Digging around in your uncle’s creepy basement, you find an old wood-paneled television set. You turn it on but it doesn’t seem to get any reception, just a blank red screen. You turn a knob and the screen turns blue. You smack the side and get static. You turn the knob and it’s still static, but in a different pattern. So weird. You turn it off and go to unplug it from the wall…but…it wasn’t plugged in? You hear a menacing laugh just before you hear a door slam and the lights go out.

Dead Channels is a trick taking game, but one that oscillates between Must-Follow and Must-Not-Follow. Players also will need to shift the direction they splay their cards as the mode of play shifts.

The goal is to win exactly 2 tricks at 4 players (or exactly 3 tricks at 3 players).

Deviations from that goal will be rewarded with points. Points are bad. The player with the least points after 4 hands (or 3 hands at 3 players) is the winner.