Peerage (game)

*This article is about the Paraphilian game. For notes on structure of the social classes in the Kingdom, see Peerage in Paraphilia*

**Peerage** is a card game played in the Kingdom of Paraphilia. Its simple but heavily strategy-based structure and elaborate design make it popular among the noble Houses, from the lowest lord to the Crown themselves.

## Design

The cards are designed after the ranks of Paraphilian nobility, starting at Knight (the lowest ranking and least valuable) and ending with the King (the highest card). There are twelve suits, comprised of the Court (Knight, Bannerman, Lord, Baronet, Baron, Viscount, Count/Earl, Marquess, Duke, and Heir, four of each) and the Crown (Queen and King, one of each). Peerage decks usually feature all-masculine suits, with the exception of the Queen (feminine) and Heir (neutral). There are 42 cards total.

The card-backs are traditionally a dark color—purple, blue, or black—edged with a scroll-work of gold filigree. The faces are the color of parchment, the artwork bi-color with black line-work,with its name and point value at the bottom. Artwork is often commissioned for the family card deck in higher Houses, but most widely-available editions substitute each noble character with a stylized symbol. The Court comes in four variants for each rank: green, blue, red, and yellow. The Queen is silver, and the King is gold. Cards are traditionally just longer than a hand, and the width of a palm.

## Structure

Peerage is best played with three players, one acting as scorekeeper. Each card—styled after a noble rank—has a point value. Three players start with five cards, with variations including four cards for four or more players, or seven cards for two players. The game continues until every card has been played, or every other player has folded.

Every round, a player drops a card into the discard pile, face up, and takes another. The value of the card played is added to the player’s overall score. The highest value card "wins" the round. A player may fold when they run out of valuable cards, or ‘high-cards.’ The highest score at the end—either when all cards are played, or the other players have folded—is the winner.

### Deception

A player can choose a card and claim to have a certain suit without showing it, opening themselves to challenge. (Such as saying you have a King.) Other players can wager against the Deceiver by calling the bluff (challenge), or refuse to guess (decline).

* If a player calls a bluff and is right (the card is a Baron), the card must be played and the score accepted.

* If a player calls the bluff and is *wrong* (the card is a King), the card played gets two extra points on its value (15+2). The challenging player must turn over their highest card to the Deceiver. The Deceiver takes this card instead of drawing from the deck. The challenger draws from the deck. This applies to all players who challenge.

* If no one challenges and it *is* a bluff (the card is a Baron), the bluffing player’s card gets two extra points (5+7), improving its overall score.

### Strategies

Saving high cards for later rounds ensures an easy score-boost as the game winds down. Every card in a player’s hand is one the others do not have. There is only one King and one Queen. Royal cards have the highest value, and so should be played as late as possible. However, this comes with added risks when Challenging a Deceiver, as a poor guess could turn the tide in the other player's favor.

A common strategy is to bluff a low-card late in the game. Most players by then are leery of losing their remaining high-cards, and will not call a bluff, allowing the Deceiver to claim two extra points for free. On the other hand, a high-card can be bluffed safely either way. If the bluff is called, the player simply plays the card as usual. If it is not, capitalizing on the other players’ fears, the high-card becomes even more valuable.

## Variants

### Design

While standard Peerage decks feature predominantly masculine ranks, a popular variant makes use of the multiple members of each rank to include diversity. Gendered ranks may have two of each sex (ex: two of the Count cards replaced with the Countess). The Heir--depicted as a child, or a cradle--is traditionally ambiguous, but in some decks, the gender-neutral Heir is replaced the same way, with a pair of Princes and Princesses.

An all-female deck can be found for sale to visitors in Sapphia, though the game is not popular there. This variation replaces the King with a new card, called the Empress. This deck is unpopular in Paraphilia, where the switch is considered an act of sedition against the Crown. Even so, they are considered highly collectible, due to the delicate and often elaborate artwork they feature.

In Achillea, the characters in the deck are unanimously male, the Queen included, with the Prince replacing the Heir. The traditionally dark-color card backing is exchanged for pink, in honor of the Kingdom's colors. The designs used are often risque and exaggerated, making the decks popular conversation pieces when they appear outside of their home Kingdom.

### Play-Style

Peerage is ideal for three to four players, but can be played by five or more with fewer cards or, in cases of *many* more players, the addition of a second deck. When the game involves more players, a spectator is often elected to keep the points, to ensure accurate score-keeping.

While gambling is not considered appropriate for players of rank, Peerage is a popular game of skill in the lower classes, where seasoned players often bet on the outcome. This practice is strictly forbidden, but underground games take place in almost every city in Paraphilia.

A variant popularized in Achillea includes an additional penalty for a lost wager. The Challenger not only loses their high-card, but a piece of clothing. In games played for stakes, the clothing may be added to the pot, to be won by the victor, and returned or kept at their discretion.

## Real-World Inspiration

Peerage is a combination of Blackjack (card value), Bullshit (deception) and Go Fish (card-changing). The elements of the games are combined with a stylized "tarot card" aesthetic that emphasizes style over function.