Real Time – Part 2

After my unique idea came crashing down with the news of the kickstarted game Escape…from the Temple Curse, I thought that I would forget about the idea of a real time game.  However, I have had some other thoughts about such a game…and here they are.

1.  Escape is a hectic dice rolling game that lasts 10 minutes.  While this sounds like a lot of fun, it is certainly not the type of game I was thinking of creating.

2.  What if when you opened the game box it triggered a timer that lasted 60 minutes…the game is on!  Solve the game before the timer goes off!

3.  Theme – a bomb is about to go off in the City.  You have one hour to figure out the location.  Using a map (the game board) and documents and clues each player takes on a roll to solve the imminent danger.  It is possible to play with NPCs that move around the board.  But when you move an NPC across the City you will have to wait x number of minutes before getting the results of their action.

Again this is just an idea ruminating in the back of my mind.

 

A game in real time…a unique idea or has it been done before?

I like games that play in less than 1.5 hours.  This doesn’t mean that I don’t play longer games but the game certainly has to give me a huge reward for the investment of time – I cannot wait to play a full game of Dominant Species!

This got me to thinking…are there any games that play in real time?  Put an hour on the timer and play!  Or, every player has 10 minutes to make their decisions – each has an individual timer!  A guaranteed game play time!

What do you think?  What themes might work? What mechanics might work?

DAVID SHORT JUST TOLD ME ABOUT THIS…http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/113294/escape-from-the-temple-curse

SO MUCH FOR A UNIQUE IDEA!

Deduction with worker placement mechanic

If you have read my older posts you will be aware of my desire to design a good deduction game.  I have had many discussions about the connection between deduction and elimination.  I think that deduction is more than just crossing things off a list (a la Clue).  I believe brain power and higher level thinking is involved.  Mystery of the Abbey does a better job, allowing the players to quiz each other about information they have gathered throughout the game.  But still for me something is missing…I don’t know what!   I have surrendered to the idea that deduction is elimination but still think that how you gain information and how you eliminate information is key to making a great deduction game.

With deduction in mind, I have thought of a worker placement mechanism that might be used in such a game.  This is not an original idea but one that has been adapted from the diversification/regression actions in Dominant Species.

This picture represents one location with two actions.  The first action is open to two players – or one player twice.  This action is to take one (or two) of the resources available at this location.  However, the resources are hidden.  Once the resources are taken the two remaining resources to the left are slid down to the second action.  If someone places another worker at this location these items are then discarded from the game.  However,  if no worker is placed here these two resources are revealed.  If a common resource they are discarded.  However, if a clue resource then something is revealed about the player that visited that location.  In a discussion with Seth Jaffee he expressed an interest in designing a worker placement heist game.  I think this mechanic might work for his idea.  Think of the location as a place where a small crime takes place.  There are rewards to be taken but clues to be left behind – like a fingerprint or DNA sample etc.   Players send criminals to commit crimes and can also send a ‘cleaner’ to clean up after the crime.  If a cleaner is not sent then some clues for the police are left behind.  There could be a randomness factor – a card has to be drawn for that specific location for the police to get the clue…just another idea.

Video review idea – what do you think?

Now, I am not a published designer but I believe I know what makes a good game good and a poor game poor from a game design perspective.  I have many game design ideas which I hope at least one will be published some day.

I have always wanted to try my hand at video board game reviews but did not want to follow the same formula as most reviewers – intro, game bits, rules/game flow explanation, final comment.

As a wannabe game designer, I have thought of a new video game review perspective – A GAME DESIGNERS VIDEO REVIEW or VIDEO REVIEW FROM A DESIGNERS PERSPECTIVE.

How do you think this could be developed?  What ideas should be expressed in the review?  More objectivity than subjectivity?

I think this could be a podcast – a discussion – we pick a couple of games and play them a few times over a week or two – anyone interested in developing this idea with me?

Abstract game idea

Today in the BGG chat room I had an idea for an abstract based on the arcade game Bubble Shooter.  The idea came around when David Short, Mark Klassen I were discussing game design.  Mark mentioned that he would like to design an abstract with the same level of playability and depth as Blokus.  A discussion ensued about the popularity of Blokus.  I claimed that part of its popularity was due to the similarity to the very popular arcade game Tetris.  This got me to thinking about other arcade games that are popular…which led to Bubble Shooter type video games and apps which are hugely popular.

In this 2 player abstract players play from the opposite side of a square board…hoping to figure out how to make it a 4 player game later.  The board is divided into three rectangles.  A middle band that divides the two players home sides – the rectangles are of equal size.  The board has holes that allow marbles to sit on the board.    The middle band is filled with marbles – they could just be poured into the rectangle so that they are randomized.  There would be five different coloured marbles.

Each player would have a bag of marbles (a mixture of the five colours).  Each player would draw three marbles and play two – the other returned to the bag.  The marbles must be placed in the players home section or in the neutral section.  The placement would result in one of two things happening.  If a placement creates a link of five of the same coloured marbles then they are removed from the board.  Otherwise the placement of the marble remains and no marbles are removed.

There could be multiple win scenarios but for now the following have been thought of…(1) the first player to punch an empty pathway between their home section and the opponents home section would win or (2) a player has not spaces left to play a marble on their side or the neutral space of the board.

The lack of strategy was questioned by Mark and David.  While it may not be chess it does have some strategy.  The strategy would be in blocking the opponent’s progress by adding marbles to the home side of the board while removing marbles to get a pathway through to the other side.  The more I think about the game and the balance between removing and blocking, the more I envision planning ahead.

David thought it should be called Goin’ Marbles!

 

All Access Tour update and latest idea

All Access Tour – still working on the map.  I was trying to make it to pretty and failing miserably.  Now it will be functional for play testing.  Going to be working on finishing the board, creating the player boards, naming the cards, creating the tokens and getting the game prototyped.  I think this game has potential.

My latest idea is Castle Builder.  Castle Builder is a card game where each player controls a castle and the surrounding lands.  It is a typical light Euro cube pusher.  However, the key to this games success is that I am hoping it will fit in a box the size of Coloretto – or Haggis if needed and it will play in about 30-45 minutes.  I want to create a portable Euro that can be taken camping, travelling or anywhere.  Imagine being able to scratch that Euro itch while on a flight!  2 to 4 players.

Worker Placement Mechanics

Worker placement is an established mechanic.  A while ago I posted about a worker placement mechanic that I want to revisit while also adding other ideas for worker placement.  Here are the ideas:

1. Players use worker placement in the usual way by placing workers on spots that give some reward.  However some spots require risk when you place them in that area.  Examples:  (a) Players place a worker at the loan shark office.  At the loan shark office you get rewarded with a HUGE amount of money compared to other spots.  However, at the end of the round the worker is placed in a bag with other neutral meeples.  At the end of each round the bag is shaken and a random meeple drawn.  If your worker is drawn you have to pay the complete loan back to the loan shark immediately.  If you cannot you lose a worker for the rest of the game and the worker stays in the bag.  Once the loan is paid off in payments or in a lump some your worker is removed from the bag.  (b)  There is a disease outbreak and you are a team of researchers in a facility researching the disease.  You place workers in areas where the chance of contracting the disease differs.  The higher the chance of contracting the disease the higher the reward the room gives.  When you enter certain rooms you have to place tokens in a bag and at the end of the round a token is drawn.  If your coloured token is drawn then you lose a worker to the disease.
2. When speaking with game designer/developer Seth Jaffee, a slightly different mechanism was suggested.  In this evolution of the above mechanic it is suggested that rooms would have values – loss values.  So a low risk room would have a value of 0 to 1.  When a player or players place workers in the room and complete the action a die is then rolled.  This die would have x number or 1s and x number of 0s.  If a 1 is rolled then one player in the room dies and a worker lost (the last player in the room) and if a 0 was rolled then no one dies.  Rooms would have different probabilities.
3. Worker recruitment mechanic…or workerbuilding…think of deckbuilding but rather you build a team of workers.  You use workers to recruit other workers.  Some of these workers have specific powers.  The workers are also used in the regular worker placement/action selection mechanic.
4. I had another one but forgot  🙂

Weekend Update

It seems like forever since I last posted – so much for posting every day.  I have been very busy at work which has put blogging on the back burner…that seems like a lame excuse so I guess I will have to make more time to get things posted more frequently on this site.

Here is what I have been up to:

1. My design focus has been on All Access Tour.  More specifically on creating the map for the main board.  I have decided to go with a movement mechanism that does not require route connections between cities.  Instead, the map of the U.S. will be divided into six regions.  These regions will each have one major city, two secondary and either four or five minor cities (I haven’t decided on how many minor cities – this will depend on point balance in the game and whether the map becomes to crowded.   I hope to have a picture of the map and board some time next week.
2. G+ GameLab hangouts have been picking up – six out to the last one!  I have been hosting these every Tuesday and Wednesday evening.
3. Will be working on the Global Board Game Design Jam and will be getting a domain name next week some time.
4. I kickstarted for the first time.  My friend has his first game being published by Tasty Minstrel Games, if you like medium to heavy Euros then check it out and support a fellow designer, Ground Floor.    
5. On a personal note, in order to become more patient, more calm and more focused, I am starting a meditation program.  Looking forward to it…research has shown that not only does it allow for more mental clarity but it also has physical health benefits.

What are you people working on out there in the the interweb?

King of the Castle – a small Euro

I just had this idea for a small Euro card came.  Each player has a card that represents their castle.  The castle has eight compass points around the card – N,S,E,W, and the 4 points between.   The north side is the space above the card, the south below the card and so on…

There is a deck of cards from which regions that surround the castle are drawn.  These represent regions that provide resources, economies and fortifications for the castle.  Players buy regions to place around the castle.  By manipulating the resources that the cards produce you build your castle and weaken your opponents.  After several seasons the person with the best castle wins…or something like that…

Board Game Map Making…not as easy as 101

All Access Tour requires a map of the USA with links between major, secondary and minor cities.  I thought this would be an easy process…it is not.  Here are the steps I have taken so far…

1. Borrowed a projector from a friend so I could enlarge a map of the US with cities and draw it onto paper from which then I could adhere to a board.
2. Drew the map and states and divided the US into six regions for game play.
3. Realized the map was too small and drew another map.  Penned the outline of national and state borders with a Sharpie.  Realized that the outline needed to wait until cities and connections were determined.
4. Drew third map using projector…added the cities using different sized circles for each level.  Started to link the cities and then realized how random my linkages seemed.  How could I resolve this?
5. Drew a fourth map…lots of paper being used!…this time I placed a triangle/hex grid over the map similar to TransAmerica.  This grid will be used for the placement of cities and for connections

This is as far as I have got.  It might not seem like a lot was accomplished but I believe that apart from the old adage ‘measure twice cut once’ being abused, I have come quite a way with the map design for All Access Tour.