In a world full of complex board games, digital distractions, and endless monetized mechanics, Spend is my attempt to go in the opposite direction — toward simplicity, imagination, and pure social play. I designed Spend to be a game anyone can pick up instantly: roll the dice, land on a dollar value, and decide what you’d spend that imaginary money on. That’s it. No real currency, no strategy guides, no hidden math. Just creativity, pressure, and fun.
Spend started as a playful idea — a way to turn imagination into a mechanic. But as people began playing, I realized it had something special: the tension of needing a new idea every turn, the laughter that comes from absurd purchases, and the thrill of out‑imagining your friends. It’s a game that rewards creativity over competition, and storytelling over strategy. And now, inspired by the open‑access philosophy behind Cards Against Humanity, I’ve released Spend as a high‑quality printable board so anyone can download it, print it, and play anywhere, regardless of paper quality or materials.
Spend is intentionally simple. You only need a printed board, a pawn, and one or more dice. The rules are designed to be easy to learn and endlessly flexible:
Roll the die or dice.
Move your pawn to the corresponding dollar value.
“Spend” that amount of imaginary money on anything you want — but each idea must be different from every previous turn.
You can save your money only once per game.
If you run out of ideas, you’re eliminated.
The last player standing wins.
House rules and personal variations are encouraged.
The heart of the game is the creative pressure. You might start with obvious purchases — a car, a vacation, a new computer — but as the game continues, you’re pushed into stranger, funnier, more inventive territory. Players often surprise themselves with what they come up with under pressure, and that’s where Spend shines.
I wanted Spend to be accessible. No packaging, no shipping, no cost barriers. Just a clean, high‑quality board anyone can print at home, at work, or at a library. Whether you print it on glossy cardstock or the cheapest paper available, the game plays exactly the same.
This approach also lets Spend live as a digital artifact — something that can be shared, remixed, and enjoyed across communities. Publishing it on Hive fits perfectly with that ethos: decentralized creativity, open access, and community‑driven culture.
Spend uses imaginary money only. All purchases, dollar values, and outcomes are fictional and for entertainment. It’s not a real‑money game, and it’s not a manifesting tool — just a fun, creative experience meant to spark imagination.
Spend isn’t about winning. It’s about staying creative. It’s about discovering what you’d buy if money wasn’t real. It’s about laughing with friends as someone tries to justify spending $900 on “a lifetime supply of glow‑in‑the‑dark shoelaces.”
