Robert Shane Tuttle is a communications major at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, a well-experienced graphic designer, and a family man. Most importantly, however, is that Shane is an inventor, an inventor of a card game. That game is Yard of The Month.
Yard of the Month is a family-friendly card game for 2-5 players, rated for 8+, however Shane has friends even in their 40s and 50s who love the game for its complexity allowed in higher level play. At base, the game is just about having the most beautiful yard, that you can decorate with flowers and lawn ornaments such as gnomes. The hard part is all the other people at the table who want that spot too. Sabotage methods such as gnoming someone else’s yard with a “bad gnome”, tacky pink flamingos, and weeds keep the game lively while adding a deceptive complexity. Help or hinder your friends as you aim to have the most beautiful yard in the neighborhood. The game can be as short as ten minutes in a 2-player game and could last up to an hour with max players depending on how vindictive your table chooses to play.
“The idea first came to me about 10 years ago,” said Shane. “It was a simple concept with the silly name Oh Gnome!” The game underwent several changes, from the name to the gameplay itself, until eventually with the suggestion of his wife Carla, it evolved into Yard of the Month. Shane continued, “In addition to naming the game, Carla assisted me with fine-tuning the rules. She has been my muse since day one and has encouraged me to not give up, though I wanted to many times.” He also went on to say that an inspiration for the game would be his dislike for gnomes and his obsession with smashing them. “At one point in my life, there were certain things I hated: Smart Cars, Edward Furlong, and gnomes”, jokingly following with, “People would give me gnomes and I would smash them! I figured you know what, lets make a profit off my hatred.”
Shane released the first edition of Yard of the Month in 2018 via the crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter. By pitching the idea to strangers online and those in his community he was able to fund the game. Though the game was published, there were things about the campaign and the game itself that he felt could have been done differently. Applying his experience as a graphic designer, Shane created the art and did the design himself. Not completely satisfied with the outcome, he revisited the project in 2022 and has been working on it since with new art from his daughter Shelby. With a new look and updated rules, a revised edition is well on its way to once again hit a crowdfunding campaign. “If all goes right, the new edition should launch Summer 2025,” said Shane.
“I spent a lot of time on this game and put my heart and soul into it,” said Shane. “I can’t say this card game is 100% original me. It’s me and my family. It’s me and my friends. It’s me and the people who helped me.”
Yard of the Month is what you make of it. You can hinder your friends and sabotage their yard to make yours look better, or you can be a good neighbor and help them grow their garden. Shane may have planted the seeds, but with all the people around him putting a gnome here, a birdhouse there, he has something that is larger than just two people at a table. Yard of The Month is his family, his friends, and you. Get familiar with the first edition today or purchase Yard of the Month second edition this summer, and gnome your friends… smashing not required.
You can follow along with the progress of the game online by visiting www.yardofthemonthgame.com.