A Mind Expanding DIY Indiana Jones Game: Create Your Own Lara Croft-Style Adventure at Home – Dana and Max #4
Max:
“You know what this living room needs? A giant rolling boulder, a snake pit, and at least one priceless relic I probably shouldn’t touch but will anyway. This is peak Indiana Jones energy right here.”
Dana:
“Peak Indiana Jones? Please. You’re barely pulling off community college archaeology vibes. I’m the one who actually scales walls, solves ancient puzzles, and does it all in perfect hair and boots. Lara Croft doesn’t wait for permission—she raids.”
Max:
“Right. And I’m sure Lara Croft’s idea of ‘DIY’ includes yoga and tactical weaponry. Meanwhile, I’m over here turning a deck of cards and some dice into a full-blown Indiana Jones adventure game—with zero budget and maximum thrill.”
Dana:
“Funny you say that—I actually got the idea after reading that virtual travel adventure with Nelly and the Professor.
They were talking about real-life relics and archaeological finds, and I thought, ‘Why not turn that thrill into a DIY game night?’ Next thing I knew, I was digging through our card stash like it was the Temple of Doom.”
Max (grinning):
“Yeah, well around here it’s been the Temple of Drama lately—ever since that Jack and Polly duet hit the air. You’d think they solved world peace in three verses and a key change.”
Dana (tilting her head):
“You know what? I’m actually starting to understand how Aurora feels. Because I just found out about the very nice dinner you had the other night—with Sally. Is that right?”
Max (blinking, caught):
“Oh—that? I mentioned to Sally that I had this spicy lemon herbal chicken and rice at Johnny’s Place, and she was like, ‘I can totally make that. Better and on a budget.’ It turned into a cooking challenge.
That’s all it was—just dinner. Friendly.”
Dana:
“Mmm. Just friendly. Cute.”
Max:
“Well… we’re not exclusive.
That’s what you said, right? Or… are we rewriting that mid-recipe?”
Dana (cool and surgical):
“You can have your spicy little dinner with whoever you want to. Let’s just keep going with the game.”
(Beat.
Max picks up the dice.
Dana doesn’t break eye contact for a full second longer than necessary.)
Welcome to Relic Raiders: Your DIY Indiana Jones & Lara Croft Adventure
Dana:
Ready to channel your inner tomb raider or fedora-wearing relic chaser? This DIY Indiana Jones game lets you chase artifacts, outsmart danger, and work as a team—all from your living room.
What You’ll Need:
A standard 52-card deck + 2 Jokers
Five six-sided dice
Pen and paper for turn tracking (or just scrawl “Temple Day 1” on a napkin)
Your best Lara Croft glare or Indiana Jones smirk
Setup:
Max:
Shuffle the deck and place it in the center as your draw pile.
Each player draws 2 cards to start their hand.
Everyone rolls all five dice once to determine their Skill Level Bonus:
10–22 = +1
23–27 = +2
28–30 = +3
After that, each player gets one die for regular gameplay.
Set a turn limit (we recommend 20 turns) to simulate the race-against-time feel of any great Indiana Jones movie.
Gameplay:
Dana:
On your turn, draw a card. Here’s what you might find in your tomb of mystery:
2–10: Resource cards. These add +1 to your dice total during challenges.
Face Cards (J, Q, K):
Jack: Re-roll one die during a challenge.
Queen: Draw one extra card.
King: Cancel one failed Danger Event penalty.
Ace: That’s a relic, baby! But you’ve got to pass the Artifact Retrieval Challenge.
Joker: A Danger Event! Cue the dramatic music and panicked yelling.
Artifact Retrieval Challenge:
Max:
This is where the DIY Indiana Jones magic happens.
When an Ace is drawn, place it face-up in the center.
All players roll their dice and combine their totals.
Add Skill Level Bonuses and Resource Cards.
If the group total hits or exceeds the target, you win the artifact.
First Artifact: 25
Second: 30
Third: 35
Fourth: 40
Dana:
If you fail? The artifact stays put—and you discard 2 cards from the draw pile. Yep, that priceless relic might vanish forever, just like in every Lara Croft escape sequence.
Danger Events (Jokers):
Dana:
You pull a Joker, you get drama.
Players roll together to hit 30+ total.
Add Resource Cards and Skill Level Bonuses.
If you fail, discard 4 cards from the deck—your team just “lost time,” “got caught in a trap,” or had an “Indiana Jones rope snap moment.”
Winning the Game:
Max:
Retrieve all 4 relics before the deck runs out or you hit the turn limit. Fail, and it’s game over, Indy. And possibly game over for the world.
Dana:
This is the kind of DIY Indiana Jones experience that belongs on your table. It’s packed with excitement, improvisation, and all the thrills of a Lara Croft mission—minus the plane tickets and ancient curses.
Max:
Whether you’re raiding tombs or dodging danger with nothing but a Jack and a lucky dice roll, this is one of the best DIY games we’ve cooked up. Now roll the dice, cue the soundtrack, and grab your hat. Adventure waits.
Mike worked in the radio industry for 35 years which means sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek, satirical, trash talking characters to remind you laughter is good for the soul! Let’s have some fun with entertainment, movies and TV, sports, budget food and games, lifestyle and we’ll get ridiculous.
