DWYN

Published October 28, 2015 Updated June 11, 2022

Dwyn - a card game about Welsh history designed by Simon Grennan and Christopher Sperandio, 2006.

2006 Wales Simon Grennan and Christopher Sperandio Card Games

Dwyn is “a mixed-up game of Welsh history for 2 to 6 players” designed by artists Simon Grennan and Christopher Sperandio [www.kartoonkings.com/] in 2006.. It is played with a custom six-suited poker deck divided into three colours, red, black and green, with figures drawn from Welsh history and popular culture. Characters include Owain Glyndwr, Captain Henry Morgan, Nest verch Rhys, a princess of Deheubarth, renowned for her beauty and Cerridwen, the Celtic goddess of inspiration. The six suits are: miner’s tools, shield, rugby, leaf, castle, skull. Each suit has a head, torso, feet card plus numbers X, 2, 3, 4 and 5. In addition the deck contains three “steal” cards (double hands), six doublesided wild Dwyn cards and the “krown” card. The aim of Dwyn (Welsh for steal or take) is to get rid of all cards in hand and to lay a complete body (head, torso + feet) along with the “krown” card on the table.

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Dwyn - a card game about Welsh history designed by Simon Grennan and Christopher Sperandio, 2006

Above: Dwyn - a card game about Welsh history designed by Simon Grennan and Christopher Sperandio, 2006. 60 cards in box. The creation of Dwyn was supported by Cywaith Cymru - Artworks Wales as part of May You Live In Interesting Times, Cardiff`s Festival of Creative Technology developed between Chapter and Bloc: Creative Technology Wales.

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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.

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