Burning Sensation is an STI-themed cardgame based on Fluxx or Switch. It’s not anything like a first draft, and would need a helluva lot of work to prototype the cards etc. But the concept seems solid. Even educational.
The object is to discard your hand. Initially, you draw one STI card for the group and then deal a selection of other cards, which include Symptoms, Protection and Relationships to each player.
All STIs share certain symptoms, but have a few unique ones. STI cards include Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, etc. The STI card effectively determines the suit to be played to.
You play Symptom cards in front of you, which include things like It Hurts When I Pee, Discharge or Painful BMs. You can (somehow) play Symptoms which don’t suit the STI card to other players, increasing their hand with unplayable cards.
You can play Relationship cards eg, One Night Stand, We Were Drunk and Did We…?, to steal random cards from other players’ hands, steal cards already in play, and (rare) change the STI in play. Once a relationship has been determined, certain relationship cards allow you to share the Symptom cards of other players.
You can defend with Protection cards. They include Condoms, On Cola All Night, Designated Driver or Got Tested. Some defend against Relationships, some against Symptoms.
Posted by Anna Jones on 01/09/2010 at 09:52
I’d be half tempted to use this in sex education as a starter or plenary, taking out any cards that are too rude! Including a few blanks would be useful. (Science Teacher)
Posted by Joe Murphy on 01/09/2010 at 10:36
Exactly! I made a couple of mockups and there’s definitely, if you’ll excuse the pun, a germ of a good idea here.