Munchkin is a card game from Steve Jackson Games, illustrated by John Kovalic of Dork Tower, that humorously simulates the RPG experience. The joke kind of wears thin after you’ve seen all the cards, and you’re left with a light take-that game of gang up on the leader.

To address this, SJG keeps releasing Munchkin expansions, from Space Munchkin to Munchkin Cthulhu. All of which inject new cards and new humor into the game.

But SJG took it further. They’ve created a line of Munchkin extras, including Munchkin bookmarks, Munchkin T-shirts, Munchkin posters, Munchkin greeting cards, and even Munchkin temporary tattoos, all of which confer additional powers on the player possessing them during the game. That makes Munchkin into something like an ARG, or alternate reality game.

It takes a humorous game like Munchkin, where winning the game is besides the point, to provide a platform for this type of outside-the-game gaming experience. Imagine players converging on the Chess Olympiad wearing Chess crowns that give them one additional move every ten turns or leather jackets that give their knights special movement abilities.