Players: 2
Time: 15 minutes
Ages: 8 and up
JAB is a strategic boxing card game unlike anything you've played before. In JAB, you get direct control over your boxer's fists, providing an experience as close as possible to real boxing without getting punched in the face. JAB is real-time. There are no turns. You can play as fast as you want, but remember: playing smart is more important than playing fast.

Winning the game
To win the game, get a knockout by throwing staggering haymakers at your opponent until he eats canvas, or strategically win more rounds than your opponent by impressing the judges with your beautiful technique.

How is JAB different?
JAB re-invents the Real-time genre by slowing down gameplay and challenging you with strategic decisions. The innovative engine tests a player's "strategic agility" by forcing constant quick decisions. It also measures your ability to calmly manage your focus, in a chaotic situation. The JAB engine is designed to be a develop-able skill, much like learning to play a fighting videogame, or even a real sport. Which also gives the game huge replayability.

Finally, you can beat up your friends and family, without the annoying assault charges and anger management classes!
JAB is a complete game, only one copy is required to play. So how does the JAB engine work? (from a game design perspective) The JAB engine can be broken down into a series of strategic real-time mini-games (mechanics), all running simultaneously. While focusing on all mini-games at once is almost impossible, all mini-games are equally important to win the game. A good player must not only be good at playing each of the mini-games, but also recognize which one he should be focusing on at any given time. A new player, much like a new boxer who steps into the ring for the first time, can easily feel overwhelmed and freeze up, priming his opponent for a knockout... so STAY CALM. A Strategic Real-time Game? Pff. No! It's true! Every macro strategy or "style" in JAB, has a counter, like real boxing. See Boxing Styles and Techniques on Wikipedia for more info. To counter a haymaker spammer, or slugger, a boxer must play like an outside-fighter, who focuses on counter-punching, and blocking, and points. An outside-fighter, like in real boxing, will be overcome by an in-fighter, who goes purely for combo points. An in-fighter boxer who is going for combos, will be knocked out by a slugger. Every Boxer has a style, every style has a counter. What style are you? Here is a review by Tom Vasel: