Live or Blank: Shell Roulette

Across a card table at the bottom of the sea sits the Purser, a drowned diver in a copper helmet. Between you lies a lever-action gun loaded with live shells and blanks. You know how many of each. Never the order. FIRE AT HIM, OR AT YOURSELF On your turn you fire once. A blank at yourself keeps your turn. A live shell blows out a candle. Candles are lives: two in round I, four in round II, five in round III, and the water rises with every round. NINE ITEMS FROM THE WRECK From round II, a sea chest deals items to both sides. Look through the Spyglass at the chambered shell. Pull it out with the Hook. Turn it over with the Tide Glass, so live becomes blank. Uncork the Octopus to steal one of his items and use it at once. Pack Black Powder, chain him with the Shackle, strike a Match, read the Compass, or risk the Grog. DUEL A FRIEND Play someone online: a quick match, or invite a friend with a six-letter code. The server referees every move. First to two rounds takes the night. No chat, just four emotes: nod, tip your helmet, laugh, shrug. GO DEEPER Win a night and Deeper opens: sets of random rounds for salvage. Win a set, then surface with your salvage, or dive again and it doubles. Lose one round and the sea keeps everything. Dives played online are replayed move by move by the server before they go on the board. A FAIR OPPONENT The Purser decides only from what his own seat can see. He never sees the order. Neither do you. • Tap, aim, hold: nothing fires on a single tap. • Plays offline against the Purser. Quit mid-night and the table waits for you. • Every sound is made in code. No blood: candles go out. • Reduced motion: no shake, no flash.