Holiday Game Night: How We Play "Splinterlands Unplugged" at My House

Holiday Game Night

Happy Holidays, Splinterlands Fam! With the holiday season in full swing, a lot of us are getting ready to host family, visit friends, or just hang out with loved ones. It’s that time of year when we step away from the screens for a bit to enjoy some real face-to-face time.

But, as you all know, the love for the game doesn't just stop because the computer is off!

I wanted to share a fun little tradition we’ve started at my house. It’s a way to bring the lore and strategy of Splinterlands to the kitchen table, making it accessible to everyone—even the cousins and grandparents who have no idea what a "blockchain" is.

I call it Splinterlands Print & Play.

How We Do It Since there is no "official" physical card game yet, I decided to get creative. I took screenshots of our favorite cards, pasted them into a document, and printed them out right here at home. A pair of scissors later, and we had a physical deck of monsters and summoners.

It’s completely DIY, and honestly, making the deck is half the fun.

We’ve come up with a few different games to play with these paper cards, but there is one specific game that has become a huge hit at our house. It’s perfect for holiday parties because it’s easy to learn, fast to play, and gets everyone laughing.

Our Favorite Game: "Who’s That Monster? This is basically our Splinterlands version of the classic game "Guess Who," but powered by the stats and abilities we all know.

What You Need:* 2 Players (or teams!)

• Two identical sets of printed cards (we usually use about 20-24 different monsters).

How We Play: We sit across from each other and lay our cards out face-up in a grid. Then, we each secretly pick one "Mystery Monster" from the board and write it down.

The goal is simple: You have to guess who I picked before I guess who you picked.

We take turns asking "Yes or No" questions based on the card stats or art. This is where it gets really fun because it tests how well you know the game mechanics.

"Is your monster from the Fire Splinter?"
"Does your monster cost more than 5 Mana?"
"Is your monster wearing a hat?" (My family loves the art-based questions!)

If the answer is NO, you flip over all the cards that match that description to eliminate them. If the answer is YES, you keep them face-up. The first person to correctly guess the specific card wins the round.

Other Ways to Play Once you have printed cards, the possibilities are endless.
I’m sharing this because it’s been such a fantastic way to bond over the holidays.

• Splinter-Match (Memory): Print two copies of every card. Lay them face down and try to find matching pairs. Great for younger kids!

• Mana War: Split the deck. Both players flip a card. Highest Mana wins the round. (Or highest Speed, or Health—you pick the stat!)

Why You Should Try This Over the Break

• It’s Social: It gets everyone around the table talking and interacting.
• It’s Inclusive: You don't need a Hive account or keys to play. I’ve taught family members who have never played a video game in their lives, and they loved the strategy of it.
• It’s Free: If you have a printer and some paper, you have a game night ready to go.

So, if you’re looking for a way to spice up your holiday gatherings or just want to show your family what this "Splinterlands thing" you’re always talking about is, give this a shot.

Print out a few pages, cut them up, and challenge your family to a duel.

Happy Holidays and Happy Gaming from the BLAST fam!