Diner

About this board game

Diner is a fast-paced game for 2–4 players that takes about 15 minutes, putting you in the role of a waiter competing to earn the most in tips.

Each player serves the tables in their section. Take orders from seated patrons, gather the required plates from the kitchen, and deliver those orders before your opponents can outshine you. The game’s friendly competition is driven by a clever pseudo-real-time action system.

To take an action, you must have an action token in front of you. After performing that action, pass the token to the player next to you. If you have no token, you cannot act, while several tokens gathered in front of you can let you complete multiple actions in succession.

• Take orders for tables in your section
• Gather plates of different types from the kitchen
• Serve tables with the orders they demand
• Use accumulating action tokens to create bursts of activity

This token-passing structure creates a lively social experience filled with table talk and urging other players to hurry. At the same time, the action system adds control, keeping the game from becoming total chaos like some real-time games.

Diner was the winner of the Dice Hate Me Games 54-Card Challenge, selected from more than 100 participants in a contest focused on designs using only 54 cards and very minimal components. Its madcap pace and controlled real-time feel can appeal to players who enjoy real-time games as well as those who usually prefer more measured play.