(WOLCOTTVILLE) - A Hoosier-born online Euchre game is connecting players across the country -- and its creator hopes it can help bring family game night back.
Euchre Mate launched July 6 and has already been downloaded more than 500 times. Most users are in Indiana, but players have also joined from across the United States and as far away as England and the Netherlands.
Developer Brett Hahn said the idea grew out of his own family's experience with the card game.
Hahn did not become a Euchre player until 2015, when he began playing with his wife Katelynn's family in Fort Wayne. The games helped him bond with her parents.
The idea for an online version came from Hahn's father-in-law, Tony, who wanted a way to play Euchre with his sisters despite living hundreds of miles apart.
After about a year of work, Hahn and his family launched Euchre Mate as a free online game. His cousin helped build the website, Katelynn worked on branding and design, and Tony tested the game and offered feedback.
The site is designed for experienced players, people learning the game and families or friends who want to play together from different locations.
It also includes tools aimed at keeping in-person Euchre traditions alive. A Clubs section offers printable score trackers, house rules, tally sheets and winner certificates.
Hahn has also started a monthly $100 club sponsorship program to help support in-person Euchre clubs and game nights. The money can be used for expenses including cards, supplies and hall rental. Applications have already come in from Indiana and Ohio.
New players can get help from "Marty," a computer-generated rooster that offers advice during a game. Hahn said the name honors several generations of his family, while "Hahn" means rooster in German.
Hahn hopes Euchre Mate can help longtime players stay connected while introducing the game to a new generation.
"If the cards got put in the drawer over the last decade, Euchre Mate can help bring it back and remind people of how awesome family game night really is," Hahn said.
The free game is available at EuchreMate.com.