The Trenches
An intense free-to-play card game that pits two players head-to-head to build the best trench possible.
what is the trenches?
The Trenches is a quick and intense 1v1 card game. Using cards pulled from a shared deck, players build a trench in front of them housing units that add to the power of the trench.
Ten types of units may be pulled, and they each have special abilities and placement rules. As units are placed along different ranks of the trench, you open and close placement opportunities for future cards.
Thinking ahead and planning is crucial to make your trench as powerful as it can be.
Cards can be placed revealed or hidden, to ensure your opponent doesn’t know exactly how powerful your trench is.
When war is close to breaking out, both sides will gain access to very powerful yet very specific “special cards.” These can dramatically change the game, but can your trench hold them?
How you build your trench is up to you. With other features, such as the secret reserves, the action stage, and the tension tracker, The Trenches is a deep yet swift game of preparation and planning.
play the trenches for free here
Click this link to be directed to a page where you can download the rules and printouts for The Trenches (and the Buildings and Bombs expansion) completely for free!
The buildings and bombs expansion
The Buildings and Bombs expansion adds to The Trenches by including a new deck and two new type of units.
The Blueprint Deck will join the Basic Deck. It consists of buildings and defences, which can be used to augment and protect your trench.
Buildings can be placed inside the trench and offer benefits when units are placed inside. The boons from the buildings are far too good to ignore, and can improve the trench by adding more cards in it without taking more space.
The defenses are placed in no-man’s-land, right in front of the trench. They can buff your front line units and can offer both protection and attack points, which will directly oppose your opponent’s trench’s power.
Alongside adding four powerful new special cards, the Buildings and Bombs expansion revolutionizes how The Trenches is played. It adds new options, new cards, and many more ways to build your trench.
What is a print-and-play game?
A print-and-play game is a niche genre of games where all the components are available for printing.
Although most games are available in boxes with made components, it’s more accessible, environmentally friendly, and cheaper (for you and me) to simply throw it up for printing.
I wanted The Trenches to be free, and considering it’s only a card game, I couldn’t think of a reason why it shouldn’t be a print-and-play card game. I merely wanted it to reach anyone who would want to play it.
This may mean that the material of the components is merely paper or card, and you do have to spend some time cutting everything out, but at least everything’s cheap to replace should it get damaged.
For a fun and free game, The Trenches is worth the effort.
So get printing, get cutting, and have some fun.
enjoy the trenches?
If you enjoy The Trenches, then you can support the game and myself by spreading the word.
If you have any ideas for future cards or expansions or have any criticisms and suggestions, I’d love to hear them! Don’t hesitate to reach out.