The extraordinary game of ordinary objects

HOARD is a fast, hands-on family game where players gather ordinary objects, test their hidden properties, and prove that the weirdest thing in the room might be the perfect tool for the job.

Grab a spoon. Save the sponge. Trust the paperclip.
Every object has potential — but only if you play it at the right time.

How It Works

Each player starts by gathering a small Hoard of everyday objects.

Then the real testing begins.

Players are dealt Property Cards like:

• Heaviest
• Bounciest
• Floatiest
• Most Magnetic
• Loudest
• Most Absorbent
• Steadiest

Each round, one player becomes the Host, plays a Property Card from their hand, and decides exactly how the test will be run.

Everyone secretly chooses one object from their Hoard.
The objects are revealed.
The Host runs the test.
The best object wins the card.

Most claimed cards wins the game.

Why It’s Fun

HOARD turns your house into a test lab.

Kids get to make predictions, argue for their object, watch surprising results, and learn that value depends on the challenge.

A rubber band might be useless one round and unbeatable the next.
A sponge might crush the water tests.
A paperclip might suddenly become priceless when magnetism shows up.

It is part science experiment, part party game, part “why did you grab that?” chaos.

The Filter

Before the game begins, one Property Card is revealed as The Filter.

Every player must remove the object from their Hoard that best matches that property.

If the Filter is Heaviest, everyone loses their heaviest object.
If the Filter is Bounciest, everyone loses their bounciest object.

The best filtered object decides the first Host.

This creates an immediate moment of strategy, surprise, and mild heartbreak.

No Ties

There are no ties in HOARD.

If two objects seem equally good, players not involved in the tie vote.

If it is still tied, the Host decides.

Keep the game moving. This is a test lab, not a courtroom.

What You Need

• Property Card deck
• A few safe household objects per player
• Basic test supplies, depending on the cards:
  • water bowl or tub
  • magnet
  • ruler
  • scale
  • stopwatch
  • table, floor, or ramp

No board required.
No expensive components required.
Just ordinary stuff and questionable confidence.

Player Count

Players: 2–6
Ages: 8+
Time: 20–30 minutes

Younger kids can play with help, especially if an adult handles trickier tests.

Designer Note

HOARD started with my two-year-old obsessively dropping things in water, asking "Sink or Float?"

The game grew from there. Eventually we build a game where you could gather random items and test them, not knowing exactly what you'd need to win. 

The goal of this is to make a fun and addictive game that will keep my kids engaged and help them learn. I could see this becoming a hit in classrooms or parties as well.