Busójárás is an annual celebration in Hungary. These traditional festivities have been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the UNESCO in 2009.
According to the legend, Hungarians crossed a swamp at night in scary masks painted with blood in order to scare away the Ottoman conquerors. This card game is about this event. We gather the materials needed for mask making with a simple mechanism, so we can use them to assemble the masks and replay this event.
This card game has simple rules: we draw a card from one of the face-up cards or one blindly from the top of the deck. The other option is to assemble the mask in our hand from the materials we have, after which we place the mask in front of us for victory points and to chase away the Ottoman horde. At the end of the game, we simply count our score. Simple mechanism with an atmospheric theme.
Strengths
- easy to see through, can be played instantly
- atmospheric, original theme
- language independent, focuses on icons
- good choice for both gamers and younger players
- compact: a deck of cards, simple setup
Info
| Designer | István Szauer |
| Artwork (prototype) | István Szauer |
| Publisher | – |
| Release date | – |
Designer’s note
The concept of the game was to adapt the topic and to create a straightforward card game. The popular Hungarian theme may be exciting for players from abroad as well, as it depicts a unique fantasy world for non-Hungarians. Thanks to the easy mechanism, the game is quick, action-packed, but still tactical and simple. It is a splendid filler for gamers and a comfortable game for children as well.