 cards. Each card in the bottom six rows should have two cards covering it from the next row up. Only the top row should be face-up; the lower six rows should be dealt face-down. You’ll be left with 24 cards in your hand; these are called the “stock.”
The rows represent, from top to bottom: The City, The Streets, The Entrance to the Underground, The Sewers, The Abandoned Subway, The Turtles’ Domain, and The Lair.
The ultimate objective is to get into The Turtles’ Lair by pairing up and discarding the entire deck. If that can’t be done–which is often–a secondary objective is to get as close to The Turtles’ Lair as you can.
Cards are paired up as follows: Aces and Kings, Twos and Nines, Threes and Tens, Fours and Eights, Fives and Jacks, Sixes and Sevens. (Follow along with a current TMNT deck and you’ll see why.) Queens are discarded singly as they come up. [Comment: In the original game, cards were paired that totalled 13, Kings being discarded singly. That causes a couple of odd match-ups with the current deck. These pairings are more visually intuitive.]
From the opening layout, pair up as many cards as you can. Once both cards are cleared from a card on the next level down, turn it face up; it then becomes available.
Once you’ve run out of moves on the initial layout, turn cards from the stock one at a time, pairing them up as you can. If a stock card can’t be paired, place it in a single face-up waste-heap, the top card of which is always available. It is legal to pair a card you’ve turned from the stock with the top card of the waste-heap. [Comment: It’s usually not a smart idea–you’ll almost always need as many cards as possible to pair cards on the layout–but it is legal.]
Once you’ve cleared all cards in a row, you’ve gotten past that area. However, you haven’t officially gotten past an area until ALL cards from a row are gone. Put another way, you haven’t gotten to a new level until there are no cards left on the layout above that level. So for example, if you clear all the way down to The Turtles’ Domain on one side of the layout, but you still have cards left on The Streets elsewhere on the layout, you’re still considered to be on The Streets. For purposes of scoring, cards in the stock do not count.
Redealing: If you haven’t cleared all 28 cards by the time you get all the way through the stock, you’re allowed to turn the waste-heap over, unshuffled, and go through it again. You can only redeal twice: if you haven’t won by that point, then the you didn’t find the lair this time.
Scoring: Look up how well you did below based on the furthest level you’ve attained after your two redeals (or, if you’re lucky, how you stand after discarding the entire deck before then). Remember, you’re not on a level until no cards remain above it.
The City: Did Raphael use you for sai practice? Try again!
The Streets: As Splinter says, practice harder. And remember: Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!
Entrance to the Underground: Not bad! Not great, but not bad. With a little bit of training, you could be a Ninja Master.
The Sewers: You’re pretty good! Michelangelo spots you and offers to buy you a pizza. Just as long as you don’t try to find the lair again. OK? For now, though, go back to the surface and try again.
Abandoned Subway: Very well done! Leonardo finds you, and wants to know what you’re doing down here. He says that if you can find the lair on your own, that you can then call yourself a Ninja. For now, though, you’re going back to the surface.
The Turtles’ Domain: Awesome! Donatello’s security sensors pick you up, and he comes out to stop your from going further. He says it’s clear you’ve got the makings of a good ninja, but you still need more training if you want to get past him. Go back to the surface and try once more.
The Lair: So close! You can see The Lair! But the Turtles can see you, and they escort you back to the surface.
All Clear, 2 Redeals: You did it! Splinter agrees to take you on as a Ninja In Training.
All Clear, 1 Redeal: Incredible! You’ve proven yourself worthy of the title of Ninja.
All Clear, No Redeals: Unbelievable! You’re more than up to the title of Ninja Master!
– Raka
QUEST FOR A MILLION
For those who still have the TMNT playing cards, here’s another little boredom buster. This one is completely mechanical, but that’s part of its charm: you don’t have to strain your brain plotting strategy, you just decide when you’re ready to resign the game. This game assumes that Leo is oldest, followed by Don, Raph, and Mike. The basic game here is very old, but little-known. The scoring system should be readily recognizable from a certain high-stakes game of
knowledge.
– Absaraka Windholder
Deal four cards, one at a time, into a horizontal line. The cards (which will become piles) represent, from left to right, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. If any two cards on the line are in suit and in sequence, place the lower card on top of the higher card (Aces are low). For example, if you have the 6 of Hearts and the 7 of Hearts on the line, place the 6 on top of the 7. Fill any spaces that result.
On the line, move only one card at a time: do NOT move whole piles, except when it’s time to gather them up. But if more than one card is dealt to the line in suit
sequence, it’s OK to put all the cards that fit into one pile.
Once you have four cards on the line, turn a 5th card from the deck. If it’s playable (i.e., if it’s in suit and one lower than a card on the line), play it, and turn another card from the deck. Keep at it until you turn a card that doesn’t fit: hold it aside for
now.
Gather up the four piles as follows: place Leo’s pile face-up on Don’s pile; place the resulting pile on top of Raph’s pile; then place the combined pile on top of Mike’s pile. Turn the whole pile face-down and add it to the bottom of the deck.
The card you just turned from the deck before gathering the piles now starts Leo’s pile. Deal the next three cards on the line as before, one to Don’s, Raph’s, and Mike’s piles. If any cards are in suit and in sequence, place the lower card on the higher one; fill any spaces; continue dealing until you turn a card that doesn’t fit onto the line of four piles; gather the piles; place them on the bottom of the
deck; start a new row with the unmatched card you just turned; and repeat, repeat, repeat.
EXAMPLES: You deal 4h 7s Kc 3h. You place the 3h on the 4h, and turn another card for Mike’s pile. But it’s the 5h. So now you have: (4,3)h 7s Kc 5h. Do NOT pick up the (4,3)h pile and place it on the 5h. Instead, turn a 5th card from the deck.
Let’s say it’s the Qs. That doesn’t fit, so now you clear the line. The (4,3)h goes face-up onto the 7s; those three cards go face-up onto the Kc; the whole pile goes onto the 5h, and the entire lot is turned face-down and added to the bottom of the deck. You now start a new row with the Qs. Suppose you now deal Js 10s 2d. Since the Jack and 10 are both playable, place the Jack on the Queen, then the 10 on the Jack. Fill the spaces in Don’s and Raph’s piles, and continue.
You win the game if you succeed in getting the entire deck dealt onto the line as four 13-card suit sequences. It can be done, but it will take many, many runs through the deck, and it’s not guaranteed.
STRATEGY AND SCORING
The only real skill you need here is knowing when to quit, since the game is strictly mechanical. Generally, if the cards are going in circles, you’ll be able to predict which cards will turn up when certain patterns show up on the line. If that’s
happening, chances are you’ve lost.
You ARE making progress, however, if any of the following happens:
*You move a card to a younger pile, i.e.: from Raph’s pile to Mike’s; from Don’s pile to EITHER Raph’s OR Mike’s; or from Leo’s pile to ANY other pile. Basically, if you’re moving a card to the right, you’re making progress.
*You jump a card two or three piles over (going either direction), i.e.: Leo to Raph OR Mike, Don to Mike, Raph to Leo, or Mike to Don OR Leo.
*In gathering the piles, you combine two piles into a longer valid sequence. For example, if you gather a (9-J)d pile onto a Qd, you’re making progress. Keep going.
*You turn a card from the deck and it’s playable on any pile EXCEPT Mike’s. If that happens, it’s progress. Keep playing.
SCORING
When you’ve gone as far as you think you can, face the deck, and score for every valid suit sequence of 2 or more cards. Cards must be in suit and in proper
sequence to score. For each valid suit sequence, score the following:
A perfect score is 1,000,000 points. |
Our thanks go out to Absaraka for creating these games and sharing them with everyone.
Do you have an idea for a TMNT card game that you’d like to share with fellow Turtles fanatics? If so, type it up and e-mail your game to us and maybe we’ll post it on this page. :)
