Long time…no post…board games and education and other stuff

Hi

It seems forever since I posted something worthwhile on this blog!  I have to recharge the creative juices and get back to finishing old ideas and developing new ideas.  This entry will let you know what I have been up to in the past while and the next entry will inform you of what I hope to accomplish in the future.  Here is what I have been up to:

• I have been working on starting a small business that helps teachers utilize board games more effectively in the classroom.  The name of the business is GAMED, where GAMes and EDucation collide.  My initial steps have to been to create excitement about board games in elementary schools.  To accomplish this I have hosted two family board game nights at local elementary schools.  These went over very well with about 75 to 80 attendees at each event.  My next step is to create a board game library at the elementary school where my wife teaches.  I will be approaching the PAC tomorrow for funding for board games.  From here I will also start a board game club – though with Spring on its way it may be a little late in the year.
• As part of my consulting business, I have been researching gamification.  Gamification is the use of game design elements in non-game contexts.  Many websites use rewards and points to get visitors to return to their sites.  These simple ‘carrots’ are already used by educators – just think of letter grades, gold stars and other rewards used by teachers.  However, meaningful gamification (if I may borrow Scott Nicholson’s phrase) requires an almost seamless synergy between educational goals and game design elements and any game design elements should make classroom learning fun and engaging in new, creative ways.
• I have acquired a number of games through trade that have yet to hit the table.  Playing and learning these games is a priority.  We just played Princes of Florence – this will see the table again.
• However, there has been a major gaming distraction!  Risk: Legacy!  This latest version of Risk is the top priority when all five of us get together to game.  This game is exciting and innovative.  Don’t write it off because it is Risk!

Part 2…coming very soon (in a few minutes)…

Expanding collection…

I just updated my board game collection on the geek by adding the games I have recently traded for (and not so recently acquired that slipped through the cracks of being added to my collection) and those party games and card games that everyone seems to own (like Cranium, Balderdash and Rook).

My collection sits at 271 games (and expansions).  WOW!  While this may not be huge by some people’s standards it is large by mine.  I wonder what my 300th game will be and when I will acquire it???   I am not purchasing any games retail this year – only games that have been bought for me as a gift, that I have traded for or that I have acquired at garage sales or thrift stores will be added to my collection this year.

I believe that playing as many games as possible – good or bad – helps me be a better designer.

Simplicity = Elegance

I have a love hate relationship with Vlaada Chvatil.  There is no doubt he has a brilliant mind when it comes to game design.  Space Alert, Galaxy Trucker, Through the Ages, Dungeon Lords and now Dungeon Pets run the gamat from pre-programming games to worker placement.  Vlaada is very popular as is evident by how his games are ranked on boardgamegeek.com.

When I play his games I enjoy them (well maybe not Space Alert) but after I feel empty.  They are like lite beer – refreshing on a hot day but after finishing you don’t reach for another because they are not enough to satisfy you.  They lack elegance.

I recently played Dungeon Pets and one quite handily.  The game has great production value and amazing mechanics.  An amazing feat in design.  Blind bidding + worker placement + many other mechanics make this a game that boggles the mind.  How does someone take all these pieces and put them together to create a game that works? PURE BRILLIANCE!

And yet, although I won and although I think this is an amazing design it is a game I will play grudgingly (though I will probably enjoy playing it) and one that I will probably never own (unless my lottery numbers come it then it will be added to the greatest collection of games anyone has ever seen!).

This love hate relationship with Vlaada brings me to the title of this post –  Simplicity = Elegance

Vlaada’s games are complex with many decisions but very little elegance.  Whereas games like Pergamon, Fresco, Finca, Puerto Rico, 7 Wonders and Jaipur have a simplicity that makes them elegant.  I like elegance.

A quick idea – RISK LEGACY SPOILER ALERT

I am playing Risk: Legacy with four friends and we just opened the latest envelope.  This envelope changes the start of the game.  Now their are 5 cards in several categories that are drafted at the beginning of the game.  The order of the draft goes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… and soon until all the cards are picked.  The card categories are start order, placement order, starting number of troops, starting number of coins.   I think this would translate well to other games.  At the beginning of each round the players would draft for resources…just another quick idea.

The League…

I have another idea…more ideas than physical design these days as I just started a new job.   One idea I had is based on writer Alan Moore’s idea of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.  Moore uses public domain fictional characters and teams them up to create a team of heroes that take on evildoers.

In The League or The Chosen or whatever name the game might evolve into, players draft a team of four heroes that have a combination of skills/characteristics that allow them to deal with events/locations/characters they meet on their way to completing a quest.  It could potentially be a cooperative game but right now I see it as a ‘race’ game.  Players draft teams and race to complete the quests.

This game would be a card driven game.  Cards are turned over that give the player options.  These cards represent the journey.  When a card is revealed it gives four options:  1) rest 2) encounter 3) location 4) event.  These options are represented by arrows.  The arrow that points away from the start point is the next event that must be completed to move further along in the quest.  The arrow that points to the left is a location that the heroes may explore.  At a location there is the chance to gain supplies but also to face danger.  The arrow to the right would be an encounter with an antagonist.  Again there would be pros and cons of taking this route.  The arrow pointing back at the start point would be a chance to rest.  This movement mechanic is borrowed from Candamir.

Each character would have a set of skills.  Players build their teams based on these skills.  The usual strength, intelligence, and influence would be used.  Players when dealing with encounters would have to meet or beat the skill levels needed during an encounter to gain a reward…or take damage if they do not meet the levels.  Players would assign their heroes to certain tasks before seeing an event.  These skill levels are increased in certain categories when the team act together.  The team get extra cubes to represent group intelligence, group strength etc…  When these cubes are spent they are removed from the game.

That’s it for now…

 

GAMED

I have started a business venture revolving around board games and their use in classrooms.  I have started a blog as my initial webpage for this venture:

boardgamed.wordpress.com

Getting my 2012 butt into gear!

It has been over a week since my last post and to be honest I have done very little in the way of game design.  I have thought about game design but done nothing tangible.

So, how do I get out of this malaise?  I start a new job, albeit part time, on Monday which will certainly cut into any game design time.  Goal setting is my answer.  Here are my goals:

1. Finally get the cards printed for Tower of Doom and play test.  This is long overdue
2. Research Victorian heroes for card quest game
3. Sketch out ideas for Renaissance Man
4. Play test stripped down Tombstone (formerly Redemption City)

There are many other things I need to work on but I need to focus.  Once I have these done I will set some new goals.

RISK: Legacy = WOW

Before Christmas the Fab Five regular gamers (including me) chipped in and bought the new game in the Risk series, Legacy.  The game with taxes cost $75 from our FLGS.  $15 from each player.

WOW number 1 – WTF…$75 for a game of Risk!!!!!!

Yes! $75!

WOW number 2 – INNOVATION!!!!

If you have not heard of Risk: Legacy then you certainly are in for a surprise.  Risk: Legacy is probably the most innovative game I have seen since the Settlers of Catan first arrived on the shores of North America.  Risk: Legacy evolves as you play it.  Your characters do not evolve in the way your character would evolve in a video game or role playing game.  Rather, the game evolves.  Rules change, the board changes and the factions skills change.  Without giving anything away this game rocks!

WOW number 3 – Risk that does not play 2 hours plus!

This game of Risk takes about an hour to play one game.  Instead of taking over the whole world map, the first player to accumulate  4 victory points wins.  And there are multiple ways of getting these cards.  It still has the luck of rolling dice when battling but this is easily overlooked when you look at the big picture.  And yes!!!  Some rolls of the dice really SUCK!!!

WOW number 4 – Full of surprises!!!

The five factions have specific skills that look like they will change and evolve during the game.  You write on the board!!!  You name cities and territories!!!  The winner of a game signs the board and has a number of options to change the flavour of the world.  Each runner up gets to name a minor city and place a city sticker in a territory or change the value of a territory.  VERY COOL.  As you move through the game you trigger events that require you to open sealed envelopes and packages.  These envelopes change the rules and add events and missions to the game!

WOW number 5 – ADDICTIVE!!!

On our regular Thursday gaming we started with a game of Legacy and that is all we played all evening.  If it wasn’t for work the next morning we still would be playing.  We played three games.  Justin won two which triggered the opening of the first package!

CONCLUSION

Yes it is Risk and the main mechanics are the same.  I would never play a three hour game of Risk.  But I would play three hours of Risk: Legacy!!!  (about three games).  Each games is different!  Each game is fun!!!    Our group has already decided we will be playing two games of Legacy next Thursday along with another hour long game.

COOL STUFF

My first math trade

Today I got the results of my first math trade (Amazon prices in parentheses).

I receive:

• Bisikle (35)
• Puerto Rico (32)
• Terra Prime (35)
• Shadows Over Camelot (47)
• Shadows Over Camelot – Merlin’s Company (27)

What I send:

• Black Friday (35)
• World Without End (40)
• Acquire (24)
• Merchants and Marauders (49)

 

 

Bucket List – the party game

One of my recent ideas for a game was based around the theme of the popular activity of thinking of the things you would like to accomplish before you die.  It sounds quite morbid but in many ways creating a bucket list is simply goal setting and can be motivational.  I encourage young people to do it and to update it…everyone should have a bucket list…a living document.   Anyway, here is my idea for…

BUCKET LIST: The Party Game

From 2 to 8 players

Age 10+

Time 30 – 45 minutes

Objective

To guess what activities your co-players have chosen for their bucket list.  The player whose guesses are correct the most will win the game.  Bonus points for having a unique bucket list.

Contents

200 activity cards

Eight coloured pawns to represent players

Eight sets of tokens with one of each player colour

Tokens marked A, B, C, D in the eight colours of the pawns

One bucket list pad

Game Set Up

Each player receives;

• A coloured pawn to represent the colour they will be playing
• Coloured tokens representing each of the opposing players
• A, B, C and D tokens matching their coloured pawn
• A bucket list sheet from the pad and a pencil

The event cards are shuffled and the top four cards placed face up in a row.

From right to left the cards represent A, B, C and D

Game Flow

After the four cards are revealed the players choose which activity A, B, C or D they would most add to their bucket list and which activity they think the other players would choose.  Each player takes the coloured tokens representing the opposing players and places them face down next to the card that they think the opposing players have chosen for their bucket list.  Each player writes down their selection and then places the token representing their choice in front of them.

The choices are revealed and points awarded.  For every correct guess a player gets one point.  The total points are written next to the choice on the player’s bucket list.

At the end of the game the player with the most points wins and everyone goes home with a start of their bucket list!