View source for Button Men

{{short description|Dice game}}
{{about|the dice game|the hired killer|Button Man}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox game
|image_caption = 
|designer      = James Ernest
|publisher     = [[Cheapass Games]]
|players       = 2
|ages          = 8 and up
|setup_time    = 2 minutes
|playing_time  = 10&ndash;180 minutes 
|random_chance = Medium 
|skills        = Probabilistic analysis
|footnotes     = 
}}

'''''Button Men''''' is a two-player [[dice game]] invented by [[James Ernest]] of [[Cheapass Games]], first released in 1999.<ref name="HG">{{Cite book | contribution=Button Men | title=[[Hobby Games: The 100 Best]] | last=Stolze | first=Greg | authorlink=Greg Stolze | editor-last=Lowder | editor-first=James | editor-link=James Lowder | publisher=[[Green Ronin Publishing]] | year=2007 | pages=38–41 | isbn=978-1-932442-96-0}}</ref>

A game of '''''Button Men''''' typically takes less than ten minutes to play. Each player is represented by a [[badge|pin-back button]] or playing card of their choice. The buttons are usually metal or plastic discs, about {{Convert|2-2.5|inches|cm|abbr=out}} in diameter, with a pin on the back that can be used to fasten them to clothing. A button bears the name and illustration of the combatant ("Button Man" or "fighter") assumed by the player. Each button indicates the quantity, maximum value, and abilities (if any) of the player's [[dice]].

==Background and history==
[[File:Spielwürfel (als Modelle Platonischer Körper und Trapezoeder).jpg|thumb|''Button Men'' is played with polyhedral dice]]
''Button Men'' is a game designed for [[fan convention]]s and other public venues. It can be played on short notice and games are quick to complete. Buttons are meant to be worn on clothing, bags, or other accessories, advertising that the wearer has a button to play with and is open to challenges. Buttons may also advertise something else, such as a company, a [[webcomic]], or another game.

In 2000, ''Button Men'' won the [[Origins Award]]s for ''Best Abstract Board Game of 1999'' and ''Best Graphic Presentation of a Board Game of 1999''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1999/list-of-winners |title=Origins Award Winners (1999) |publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design |accessdate=2007-10-17 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209185322/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1999/list-of-winners |archivedate=2007-12-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''Button Men'' can be extended by creating more buttons. It has continued to be extended since its inception; {{As of|2004|lc=on}}, over 200 buttons have been printed. Many are now out of print.

In 2009, Thrust Interactive released an [[iPhone]] version of the game in collaboration with [[Cheapass Games]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.thrustinteractive.com/buttonmen/| title=Button Men iPhone Homepage| publisher=Thrust Interactive| accessdate=2009-10-21| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024051427/http://www.thrustinteractive.com/buttonmen/| archivedate=2009-10-24}}</ref>

In 2011, Cheapass Games began reclaiming their older and out-of-print games in an experiment to apply the "[[freemium]]" business model to board games. ''Button Men'' was revamped into a trading-card format that can be printed and cut apart for gameplay. Two sets, "Soldiers" and "Vampires," have been released in this format.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cheapass.com/free-games/button-men/ |title=BUTTON MEN (FREE EDITION) – Cheapass Games |work=Cheapass Games |accessdate=2021-06-28 }}</ref>

In 2016, a [[Kickstarter]] was launched for a boxed version of the game that included up to 61 characters (in the Kickstarter exclusive version) and the dice needed to play any two characters against one another.  This self-contained set included the old skills Shadow and Poison, but added a variation on Speed Dice called Rush Dice.  In addition to this base set, a reissue of some of the original sets on cards and two Sailor Moon Crystal-based sets were released.

==Online game==
''Button Men'' ''Online'' was a service that allowed users to play games over the [[internet]] via a web-based interface. In 2003, ''Button Men'' ''Online'' won the [[Origins Award]] for ''Best Play-by-mail Game of 2002''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2002/list-of-winners |title=Origins Award Winners (2002) |publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design |accessdate=2007-10-17 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114163353/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2002/list-of-winners |archivedate=2007-11-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In February 2012, ''Button Men'' ''Online'' went offline due to server problems.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/bm-outage-news/conversations/messages/575| title=Buttonmen Site Outage News| accessdate=2015-06-05}}</ref> After nine months of downtime, a group of players from ''Button Men'' Online recreated an open-source version of the site. The new version of ''Button Men'' ''Online'' went online in March 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/bm-outage-news/conversations/messages/641| title=Buttonmen Site Outage News| accessdate=2015-06-05}}</ref>

==Gameplay==
A game of ''Button Men'' spans multiple rounds. Players begin by rolling a set of polyhedral dice then proceed through several turns. During each turn, their goal is to manipulate their opponent's dice by using their own dice; either capturing, taking control of, or neutralizing them based on their current values. The first player who wins three rounds emerges as the winner.

==Reception==
[[Scott Haring|Scott D. Haring]] reviewed ''Button Men'' for the online second volume of ''[[Pyramid (magazine)|Pyramid]]'' and stated that "This would be a great convention game, or a one-day game store event, or . . . just about anything. It's quick and fun, but requires some thinking. And some luck. A great game."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=621 |title=Pyramid: Pyramid Pick: The Latest From Cheapass |first=Scott D.|last=Haring|authorlink=Scott Haring |publisher=Sjgames.com |date=February 26, 1999 |accessdate=2020-05-06}}</ref>

''[[Pyramid (magazine)|Pyramid]]'s'' 1999 magazine named ''Button Men'' as one of the ''Millennium's Best Games''.  Editor [[Scott Haring]] said, "This game just gets more and more impressive every time I look at it. . . . the idea is so simple, and the strategy so subtle . . . I've never figured out exactly how to master this game, and I suspect that's because there is no good way to do so."<ref>{{cite journal| title=Second Sight: The Millennium's Best "Other" Game and The Millennium's Most Influential Person|journal=Pyramid (Online)| url=http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/login/article.html?id=1306| date=1999-12-24|last=Haring| first=Scott D. |authorlink=Scott Haring | accessdate=2008-02-16}}</ref>

==Reviews==
*''Backstab'' #15<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/backstab-magazine-french-15/page/n51/mode/2up|title = Backstab Magazine (French) Issue 15}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.buttonweavers.com/ ''Button Men'' Online] Play ''Button Men'' online (free login required)
* [http://www.cheapass.com/ Cheapass Games] "double-secret website"
* [http://www.cheapass.com/bpu/start.html The ''Button Men'' fan page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910020458/http://www.cheapass.com/bpu/start.html |date=2015-09-10 }} from Cheapass Games
* [http://buttonmen.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ButtonFilter.html Button Filter] A list of buttons with skills that you can filter by skill.
* {{bgg|17|''Button Men''}}

{{Dice games}}

[[Category:Cheapass Games games]]
[[Category:Dice games]]
[[Category:Origins Award winners]]