Hipster: the Card Game
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Game
Is Hipster available in stores?
No. Hipster: the Card Game is currently a limited-run game, sold exclusively at conventions. You can see the game in action at the conventions we attend, or check out a playtest of the game online (YouTube). Check it out, and then visit the Dodeca System Games booth at a convention or hit a local store to get your copy of the game (while supplies last).
I missed out on the expansions available through the Kickstarter. Can I still get them?
At this point, no. We do have a very small amount of extra expansions that we may make available as prizes at conventions, but these supplies are very limited. The best way to get any expansions we offer for our games is to get in on our Kickstarters when you can.
Playing the Game
Although most cards, rules, and strategies in Hipster: the Card Game are self-explanatory (either via the rules cards included with the game or the instructions on the game cards themselves), we have gotten a few questions over time that we wanted to answer -- while we can't include a large instruction booklet with the game (just due to the constraints of the size of the box), this FAQ page will provide any additional information you may need for the game:
How many players can play the game?
The full game of Hipster was designed for four people. Rules come packaged in with the game for two- and three-player sessions, but when using all the cards in the deck we recmmend a four-player session. We have played a single-deck game with five players and, while fully playable, the game went on much longer than a normal session. We recommend if you're going to play a game with more than four players (topping out at eight) you pick up two decks of Hipster and use our eight-player rules.
What do I actually have to do when it's my turn?
Nothing. The game states that on your turn you may: play an "I'm Into" card, play a "Damn the Man" card, and Discard one card. However, you don't have to do each of these actions, nor do you have to do any of them at all. If you're really happy with the cards in front of you and your hand, you can just say "I stay" (or something like that) and play will go to the next player.
Does the number on the cards count the card in the center, or is it just cards in front of players?
Just the cards in front of players. The goal card is only eliminated when players have that many of that card in front of them. For example, Vinyl records are a "4". If three Vynils are out in front of players, the goal is still good -- it takes four Vynils out in front of players to eliminate it.
Can I have more than one of the same card in front of me?
Absolutely. If you relly want to eliminate a card from the center (it may be your only way to stop someone else from winning) then this is a good way to do it. The rules only state that a goal is eliminated when the number of that item in front of players is equal to (or greater than) the number on the card -- it doesn't state anywhere that the number of players has to equal that. For instance, one person could play four Vinyls in front of themselves to kill the Vinyl goal (although why they'd want to do this is a different question).
When a goal card is trashed from the "What's Cool Right Now" area, what happens to the "I'm Into" cards in front of players?
Nothing. They're junk but the players have to actively get rid of them on their turn. They linger around until the players have Discarded them.
I have more "I'm Into" cards in front of me than I'm allowed. What do I do?
As you play your new "I'm Into" cards you can slowly replace the old ones. Unless you make a house rule to allow players to Discard "I'm Into" cards, replacing them, one by one, is the only way to get rid of old "I'm Into" cards.
If I replace an I'm Into card in front of me, discarding it, can I also discard from my hand?
Yes. Once your I’m Into area is full, you have to replace old cards with new ones to play them. You are still allowed to discard a card from your hand on your turn.
Can I replace my "I'm Into" cards in front of me before the area in front of me is full?
Players are allowed up to five (5) "I'm Into" cards in front of them (without a "Damn the Man" card changing that amount). The rules don't specify if the players can get rid of "I'm Into" cards early, so we tend to run our games where the board has to first fill up before cards can be replaced. If you want to change this with a house rule, you can -- that's up to you.
There are enough cards of a certain item out to kill a goal card, but that goal isn't in play. What happens?
Nothing. If, for instance two people have Top 100 Pop Music in front of them (with Top 100 being a "2") but the goal card for Top 100 Pop Music isn't in the center, nothing happens -- the cards aren't eliminated, and nothing happens to the goals already in play.
However if, in this instance, one of the goals in the center is removed and Top 100 Pop Music comes up as a goal, it is automatically eliminated since it's already Too Cool. This can be a good way to prevent some cards from coming out.
Rubber and Glue says it "stops a Play When You Want card and bounces it back at the player". How does that work?
For basic cards, like "Look! Over There!" where the player is trying to steal a card from another player, Rubber and Glue causes the card to reflect back at the player -- basically, instead of them stealing a card, their intended victim is able steal one of the attacker's cards instead.
Some cards are more fluid in how "Rubber and Glue" can be applied. "Fashion Police", for example, eliminates all Fashion cards from the center area. If this were to be bounced back at a player it could eliminate all Fashion cards from their board instead (if that's how your players would like to interpret it).
But then there are some cards that just can't be bounced. "I Don't Think So", for example, just stops a "Play When You Want" from being played. Depending on the circumstances, "Rubber and Glue" would just cancel "I Don't Think So" -- the first part of "Rubber and Glue" takes effect, but since it can't bounce anything nothing else happens. It's a glorified stop card at that point.
"Rubber and Glue" can be a powerful card, but it's very flexible. Make sure to talk about how it's being applied with the other players to keep it fair.
What's Cool is Uncool seems too powerful. Are we using it wrong?
Nope. The card is a very special "Damn the Man" card and can, in certain instances, help players win quickly. It's not guaranteed, though -- if someone uses an "Play When You Want" to eliminate one or more goal cards and a new goal card comes out the attempted winner has, they no longer get to win from the rule change.
And remember that two people can't win at the same time. If that could happen, no one wins and the game is a stand-off until the goals (or cards in front of someone) change enough so only one person can win.
How long should a game take?
Well, that depends on how the cards play out and how aggressive the players are being. On average our games tend to last fifteen to thirty minutes. While they can go longer, that seems to be the sweet-spot.
Bear in mind, though, that if you want a faster game you can always remove some cards from play. It's your deck so feel free to swap in and out cards as you see fit.