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Lab Report 27: The Great Dalmuti – A Forgotten Feast of Cards?

 

🧪 Lab Report 27: The Great Dalmuti – A Forgotten Feast of Cards?

I want to talk about a game that has quietly held a little piece of my heart for years: The Great Dalmuti.

Now, most people know Magic: The Gathering, and some even know Kingdoms, Archenemy, or other alt-format side games we Magic players love to break out for a change of pace. But this one? The Great Dalmuti? It’s obscure. So obscure, in fact, that I almost never get to play it anymore. And honestly? That makes me a little sad.

Because The Great Dalmuti is brilliant. It’s easy to teach, hard to master, and hilarious in the right group. It’s got just enough strategy to keep things interesting and just enough social chaos to get people roleplaying the Dalmuti and Peon roles like they were born to boss—or be bossed.

Designed by Richard Garfield (yes, that Richard Garfield), it’s a ladder-style shedding game where your rank matters. If you win, you’re the Great Dalmuti. If you lose? Well, welcome to life as the Greater Peon, my friend. And you will be giving your best cards to the Dalmuti next round, like a good little vassal.

It’s a card game about climbing (or slipping) down a fictional feudal class system, and while that sounds oppressive, it’s a riot when played with friends. Power trades hands quickly, and victory can be snatched from smug faces in the blink of a turn.

🎩 Why It’s Great:

  • No board, just a unique deck.

  • Lightning-fast rounds.

  • Strategic shedding and social antics.

  • Wild card “Jesters” spice up plays.

  • Encourages table banter and playful tyranny.

  • Easy to teach to anyone—no TCG background needed.

😢 Why It’s Rare:

But here's the rub. It never really caught on. It’s niche. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t have booster packs. It doesn’t get tournaments or Commander Nights. And so, it's slowly fading away. I almost never get to play it. It’s one of those games that lives in the shadows of gaming shelves, whispered about but rarely dealt.

As far as I know, it is still in print via Wizards of the Coast / Avalon Hill, but just barely. You might still find it online or tucked away in the odd FLGS if you look.

So why bring it up now?

Because I want to know: Is there anyone else out there who plays this game?
Does it still live somewhere in the wilds of game nights across the globe?
Is The Great Dalmuti fated to become just a curious footnote in the Garfield gameography?

I hope not.

And maybe—just maybe—this little Lab Report reaches someone who remembers, who’s played, or who wants to. If you’ve got a copy, dust it off. Get some friends. Bring the chaos. Play the roles. Live the ridiculous hierarchy. And then tell me about it.

Let’s not let this gem slip into the void.

—
Signed,
Madsaxxon
Tibalt’s Apprentice

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