Life Sucks. The Game.

Life Sucks is a party bidding game where players expend future potential to avoid or embrace the worst life has to offer. In the end, only two players win: the one with the most points and the one with the fewest.

Each player begins the game with 15 points and 7 success cards. These cards are the best things a player might achieve if not for life getting in the way. They range in level of achievement and can include having once gotten a B+, becoming a local celebrity, writing a bestseller, or owning a private island.

During each of the 5 rounds, a number of life event cards will be revealed (one for each player). All life events are bad and they can manipulate a player's point total, cause on-going problematic effects, or effect end game scoring.

Players then secretly bid with their success cards (numbered 1 through 7). Once revealed, the players choose life events from the pool from the player that spent the highest card to the player that spent the lowest. When there's a tie, success card suits will determine the winner. The suits are Intelligence, Charisma, Wealth, Health, Creativity, Looks, and Charm.

Life events and which suits break ties will change across the rounds as the players get older. Young life events appear during the first and second rounds, adult life events appear during the third and fourth rounds, and elderly events appear during the last (fifth) round.

At the end of the game, life events permitting, each player adds the value of any unused life events to their point total. The player with the most points wins. The player with the least points shares in an equal (and often more difficult) victory.