GUBS, a game of wit and luck, is Gamewright’s latest 2011 card game. It was previously self-published by inventors, Cole and Alex Medeiros, who sold through their print run due to a groundswell of grassroots buzz. Gamewright has since picked up the world-wide rights to the game. A brand-new, re-designed version of GUBS has just been released and is on store shelves now.

GUBS is a 20 minute card game for 2-6 players, ages 10 and up. Players will discover a lushly illustrated fantasy world based around a group of imaginative creatures called Gubs. The object of the game is to build the mightiest Gub colony, while fighting off a myriad of traps, lures, and other surprising events. Victory lies down an ever-changing path and no one is safe until the final card falls! And what is the final card? The game ends when the final letter of the word G-U-B is drawn from the deck, and the player with the most Free and/or Protected Gubs is the winner. On each turn, you’ll draw one card (you may choose not to, which at times might be strategically wise). Next, you play as many or as few cards as you’d like from your hand. You don’t have to play cards, and sometimes you can’t. To end your turn, you discard (only if you have more than eight cards in your hand).

There are five main types of cards: Gubs, which enter play face up in front of their owners. Barricades, which go on top of Gubs to make them “protected”. Tools, which help your colony. Hazards, which are used to attack or steal from opponents. Traps, which are placed over Gubs in play and remain there until they are destroyed.

GUBS is easy to pick up and play, as you essentially learn the intricacies of the game as you play. Descriptions of each card’s power are detailed on the card itself. While simple to learn and teach, the most veteran gamers will still be intrigued by the variety of card combinations and potential outcomes of each game.

Gamewright recently had a chance to sit down with Cole Medeiros (one of the GUBS inventors) for an exclusive interview, and here’s what he had to say:

What inspired you to create the card game GUBS?

For as long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated by games. Growing up outside of town forced my brother and me to create our own entertainment. GUBS the card game was born out of the cute little characters I’d draw in the margins of my homework assignments, and over the years grew into a world that felt very real to Alex (my brother, and co-creator of GUBS) and me. It has been a part of our lives so long that there is very little from our childhood that has not influenced the game (and the world they live in) somehow.

Why do you think playing card, board and dice games is important?

I think card and board games are incredibly important, because they invoke everything that makes us human. Socializing, working together, challenging each other, solving puzzles, laughing, learning...it is all before us in a friendly package without severe consequences. There are very few things that can bring us together in the way a good table game can.

For the full interview and even more Gamewright news, visit Gamewright’s blog at http://tinyurl.com/gubsinterview