The Prodigals Club

The Prodigals Club casts you and your companions as Victorian gentlemen who, fed up with high‑society pomp, decide to compete to see who can ruin their social standing most spectacularly. Each game offers three independent "competitions": losing an election, getting rid of all your possessions, and offending the most influential members of the elite. You may choose any two of these contests or tackle all three at once, and each choice interacts with the others, demanding a delicate balance between destroying your reputation and still securing resources for future moves.

The game relies on a deck of cards, requiring solid hand management to decide when to discard, when to deploy a worker, and when to sacrifice points. Worker placement determines who controls critical spots that grant actions for discarding, selling goods, or hurling social insults. The twist lies in the highest‑lowest scoring mechanic: at times you aim for the lowest score, while at others you chase the highest, creating a constant dance between winning and losing.

For 2‑5 players, a session lasts 40‑100 minutes, depending on how many competitions are active and the group’s familiarity. With a moderate weight (3.26/5), the game is approachable for those who know card and placement games, yet deep enough for veterans who enjoy contradictory strategies. Components are simple – an illustrated card deck and worker markers – but the witty Victorian theme and sarcastic writing bring a satirical social experience blended with clever tactics. The Prodigals Club can also be played solo or combined with Vladimír Suchý’s Last Will for those wanting to expand the aristocratic chaos.