A card game of observation and trickery

The premise of the corridor of locked doors is simple. There is a treasure at the end of a corridor. In front of the treasure, there are four locked doors, one after another. In front of each door, there is also a key hanging on the wall. Each participant also gets a random key. The participants take turns to either try to get to the treasure or get a new key. Whoever gets to the treasure first is the winner!

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck. Each ace represents a locked door, and any other card of that suit represents a key to that door.

Preparations

Starts by removing, shuffling and dealing the four aces in order, face up. The first ace down represents the last locked door, and the last ace down represents the first locked door. If you want, put the joker at the very bottom to represent the treasure.

Now, insert a random card face down, on top of each ace. This is the key currently hanging on that door, but its type is not commonly known.

Each player is then dealt a random card, representing a key. It is advisable but optional to keep this card secret.

Put the remaining cards face down in a pile - this is the draw pile.

The youngest players is given the option to go first. If they decline, the next player (clockwise) has the choice, until the last player who has no choice but to go first.

Gameplay

The player take turns, clockwise. Each turn, a player may do one of two things.

• Option 1: Get a new key. Deal two cards face up from the draw pile. Pick one and discard the other plus their current key (without disclosing it) to a face down discard pile. Alternatively the player may choose to pick neither and keep their current key. If there are less than two cards left in the draw pile, shuffle the discard pile and add it to the bottom of the draw pile - and then, immediately, deal another card to each player: everyone can now hold one more key in their inventory! If the game has gone on long enough for the players to have four keys in their inventory, the game is deemed over and everyone loses.

• Option 2: Go for the treasure. The player picks up the key card in front of the first door, and looks at it either publicly or privately. In order to pass the first locked door, they need to prove that they have a key by playing it face up. (In this case, that would be either the key from their hand or the key they just picked up from in front of the first door). Repeat this process for the second door etc. If the player can't (or chooses not to) show the appropriate key, their quest for the treasure ends for this round. While leaving the corridor, they must place one key in front of each door so far opened, although it does not need to be the same key they picked up when entering. The player should be left with one key (again, does not need to be the one they entered with). If the player opens all four doors, they get the treasure and win the game!

If not - the turn then goes to the next clockwise player.

Summary

The game thus is about observing players gradually getting further into the corridor of locked doors, and making calculated guesses at which keys other players hold and which keys are hanging in the corridor. It is kind of collaborative, as the corridor will eventually (assuming no trolls) have the right keys in the right order, but also competitive, as each player will want to be the first one to the treasure. And as players gain more keys over time, the game will finish eventually...

Game in action

Comments and feedback much appreciated!

Cover photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.