Jolly Commons: Friendly Rivalry, a Workshop Duel

About Jolly Commons: Friendly Rivalry

In the village of tiny inventors, every disagreement is settled at the workshop wall. Two benches, the Cogs and the Springs, face each other across eight small inventions: a kite-lifted bell, a self-stirring pot, a steam tram. One of them is the secret order of the day, and everybody knows which except two people: the Gremlins, one hiding on each bench.

Each inventor holds two question cards and answers one of them about the secret invention. Inventors can only answer truthfully. A Gremlin gives whatever answer sounds safest. The wall lights up with ticks and crosses, one column for each answer, and the lie shows as a stray cross. Then everyone votes in secret for the Gremlin on the rival bench.

Name the other bench’s Gremlin and your bench scores. Keep your own unnamed and it scores too. A Gremlin who is caught still gets one guess at the invention. The workshop is a friendly one, so it keeps the duel close: the bench that is behind gets a tinker’s spark, with inventions crossed out for its inventors, and a big lead sends your best inventor over to the other bench for a round.

Play with friends by passing the device round, or alone with bots on the benches. A duel is six rounds, about eight minutes, with nothing typed and nothing sent anywhere. When a Gremlin is named, a marble sets off a little Contraption Run across the workshop, and the winning bench’s flag goes up.

How to play

Choose four or six inventors for two benches, and how many of them are people on this device. Bots take the other seats.
On your turn, look at your cards in private. Inventors see the secret invention; each bench’s Gremlin does not.
Pick one of your two question cards. An inventor gives the honest answer; a Gremlin picks yes or no.
The wall shows which inventions agree with each answer. Talk it over, then vote in secret for the rival bench’s Gremlin.
Name the rival Gremlin to score. Stay unnamed to score too. A caught Gremlin guesses the invention for a bonus.
The bench behind gets a spark, and a big lead swaps a pair of inventors. Six rounds make a duel.

Controls

Tap the button on your turn, or press Enter — show your cards in private
Tap an answer or a rival, or press 1 to 6 — pick it; then hide the cards and pass
Tap an invention, or use the arrows and Enter — name it when your Gremlin is caught
Arrow keys or D-pad — move between buttons; Escape or Start — pause

Frequently asked questions

What does a Gremlin do?

A Gremlin does not know the secret invention. They pick one of their question cards and say yes or no, hoping their answer matches what the others say.

What is the tinker’s spark?

The bench that is behind sees some inventions crossed out in its private cards, so its inventors can narrow things down faster. It is a handicap to keep the duel friendly.

Why did someone swap benches?

When one bench leads by a lot, its best inventor trades places with the other bench’s quietest one for the next round. Some village rules swap a pair every other round.

Can I play alone?

Yes. Pick one person on this device and bots fill the other seats on both benches. Your record is kept on this device only.