Hero
Brawl
A wrestling-themed card game where you compete for the HERO BRAWL TITLE BELT while knocking cards out of your opponents' hands.
How To Play
Watch the following video for a quick start, then reference the rest of this page for any additional questions or special scenarios you might run into.
Table Setup & Terminology
Your hand of cards is your health. Lose all your cards and you're eliminated. Last player standing wins — or whoever holds the Title Belt when the deck runs dry.
Any action that causes a player's card count to decrease is damage. When the Title Belt holder takes damage of any kind, the belt immediately moves to the player who caused it.
There are four basic card states:
Cards in hand: These are the cards a player has in their hand. Each player starts with 3 cards. When a player runs out of cards, they are eliminated.
Cards in play: The card the current player is playing. Its action should be performed, then placed on the discard pile (unless the card says otherwise). The card you play is not counted as being in your hand while its action is being resolved.
Draw pile: The un-dealt cards players draw from at the start of each turn. When the Title Belt is revealed, this and the discard pile are shuffled back together. Once the draw pile is gone after that, each player gets one last turn.
Discard pile: Lost, discarded, and played cards are placed here. When the Title Belt is revealed, the discard pile is shuffled back into the draw pile.
Dealing Cards
Shuffle the remaining cards and deal three cards to each player.
Add the title belt back to the undealt deck, re-shuffle, and place the deck face-down in the middle of all players. This is the draw pile.
Players choose as a group who play should begin with (e.g. youngest player, oldest player, strongest player, loudest player, most dressed like a wrestler, etc.)
Game Play — on each turn
Draw a card.
Play a card, taking whatever action is detailed on the card played.
Move the played card to the discard pile once fully resolved.
Winning The Game
There are two ways the game can end:
If all other players run out of cards, the last remaining player wins. This is the most common outcome.
Once the draw pile runs out (after the Title Belt has been revealed and the discard reshuffled), each remaining player takes one final turn. The player holding the Title Belt at the end wins.
If the final action eliminates all remaining players simultaneously, whoever held the belt at that moment wins. If the belt was vacant, the game ends with no winner.
How Cards & Players Are Eliminated
There are two primary ways players may lose cards from their hand:
They lose a Roshambo battle.
A card action results in giving up or discarding a card (or multiple cards).
When a player is out of cards in their hand, they are eliminated and out of the game.
When The Title Belt Is Revealed
It is placed face up in front of the player who drew the card (this completes their turn).
All cards in the discard pile are shuffled back into the draw pile.
The end state of the game has begun. Play continues until all but one player is eliminated, or the draw pile is empty and everyone still in has had one final turn.
- Draw the Title Belt card.
- Win a Roshambo when the champion is your opponent.
- Deal direct damage to the champion via a card action.
- When the belt is vacant, win any Roshambo battle.
- Lose a Roshambo battle.
- A card action reduces your hand count.
- You are eliminated by another player.
- You eliminate yourself → belt becomes vacant.
If the belt is vacant when the game ends with multiple players remaining, there is no winner.
Foreign Objects & Roshambo Challenges
When a player plays a Foreign Object card, a Roshambo Challenge is initiated (rock, paper, scissors). The comparison is private — only the two battling players should see the cards played.
The player who played the card picks another player to challenge.
Both players secretly choose one card from their hand. If you only have one card, that is the card you must use. If the played card was your last, you are eliminated.
Compare cards privately — rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock. Ties are broken by the higher card number.
The winner keeps whichever of the two cards they prefer; the other is discarded. The loser is now down one card.
Key rules for Roshambo challenges:
If the loser was the belt holder, the belt moves to the winner.
Players must choose from the cards currently in their hand.
If two players play the same symbol, the higher numbered card wins.
Playing a Referee card immediately after a Roshambo battle reverses the result — the loser becomes the winner and gets to keep whichever card they prefer.
Card actions are ignored during Roshambo. Only the symbol and number apply (e.g. using a Referee card in the actual Roshambo battle does not flip the result).
If you are out of cards after a Roshambo battle, you are eliminated.
Card Types
Special rules and additional notes for each card type.
CEO cards can be played at any time (it does not have to be your turn) to immediately claim the Title Belt.
Once a CEO card is played, the player draws a new card for their hand (if the draw pile is empty, no new card can be drawn and the card is sacrificed via play).
Referee cards are among the most powerful and flexible cards in the game. They can be played at any time — even on another player's turn — and have three distinct uses:
A. Reverse a Roshambo result — if played immediately after a Roshambo battle, the winner and loser are flipped (the loser now gets to keep whichever card they prefer).
B. Cancel any action — if played immediately after any card action is declared, that action is cancelled entirely.
C. Regular turn — if played as part of your normal turn (not as an interrupt), no action is cancelled, but you draw a replacement card from the draw pile.
In all cases, after playing a Referee card the player draws a new card for their hand (if the draw pile is empty, no new card can be drawn and the card is sacrificed via play).
All Foreign Object cards, when played, result in a Roshambo battle.
The winner of a Roshambo battle can choose which of the two cards played in the battle they keep for their own hand (they discard the other one to the discard pile).
If you play a Foreign Object card with no other cards left in your hand, you cannot challenge another player and are simply eliminated from the game.
Heel cards let you blindly take a card from a chosen opponent's hand — you pick from their face-down hand without knowing what card you'll get.
The opponent loses that card, reducing their hand count (this counts as dealing damage). If the targeted player was the Title Belt holder, the belt moves to you.
Rival cards let you target an opponent and choose a card to discard from their hand. They do not get to replace it.
If the targeted player was the Title Belt holder and ends the exchange with fewer cards, the belt moves to you.
Jobber cards let you deal direct damage to a chosen opponent — they must discard a card from their hand with no replacement.
If the targeted player was the Title Belt holder, the belt moves to you.
High Flier cards let you guess a specific card type (any type except Jobber) that you believe a chosen opponent is holding. Name the card type aloud, then the opponent reveals whether they have it.
If your guess is correct, they must discard one card of that type (this counts as damage). If your guess is wrong, nothing happens and your turn ends.
If the targeted player was the Title Belt holder and your guess was correct, the belt moves to you.
Loose Cannon cards force all players to pass their hand to the active player on their left.
If the Title Belt holder ends the hand swap with fewer cards than they started, the Title Belt moves to the player who played the Loose Cannon card.
If the Loose Cannon card was the last card in a player's hand when played, the person they would be 'giving' their hand to will be eliminated.
Manager cards force players to swap hands with another player.
If the Title Belt holder ends the hand swap with fewer cards than they started, the Title Belt moves to the player who played the Manager card.
If the Manager card was the last card in a player's hand when played, the person they are swapping with will be eliminated.
Diva cards let you exchange one card with a chosen opponent — you each give the other one card from your hand.
If you only have one card left (the Diva card itself), the chosen opponent must give you a card without receiving one in return, potentially eliminating themselves if it was their last card.
Tag Team cards are placed face up in front of the player who plays the card.
They remain in front of the player for one full round, and are discarded at the start of the player's next turn (this helps all other players know they cannot attack this player until the next round).
Players protected by a Tag Team card do not partake in any hand or card swaps — swaps skip over this player as if they were not in the game at that moment.
Face cards let the player draw 3 cards from the draw pile, then discard 2 — a net gain of 1 card.
If fewer than 3 cards remain in the draw pile, draw what's left and discard 1 fewer than you drew (e.g. drew 2 → discard 1; drew 1 → discard 0; drew 0 → no effect, turn passes).
Technician cards let you discard a card from your hand and draw a new one from the draw pile — a straight swap.
If the draw pile is empty, you cannot make the swap and should not discard. It acts as a pass of your turn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. There is no limit to the number of cards a player can have in their hand. Face cards and Referee cards can result in adding cards to a player's hand, and a Heel card can let you take a card from another player's hand (adding it to yours).
Yes. It is very common to have fewer than 3 cards as other players are actively trying to knock cards out of your hand throughout the game.
The shifting of hands skips over you (as if you were not in the game at that moment).
You must discard the card the player picked and you do not get to replace the card in your hand (if you were the Title Belt holder, because of the damage to your hand, the player takes the belt from you).
You should not discard a card from your hand, as you cannot replace it with a new one. It's essentially a 'pass' of your turn.
If you had the belt at that time, you win. If the other player you knocked out had the belt, they win. If neither of you had the belt, the game ends without a winner.
When you play the card, because you have no cards in your hand, you cannot play Roshambo against any other player and are simply eliminated from the game.
Yes. When played as part of a regular turn it won't cancel any action or reverse a Roshambo result, but you will add a card to your hand (as long as there is a draw pile left).
Yes. When played as part of a regular turn you'll claim the belt and add a card to your hand (as long as there is a draw pile left).
Yes, but only if the Title Belt holder ends the turn with fewer cards in hand than they started with (in which case, the player who played the Loose Cannon card claims the Title Belt). Note: Tag Team and Title Belt cards currently on the table are not considered part of a player's hand and do not move with hand or card swaps (unless as a result of taking damage).
You do not challenge anyone (because you do not have any cards to challenge with). You are eliminated from the game (if you have the belt, it is vacated).
The player you chose must give you a card, and you do not give them a card in return (in the end game state, this is a potential way to eliminate another player with just one card left).
All players shift their hands to the active player on their left. The active player to your left is eliminated (since you have no more cards to provide them).
You draw the remaining cards from the draw pile, and you discard 1 fewer than you drew (if you drew 2, you discard 1. If you drew 1, you discard 0. If you drew 0, you discard 0 and it's essentially a pass of your turn).
You do not get to add any cards to your hand.
So that the card can be included and played in game two (The Roshambo Protocol).
Quick Reference
| Card Type | Action | Key Note |
|---|---|---|
| CEO (Interrupt) | Claim the Title Belt immediately | Can be played on any player's turn; draw a replacement card |
| Referee (Interrupt) | A: Reverse a Roshambo result — B: Cancel any action — C: Draw a replacement card (regular turn) | Can be played on any player's turn; always draws a replacement card |
| Foreign Object | Initiate a Roshambo battle against a chosen opponent | Comparison is private; winner keeps one card, the other is discarded |
| Heel | Blindly take a card from a chosen opponent's hand | Deals damage; belt moves to you if they were champion |
| Rival | Choose a card to discard from a chosen opponent's hand | Opponent does not draw a replacement; belt moves to you if they were champion |
| Jobber | Force a chosen opponent to discard a card | Belt moves to you if they were the champion |
| High Flier | Guess a card type (not Jobber) in a chosen opponent's hand; if correct, they discard one of that type | Wrong guess = no effect; belt moves to you if they were champion and guess was correct |
| Loose Cannon | All players pass their hand to the active player on their left | Belt moves to you if the champion ends with fewer cards |
| Manager | Swap your hand with a chosen opponent's hand | Belt moves to you if the champion ends with fewer cards |
| Diva | Exchange one card with a chosen opponent | If you have only 1 card left, you take theirs without giving one back |
| Tag Team | Place face up in front of you for protection for one full round | Immune from all actions; skipped in all hand swaps while protected |
| Face | Draw 3 cards, then discard 2 (net +1 card) | If fewer than 3 cards remain in the pile, draw all and discard 1 fewer than drawn |
| Technician | Discard a card from your hand and draw a new one | Acts as a pass if the draw pile is empty |
| Title Belt | Drawing it makes you the champion; discard reshuffles into draw pile | Triggers the end-game countdown |
The Hero Brawl Cards
Game Two — The Roshambo Protocol
Remove the Reference and How to Play cards from the deck.
Evenly deal all cards to players.
Each player flips a card from their deck to play each turn as a Roshambo match (rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, paper beats rock. Highest number cards break initial ties. All additional ties are taken by the player who wins the next round).
The winner takes all played cards and places them in their own win pile.
When you've played all cards in your deck, shuffle your win pile. It becomes your new deck.
When a player is out of cards in their deck and win pile, they are eliminated.
The last player with cards is the winner.
No worries — email me directly any time. I'm always happy to chat about the game, settle edge case rules, or hear about crazy strategy and situations that came up during play.
And no matter what, please don't forget the most important rule — HAVE FUN!