Call the Shot is a 2 player bluffing micro game in which you face off against your opponent in a duel for honour. Plus it’s free!

Our very first free Print & Play game is here! Call the Shot is a super fast, super fun micro game. Play it to settle arguments or see if you can outsmart your friends. Setting it up and playing it takes literal seconds. To start playing simply download the PDF file (link below) and cut out the 14 cards! You can read the rules down below or in the PDF.

Download Call the Shot here! (pdf)

Or Better Buy it here! (9.99)

Why Call the Shot and why a free Print & Play version?

I made Call the Shot back in 2016 hyped on the musical Hamilton. One of my favorite songs “The World Was Wide Enough”, about Burr and Hamilton’s final duel, was a great inspiration for the game. Listening to the songs and reading up on the subject I found there to be much more to a duel then just blatantly shooting each other in the face. With that in mind I really wanted to create a micro game capturing those deeper layers behind a duel. I guess you could say Call the Shot was the result of one of my very first designstorms.

Over the past few years the designs for Call the Shot just hung around my Dropbox and design folders. I made a few different prototypes and played the game many times with different people. Actually making Call the Shot my most played (tabletop) game to date. So I decided to finally just put it out there, no strings attached, to find out if you all enjoy playing it as much as I do! That is why I would love for you to download the PDF, play the game and give me your honest feedback! Even if you just want to give a small thumbs up, let me know! I would greatly appreciate a comment on this page or a shout out on Twitter (@brokwerk) or Instagram (@brokwerk).

Now get your scissors out and start dueling!

Call the Shot

Call the Shot is a bluffing micro card game played with 14 cards. Each card represents the intent of the players. Are you shooting to wound or getting ready to take deadly aim? To truly win at Call the Shot you must be more honorable then your opponent, or simply a better bluff.

The Game

Call the shot has 6 types of cards; the Man of Honour, Deadly Aim, Shoot to Wound, Shoot to Kill, Headshot and the Coward. Each of these cards has a special rule or a point value used to influence the outcome of the duel.

To setup the game shuffle all 14 cards. Then remove 2 cards face down, and 2 cards face up from the game. Divide the 10 remaining cards equally among both players.

Call the Shot is played in turns, the challenger (or the oldest player) takes the first turn. On your turn you can play one card from your hand by placing it face down in front of you. When you do, you must tell your opponent which card you just played. You are however allowed to lie about which card it is. When both players have played at least 1 card, instead of playing a card you may choose to “Call the Shot”. When the shot is called both players must reveal their last played cards and the winner is determined. You win the duel if you reveal the card with the highest point value. Cards with no printed value have a value of 0.

Special Rules

There are as mentioned before some special rules;

1. You can’t lie when playing the Man of Honour (this does not prevent you from claiming to play a Man of Honour when you play another card).
2. If you have the Coward in hand and the shot is called by your opponent, instead of revealing your last played card reveal the Coward. You automatically lose the duel.
3. After the shot is called, a player revealing the Man of Honour wins from a player revealing a Headshot or Shoot to Kill.
4. The Deadly Aim only doubles the points of the directly following card. When the shot is called also reveal your Deadly Aim.

Contents of the Game (14 cards total)

3x Man of Honour
You can’t lie when playing the Man of Honour. The Man of Honour always wins from a Headshot or Shoot to Kill.

3x Deadly Aim
Points for the card directly following a Deadly Aim count double when the shot is called.

3x Shoot to Wound – 3 pts.

2x Shoot to Kill – 5 pts.

2x Headshot – 9 pts.

1x The Coward
If the shot is called by your opponent when you have The Coward in your hand, you lose the round.

How to Play

Let’s look at an example round of Call the Shot. Remember, to win the game you must lie and bluff about your true actions!

The game is setup and player one (the top player) opened the game by playing a card face down claiming it is a “Headshot” (which it really is). Player two responds by playing his own face down card claiming it to be a “Man of Honour” (though in reality it is “The Coward”). Player one not willing to bet a loss, responds not by calling the shot but by playing another card. He claims it is also a “Man of Honour” (which it really is).

Player two is in a pickle. She has no cards on hand, like a “Shoot to Wound”, that could win her the round. She will have to bluff her way out. She decides to play another card claiming it to be a “Shoot to Wound” (though in reality it is a “Shoot to Kill”, a card that would lose against player one’s “Man of Honour”).

Player one knows a “Shoot to Wound” wins against his “Man of Honour”. But notices he has two “Shoot to Wound” cards in his hand, so chances are player two is probably bluffing! He calls the shot and reveals his “Man of Honour”. Player two reveals her “Shoot to Kill”! Player one wins the round!

Player two receives her first “Shot” card and play continues with a fresh setup, switching starting player.