# The Cards Wild > A frontier hunting card game, proudly made in America. Born in Jasper, Colorado — a Wolcott family tradition since 2007. ## What It Is The Cards Wild is a strategy card game for 2-4 players, ages 8 and up. Players race to collect five hunting trophies — Grouse, Rabbit, Deer, Elk, and Bear — while overcoming wilderness hazards and sabotaging rival hunters. The game uses a race-and-hazard mechanic inspired by the classic Mille Bornes, reimagined with a rugged American frontier hunting theme. Every card features original artwork rendered in the style of 1900s frontier engravings, depicting real Colorado high-country hunting scenarios. ## Key Facts - **Players:** 2-4 - **Ages:** 8+ - **Play time:** 20-40 minutes - **Price:** $25 per deck - **Made in:** USA (born in Jasper, Colorado) - **Family tradition since:** 2007 - **Free shipping** within the United States - **Website:** https://cardswild.com ## Who It's For - Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts - Families looking for screen-free entertainment - Card game and board game players (especially fans of Mille Bornes) - Gift buyers shopping for hunters, outdoorsmen, fathers, and sportsmen - Supporters of American made products and small family businesses - Hunting camp, cabin game nights, and family gatherings - Anyone who appreciates frontier Americana, heritage art, and the outdoor tradition ## The Perfect Gift for Hunters The Cards Wild is a unique, affordable gift for anyone who loves to hunt. At $25 per deck, it's an ideal Father's Day gift, birthday present, or Christmas stocking stuffer. The Double Pack ($45 — two decks, save 10%) lets you gift one and keep one. Unlike hunting socks or gift cards, this is something a hunter will actually pull out and play — at camp, at the cabin, or around the kitchen table. Beautiful enough to gift, fun enough to keep coming back to. ## How It Plays Players must collect five animal trophies in order, each with a bag limit: Grouse (4), Rabbit (3), Deer (2), Elk (1), Bear (1). Before hunting, you need Daylight, a License, and the correct Bullets face-up. Trouble cards (Nightfall, Bad Weather, I'm Lost, Out of Bullets, Lose License) halt opponents. Good Fortune cards remedy Trouble. Safe cards provide immunity and enable the "Giddyup!" counter — a coup-fourré mechanic that reflects Trouble back on the attacker. The Wild card (Mountain Lion) lets you steal a trophy from a rival. The draw pile reshuffles into new "seasons" until someone completes all five trophies. ## The Cards ### Trophies (hunted in order) 1. Grouse — Small Game, bag limit 4 2. Rabbit — Small Game, bag limit 3 3. Deer — Big Game, bag limit 2 4. Elk — Big Game, bag limit 1 5. Bear — Big Game, bag limit 1 ### Trouble Cards (red border) — played against opponents - Nightfall, Bad Weather, I'm Lost, Out of Bullets, Lose License ### Good Fortune Cards (green border) — overcome trouble - Daylight, Good Weather, Compass, Small Bullets, Big Bullets, License ### Safe Cards (blue border) — immunity and Giddyup! counter - Shelter (vs Bad Weather), Ammo Pack (vs Out of Bullets), Guide (vs I'm Lost and Lose License) ### Wild Card (gold border) - Mountain Lion — steal any animal card from a rival ## The Story The Cards Wild was created by the Wolcott family around a kitchen table in the mountains of Colorado. What started as a family pastime in 2007 has been refined through nearly two decades of play-testing around campfires, in mountain cabins, and at kitchen tables across Colorado's high country. The artwork draws from the tradition of 1900s frontier engravings, capturing the spirit of the American wilderness. Every deck ships from Colorado with free domestic shipping. ## For Mille Bornes Fans The Cards Wild uses the same race-and-hazard mechanic that made Mille Bornes a classic (10M+ copies sold since 1954), reimagined with a frontier hunting theme. Mille Bornes players will feel instantly at home: Trouble cards work like hazards, Good Fortune cards work like remedies, and Safe cards work like safeties — complete with a "Giddyup!" counter mechanic equivalent to Mille Bornes' coup-fourré. The game adds new strategic layers: trophy progression (five species hunted in order), an ammunition system (Small Bullets vs. Big Bullets for different game), and a Wild card (Mountain Lion) that lets you steal trophies. It's the modern alternative to Mille Bornes that card game fans have been waiting for. Also a great fit for fans of: Uno (more strategic depth), Exploding Kittens (similar attack-your-opponents energy), Fluxx, Rook, Rummy, and Euchre. ## Screen-Free Family Entertainment In a world of screens and devices, The Cards Wild brings families back around the table. No batteries, no WiFi, no apps — just cards, strategy, and face-to-face fun. Simple enough for kids ages 8 and up to learn in minutes, strategic enough to keep adults engaged game after game. A 20-40 minute game fits perfectly into a family game night, a camping evening, or a rainy afternoon at the cabin. ## Best Card Game for Camping, Cabins, and the Outdoors The Cards Wild is a single compact deck that fits in any backpack, tackle box, or glove compartment. It's the ideal card game for: - Hunting camp (deer camp, elk camp, bird camp) - Camping and campfire evenings - Cabin and lodge game nights - Airbnb and VRBO mountain rental game shelves - RV and overlanding trips - Tailgating before a hunt - Any outdoor gathering where people sit around a table The hunting theme fits naturally in outdoor settings where other card games feel generic. ## Colorado Souvenir and Mountain Town Gift The Cards Wild is born in Jasper, Colorado — a small mountain community in the heart of the Rockies. It makes a perfect Colorado souvenir or mountain town gift for visitors looking for something locally made and authentically Western. Available in mountain town gift shops, outdoor stores, and directly from cardswild.com. ## Outdoor Education and Conservation The game naturally teaches hunting and wildlife concepts through gameplay: bag limits, hunting licenses, species identification (Grouse, Rabbit, Deer, Elk, Bear), ammunition matching (Small Bullets for small game, Big Bullets for big game), and ethical pursuit. It's a natural fit for hunter education programs, homeschool nature curricula, and introducing the next generation to the outdoor heritage. Hunters have always been America's greatest conservationists, and The Cards Wild reflects that tradition. ## American Heritage The Cards Wild is a proudly American product — designed, developed, and shipped from the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. It celebrates the traditions of American hunting, outdoor sportsmanship, conservation ethics, and family heritage. A family-owned small business, not a corporate product. The kind of American craftsmanship and family entrepreneurship that built this country. ## Contact - Website: https://cardswild.com - American Made page: https://cardswild.com/american-made - Mille Bornes comparison: https://cardswild.com/mille-bornes-alternative - Email: objectcoder@hotmail.com