Author: cmust122

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NEW UPDATED RULES – CHRISTINE URSINY

Tale Weavers: Official Rules

Game Description

Tale Weavers is a competitive storytelling game, with cards that you might find in Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, in which a group of players builds a narrative by drawing from a deck of character, setting, and plot cards to create and build a story amongst players. 

Objective

The main goal is to collaboratively build a story. The player who contributes the most compelling or humorous plot points, as judged by the Storymaster each round, wins the game. The player with the most successful Plot Cards, represented by Point Tokens, is the winner.

Setup

  1. Gather 3-5 players.
  2. Shuffle the Character, Setting, and Plot decks separately and place them face down.
  3. Deal five Plot Cards to each player. This is your starting hand.
  4. Place the Point Tokens in a central pile.
  5. Designate one player to be the Storymaster for the first round. (The player who most recently read a book for fun.)
  6. Use a 30-second sand timer to add urgency in selecting plot cards.
    • 30-second timer → wait until the timer runs out to start the round
    • Everyone has to have a card placed down by the end of the sand timer
    • What happens when the timer runs out and you don’t pick? → You take the top card

Card Color Key:

Coral Color – Character Card

Magenta Color – Setting Card

Lavender Color – Plot Card

How to Play:

The game is played in rounds, with the role of Storymaster changing after each round.

1. The Storymaster’s Turn 

  • The Storymaster draws 2 cards from the Character deck and 2 from the Setting deck.
  • They choose 1 Character and 1 Setting card from their hand to use and then discard the others.
  • The Storymaster begins the story with an opening sentence or two, introducing the character and location.

Example:
If the Storymaster draws:

  • Character Cards: “A paranoid mother” and “A surprisingly eloquent badger”
  • Setting Cards: “The inside of a zoo food court” and “A wizard’s tower turned into a daycare”
    • “Once upon a time, a paranoid mother who frantically scoured through the jungle known as the zoo food court…”

Note: Everyone has to have a card placed down by the end of the sand timer

2. The Players’ Turn 

  • Starting with the player to the Storymaster’s left and going clockwise, each player takes a turn.
  • On your turn, place one Plot Card from your hand, play it face-up, and read it aloud.
  • Weave the card’s concept into the story, building only on the setting and character card, not any other players’ plot cards
    • Plot cards are independent of other players’ plot cards.
  • After playing your card, draw one new Plot Card to replenish your hand to five.

3. The Storymaster’s Turn (Judgment)

  • After every player has played one card, the Storymaster considers all the Plot Cards that were submitted.
  • The Storymaster selects the most compelling or entertaining Plot Card as their favorite for that round.
  • The Plot Cards that were not chosen are placed in a discard pile. If the draw deck runs out, shuffle the discard pile to create a new one.

4. End of the Round 

  • The player whose card was chosen collects 1 Point Token.
  • The winning player becomes the new Storymaster for the next round.
  • The new Storymaster can then decide to either continue the existing story or start a completely new one by drawing a new Character and Setting card.

Ending the Game

1. Point-Based Victory 

  • First player to reach 5 Point Tokens wins.
  • Optional twist: If multiple players hit 5 in the same round, the Storymaster chooses the funniest/most creative winner.
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Tale Weavers – Playtest 1

Date of Playtest: 10/02/2025

Playtime Observed: 6 minutes 25 seconds (first round)
Learning Time: 2 minutes 41 seconds (to learn rules)

1. Player Questions

  • Does the story flow from player to player, or is it told individually?
  • How do players weave their cards into the story, build on the last or reset each round?
  • What happens when the timer runs out and a card hasn’t been played?
  • Should a specific book be read to determine who goes first?
  • How does the game end — tokens, alternate endings, or another system?

2. Learning Curve

  • It took 2:41 minutes for players to learn the rules.
  • Players commented that the setup was easy.
  • The example card in the rules was helpful.

3. Player Interactions

  • Players laughed, smiled, and nodded throughout gameplay.
  • Conversations about cards applied to characters and settings.
  • Debated whether the story should be told cumulatively or individually.

4. Points of Confusion

  • Story flow: cumulative vs. sectioned/individual.
  • How exactly to “weave” cards into a story.
  • The role of settings in character and plot cards.
  • Game endings: whether to use tokens or multiple end conditions.

5. Sources of Excitement

  • Randomness of card draws (“random is better”).
  • The tension created by a sand timer mechanic.
  • Room for interpretation and creativity in storytelling.
  • Loved leading humor in the narrative.

6. Player Enjoyment

  • Making connections between cards and the story.
  • Building individual story sections rather than a single collaborative plot.
  • Experiencing humorous or unexpected story twists.

7. Sources of Frustration

  • The collaborative story felt confusing and less engaging.
  • Settings on cards felt restrictive.
  • Multiple game-ending options created uncertainty.

8. Design Adjustments

  • Clarify Flow
    • Emphasize that each player tells an individual story, not a cumulative one.
  • Simplify End Conditions
    • Establish one clear win condition (ex., first to 5 tokens?).
  • Refine Card Design
    • Remove settings from character and plot cards; make prompts more open-ended and funny.
  • Timer Rules
    • Require players to place a card before the sand timer ends; if not, they must take the top card.
  • Rules Support
    • Keep and expand example cards in the rules to streamline learning.
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5 game ideas that revolve around the theme of collecting

  1. The Barista’s Brew is a puzzle/time management game in which the baristas collect all the necessary ingredients and techniques to craft the ultimate gourmet coffee by using an organized inventory system, a variety of grinders and brewing machines, and a customer order list.
  2. The Cure for Common Nonsense is a collaborative deduction game in which a group of scientists work together to collect “Clue” cards to develop a “Cure” for an illogical and growing problem (ex. “The Case of the Talking Teapots”) by using a hand of “Trait” cards to make the most logical (or illogical) argument to persuade their teammates.
  3. The Alchemist’s Collection is a cooperative puzzle game in which a team of alchemists work together to collect a set of five matching magical ingredients to complete a powerful potion by using a hand of color-coded “Ingredient” cards and a hidden role (ex. The Herbalist, The Scribe) to perform actions and prevent a disaster.
  4. Ghostly Gala is a party/memory game in which teams of players compete to collect a complete set of Ghostly Guests by matching their hidden identities to their haunted pasts by using a series of question cards, deduction skills, and a shared memory board to track their progress.
  5. The Great Costume Seance is a collaborative deduction game in which a team of trick-or-treaters work together to collect and correctly match a Major Arcana Costume Card (ex. The Empress/Witch, The Fool/Clown) to its corresponding “Meaning Token” by using a series of Minor Arcana cards as clues drawn from the deck and a six-sided die roll to restrict how many clues they can reveal per turn.
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Game Response Questions – King of Tokyo

  1. Was it fun?
    • I thought the game was fun, but I didn’t like it as much as the other games I  played. I think I am starting to gravitate slowly to games that favor playing with cards. 
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • The player interactions were between being inside or outside of Tokyo which all depended on how the attacks were placed on people and how their own strategies affected their game.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • It took us 5 minutes total, simply because we had Ames playing who knew what to do. 
  4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • The most frustrating moment of the game was playing the game in terms of health as my strategy to win, but I was beaten to the punch, losing by energy points.
  5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • My favorite moment was thinking I could win simply by keeping my health up while depleting others’. Also, not a big fan of the rules inside of Tokyo, felt like I never made it there.
  6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • One thing that I wanted to do was take away people’s energy points or steal energy points.
  7. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • I would make a smaller deck of cards and make one card where people could wipe out their other opponents’ energy points or an if then statement card to help players who are playing the health strat gain more energy points.
  8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    • I would not play this game again simply because it wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped for. The game wasn’t rage baiting me, so it was a bust lol. Yeah, I really like a game that starts arguments, and I just didn’t get that from this game. I want a game to start WWIII. 
  9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    • The beginning of the game, being the setup of monsters having a central conflict, starts the game. The players are discovering the theme and mechanics being put into this world. The introduction of the attack card is where the real game begins. Then the bulk of the game is the most engaging because the stakes grow as you’re forced to choose between collecting coins and building, or collecting coins to destroy others while collecting energy cubes and trying not to die. Lastly, there is the dramatic ending as monsters race to 20 points without dying. 
  10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • More coercion and manipulation than collaboration in the sense that you can convince someone to go into Tokyo, then absolutely obliterate them with attacks. In the competitive aspect, it truly is every man for themselves because how can you roll and get lucky without rolling something good but not knowing it, then getting crushed because on your final roll, you get screwed.
  11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
    • The metaphor/narrative is to keep the monsters in check and get them to take each other down, and be the sole monster to take over Tokyo. The genius mechanic of this game was the dice roll limit being 3, because it gives the player more options and allows them to choose the best play for them.
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Game Response Questions – Citadel

  1. Was it fun?
    • I actually really enjoyed this game, though it was intimidating at first as far as directions go. I would go out and get this game myself to play simply because I like the strategy each character card gets.
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • The player interactions were between different warlords and any other player, as well as being the assassin and killing people you know are in the game. 
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • Overall, I believe it took us 20 minutes total, including all the questions we had to ask ChatGPT to break down, because sometimes we were confused by the rule book and this just broke it down into understandable chunks: link to find out all what we asked ChatGPT
  4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • The most frustrating moment of the game was honestly figuring out how to play, but once we got in the swing of it went by. Other than arguing on the steps for the game. We made it a big deal by playing the steps in order.
  5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • My favorite moment was watching the other players not realize what good cards were in the pile and being the second or third to play, because then I could gauge what other players had as cards and simply by the pattern of what they normally chose.
  6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • One thing that I wanted to do was give more option to chose the king card because it was being hogged by the same people, so a little more rotation.
  7. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • I would make it clear that the order of a player’s action be very specific because we all got too excited and we may have played illegally.
  8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    • I would definitely play this game again I really enjoyed the not know and plotting as well as the process of elimination of the game. This is very engaging and made me feel smart.
  9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    • The beginning of the game is the setup of the board. Players learn the rotation of character cards and how each card affects the other players, as well as building their empire. Then the second stage is the struggle of deducing who has what card and how you can use your player to your advantage by just collecting coins to purchase or destroy others. Lastly, the push for victory can easily be described as what strategy are you gonna use to win, is it taking down others, or does it involve?
  10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • This game is most definitely on the competitive side, being that there is a little bit of teamwork in taking other people down, but also it can quickly change to every man for themselves when the character cards get changed and then it gets ugly.
  11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
    • The game’s metaphor/narrative is building up your kingdom to the best ability using your power to complete the building of your kingdom. The biggest standout mechanic, which I think should be emphasised and could make or break a player, is the order in which the player completes their turn. They should’ve emphasised that you do basic actions FIRST before character actions.
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Rules for Tale Weavers

Tale Weavers is a collaborative storytelling game, with cards that you might find in Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, in which a group of players builds a narrative by drawing from a deck of character, setting, and plot cards to create and build a story amongst players.

Rules

Setup

  1. Gather 3-8 players.
  2. Shuffle the Character, Setting, and Plot decks separately.
  3. Each player draws five cards from the Plot deck. These are the cards you’ll use to move the story forward.
  4. Place the Character and Setting decks face down on the table.
  5. Make sure the Storymaster keeps track of points.
  6. Designate one player to be the Storymaster for the first round. This role will pass clockwise each round. 

Objective

The main objective is to come up with the most convincing or funniest story picked by the Storymaster. The player with the most successful plot cards wins the game. While there isn’t an objective winner, the game allows all players to judge what the best narrative is. The best part is it leaves all players laughing.

Actions Players Take

  1. The Storymaster’s Turn:
    • The Storymaster draws one card from the Character deck and one from the Setting deck.
    • The Storymaster then begins the story, using the two cards they drew to introduce a character and the location of the story.
    • Example: If the Storyteller drew a Character card for “A paranoid squirrel” and a Setting card for “The inside of a shopping mall,” they might start with: “Once upon a time, a paranoid squirrel scampered nervously through the fluorescent aisles of a shopping mall, __(Filled in the blanks by the rest of the players)__.”
  2. Adding to the Story:
    • Starting with the player to the Storymaster’s left, each player takes a turn.
    • On your turn, choose one of the five Plot cards in your hand and play it face-up on the table.
    • Read the card aloud and integrate its concept into the story, building on what the Storymaster said. You can add new characters, introduce a conflict, or reveal a twist.
    • After everyone has played their plo,t the Storymaster will look through the pile and choose their favorite plot.
    • After you’ve played a card, draw a new one from the Plot deck to replenish your hand.
    • Example: A player might have a Plot card that says “A mysterious package arrives.” They would then integrate this into the story: “The squirrel, in its haste, bumped into a mysterious package left in the food court. It began to tick.”
  3. Round Progression:
    • Players continue adding to the story, going around the table until everyone has had a chance to play a card.
    • The role of the Storyteller then passes to the next player to the left.
    • The new Storyteller has the option to start a new story by drawing a new Character and Setting card or building on the previous story that can introduce a subplot, depending on the group’s preference.

Ending the Game

The game can end in a few ways, decided by the group:

  • A Grand Finale: When one player feels they have the perfect Plot card to end the story, they play it and declare “The End.” The group then votes on whether the ending is satisfying.
  • Time’s Up: The group can agree to stop after a certain number of rounds or once a specific number of stories have been told.
  • Spontaneous Conclusion: The story naturally reaches a hilarious or dramatic conclusion, and the group decides to stop there.

Examples of Cards

  • Character: A reclusive gnome, an astronaut who loves disco, an overworked accountant, a talking teacup.
  • Setting: A haunted laundromat, the moon’s dark side, a wizard’s tax office, a very dusty attic.
  • Plot: A long-lost sibling appears, a cursed object is found, a sudden rain of frogs begins, a terrible secret is revealed.
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Week 4 Engine Building 5 Themed Games: Book Theme

  1. Literary Legacy is a drafting card game like Sushi Go in which players curate a collection of fantasy books and their authors, acting as the Wasabi card or Chopsticks to gain prestige points by selecting cards from a rotating hand to create sets and combinations that score points.
  2. Tale Weavers is a collaborative storytelling game, with cards that you might find in Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, in which a group of players builds a narrative by drawing from a deck of character, setting, and plot cards to create and build a story amongst players.
  3. The Bookkeeper’s Apprentice is a puzzle-solving game in which the player must solve magical riddles and mysteries by sorting through words and phrases from a grimoire to cast spells and defeat the ogre.
  4. Literary Labyrinth is a trading and hand-management game similar to Bonanza, in which players navigate a variety of genres to write their next book series hit by collecting and trading cards of different book genres.
  5. The Canon is a competitive set-collection game in which players compile collections of literary classics, such as romanticism, dystopian, and naturalism, by drafting, trading, and completing sets of classic book cards from different genres.
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Game Response Questions – Splendor

  1. Was it fun?
    • I actually really enjoyed the game. I felt like it kept me on my toes and I was anxiously waiting till I could take my next turn.
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • The player interactions mainly consisted of whether or not someone had all the resources to choose the card you had been saving up for or reserving a spot for. This main interaction made the game 10x more interesting.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • The game didn’t take more than 5 minutes to learn even though we had a veteran play with us so we got the run down nice and quick.
  4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • The most frustrating part was waiting for the other players to take their turn because I had already strategiezd mine.
  5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • My favorite part of the game was the third act because we were so into it and everyone was so competitive about taking their turn to get their next set of gems or purchase something. 
  6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • I wish that the cards in the first level didn’t have an empty no number point value to them because I feel like that put me at a disadvantage having more of those numberless cards as opposed to ones with numbers.
  7. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • I would put numbers on the begining set of cards which could up the antique but could potentially ruin the pacing.
  8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    • I would play this game simply because of the way the rapid competition it was able to build within the first 2 minutes. It was frustrating to see other players cards but that made it all the more motivating.
  9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    • The first act within this game starts with people collecting either 3 different gems or 2 of the same. It’s all about how you set yourself up that first round that could put you in a better or worse position. Then this allows you to purchase outside gem cards to help you get more expensive purchases since they don’t count against your chip limit. Then in the second act we see more of the engine-building strategies of permanent gem cards to purchase second and third tier tokens which is where the game intensifies and people start strategising what cards are the most possible to achieve to get me closer to my goal. The third and final act usually occurs when  players are reaching around 10-12 points and buying from the third tier but the game doesn’t end when a player reaches 15 or more victory points, everyone has to complete the same amount of rounds giving other players a last chance to make bigger decisions. 
  10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • This game is most definitely on the competitive side being that every player can asses another opponents cards while strategiesing what they may be saving up for or already purchasing which is an aspect I thoroughly enjoyed.
  11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • The metaphor of the game is simply about collecting coins inevitably reaching the idea of imbalenced wealth. The mechanic that stood out the most was the hand limit of chips being 10 because that limited what you and other players could pick up because some of the 2nd and 3rd tiered items you would want to try and achieve in the beginning with no card tokens would be hard if you needed 7 blue gem and 3 red but youre missing 1 blue gem and you have 1 green gems so you can’t just pick up that last blue token in the pile.
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Game Response Questions – Dominion

  1. Was it fun?
    • The game was entertaining; however, it had several drawbacks that made it less interesting and fell short of its full potential. Overall, this game makes me feel weird. If I play this more, I might enjoy it.
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • The player interactions involved handing out curses and attack cards, which was the main interaction.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • It took us at least 20 minutes to learn. It was overwhelming at first, but not at all what I was expecting to play.
  4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • The most frustrating aspect of the game was that I couldn’t use the throne room card as a stackable one from the cards I had already placed, which was annoying because I ran out of action cards in my hand. See the image for a better explanation.
  5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • The best part of the game was when I won. I wish there were more action and collaboration within the game, so there wasn’t any big moment in the game that was my favorite.
  6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • As mentioned before in the inserted image, I wanted to replay 2 actions from the throne room card that I couldn’t because I no longer had any actions left to play.
  7. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • If I could wave a magic wand and could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, I would increase the stakes in the sense that instead of a curse, make there be an orge you have to defeat of some sort that if you don’t have a specific card(s) to defeat it you lose -4 coins. 
  8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    • I would play this game again just to see if we could get into the meat of the game faster and more into the strategy. I think deeper in the game faster with better pacing into the second act would make this more interesting. 
  9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    •  The first act of Dominion falls under the fixed deck and getting set up with money or copper and Estates. Player go about the begging of the game by purchasing more money, actions, or estates hence the “Action, Buy, Cleanup” to build their decks. The process after the discard then repeats itself. The second act struggle is where the most of the game is played by choosing strategy, and accumulating cards to optimize you turn until one of the decks lost their cards. When the Privince pile runs low that when we approach the third act which is where players must acciqure as many Estates as possible for the most points. A race to the end for the most victory points while also avoiding curses. The person with the most estate or points wins.
  10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • Not many collaborative efforts in this game considering its you versus everyone else trying to get the most points as you can within one turn.
  11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • The game’s metaphor symbolizes the struggle and gain for full control and sovereignty. The most effective or stand out mechanic was the constant shuffling of the deck which kept the game interesting. You never knew if you was gonna get the card you needed on a specific turn and you just hoped to have enough of the right cards to do something. 
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5 game ideas that involve collaboration

  1. Jack & Jill is a thriller video game in which the players (Jack and Jill) must collect all the souls (orbs) in her home of the previously tortured children by using one of the players and the childrens toys she leaves around her place.
  2. Spacecraft is a skill board game in which the astronaut characters must rewire their ship explodes by using multiple tweezers and motherboards to plug and unplug the correct wires to unarm the bomb .
  3. Night Owl is a timed board game in which the players must complete as many tasks to get across board before the sunrises by using tools they collect within the “collection” card deck and tasks from the “action” card deck.
  4. TikTAk is a party game in which players must go through their social media (preferably TikTok) to pull clips from their seen or shared videos to create an interesting narrative by using the madlib like paper to fill out what the players have come up with.
  5. Filtered is a digital party game in which one player selects a song, poem, quote (something from any of those different categories) to generate a warped version of by using a phrase scrambler to give you back the same information but something isn’t quite the same. Players must guess the users original category or material. Player with the most correct guesses wins.
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Game Response Questions – Forbidden Island

  1. Was it fun?
    • I would overall say the game was fairly fun; however, I don’t think it stood out as much as the other games we played in class.
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • The game was similar to Pandemic in the way that the players interacted to try and beat the game before they all sank off the board.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • Since this was the second game we played, it didn’t take us long to figure it out. Realizing that it was similar to the previous game we had participated in, I would say overall it took us no more than 10 minutes.
  4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    •  Honestly, the most frustrating moment of the game was trying to get to the treasure spot while also praying that one of the flooded spots didn’t get taken.
  5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    •  My favorite moment of the game was being able to trade with other players to get us closer to our goal of getting the treasure, and it sort of played out in the sense that we each were able to get a treasure piece.
  6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    • One thing I wish I could do, which would have defeated the whole point of the game, was to be able to cross diagonally.
  7. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • If I had a magic wand to wave and could change anything from the experience, I would have liked to expand the game with a grander goal in mind; however, we did play on easy mode, so if the water levels were higher I think that might have changed my opinion on the game and it’s purpose and how much I found it entertaining.
  8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    •  I would play this game again simply because I feel like I didn’t give it a fair enough turn, and we did not complete it till it’s full of potential however I would also like to add that this was the second game that we played in the last 45 minutes of class, and my brain was dead for most of the game after Pandemic.
  9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    • Analyzing the game Forbidden Island in the three-act structure starts off with the First Act of setting up the game and getting to know each of the characters’ objectives and how that plays out throughout the narrative of the game, having the theme in mind as rescuing treasures, all the while trying not to let the entirety of the island flood. The second act or the struggle for victory, takes place deeper in the game where the Dynamics keep switching, and the goal is to not let the Island sink. Also, the game feels like it could take place in silence or in a very quiet room, which can easily make the players bored. The third Act, which is the push for victory, where each of the players must stand on Fool’s Landing, is a little bit more exciting than the rest of the game, but the more I think about it, I don’t know how compelling this game was.  It ultimately avoided the “kingmaker effect” where a losing player can impact victory. However, I do think it is a nice touch because it requires players to work together to succeed or fail as a unit, which then pushes the idea of a shared outcome. 
  10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • I don’t think this game was as competitive in the same way as Pandemic, which also ultimately avoided the idea of any frustration or big feelings with the players; however, yet again, it is collaborative, it is just not as compelling.
  11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • The game’s metaphor is ultimately telling The Narrative of escaping an island with treasure before it sinks; this narrative continues throughout the entirety of the game.  I would say the biggest part of the mechanics is the idea of the water level rising, as well as tiles completely being removed from the game, cutting down the size of the board the players have to work with.
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Game Response Questions – Pandemic

  1. Was it fun?
    • I thoroughly enjoyed the game pandemic, though it was a little Annoying to set up at first.
  2. What were the player interactions?
    • Basically, all the players interacted by trying to beat the game before the game beat the players. More times than not, there are more ways to lose than there are to win, so it required a lot of teamwork. Communication was the biggest interaction between players as far as how we can all use the mechanics of the game to our benefit and sort of foreshadow and strategize each turn.
  3. How long did it take to learn?
    • I would say it probably took us a good 20 minutes to learn just because there were so many mechanics to add on to the themes, like there was a hand limit of seven, also the idea of the flights and how cures work, and the infection rate increases while trying to get rid of outbreaks and epidemics.
  4. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • Honestly, the most frustrating moment of the game was probably when I had my little rage moment trying to collect enough cards to trade them in for cures but also part of me wanted to wipe out all the epidemics before finishing the game.
  5. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
    • My favorite moment of Pandemic was honestly strategizing with my other players on how we could trade and meet up with each other in the same city as well as how each of us could take on our own City so that we each had our own cures.
  6. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
    •  Honestly, the only thing I would add, which is outside of the game structure and games in general, was the ability to sort of go back or reverse a turn because there were a lot of times where we didn’t 100% think the outcome through when there was a better way of going about it.
  7. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
    • If I had a magic wand, I would try to find a way to remake the game, but from a Gateway game perspective, using Luck instead of strategy, I think it would be interesting to see how the mechanics, meaning, and theme shifted, and honestly, a different theme in general would be interesting to see how it went into play.
  8. Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
    • I would definitely play this game again and have already considered asking my friends to come to the library to play it with me.  I think what makes this game so addictive is that competitiveness; however, it is not everybody for themselves, it is everyone else against the game and I think that brings an added power of teamwork.
  9. Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
    • As far as the beginning structure or act one of the game, it all starts with the setup, as far as where infection starts on the board and who each player will take part in, and all of the added rules to send players’ characters, as well as divvying up all of the epidemic cards. The second act, which is the idea of the struggle and push for victory, comes into play when players use strategic moves and trade to their fullest advantage, ultimately coming up with more cures. The third act, or the push for victory, comes into play when all of the infections on the board have depleted. You’re down to your final set of cards, looking to get the last of the cures, when the whole gameplay intensifies, which can also come across as a euphoric phase for the players. This is where all players’ emotions are heightened.
  10. What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
    • I would honestly say the collaborative aspect of the game is very prevalent in trying to beat the game, especially when reaching the third Act. As far as the competitive aspect between players, I don’t really think that is prevalent in the game.
  11. What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
    • Overall, the game’s metaphor is the idea of an expanding pandemic, which is the realm the players live in for the entirety of the game. Of the couple of game mechanics I mentioned earlier, I would honestly say the one that stood out the most was the cures because that was the biggest way for the players to beat the game. 
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5 game ideas that can be played using cards

  1. Similar to SushiGo, there would be a card game about books where you have to match the name of the book to the blurred-out photo of the cover, which you can then stack with the name of the author for more points. And the more of the series of books that the author has that you get within your set, the more points you have.
  2. Another card game idea I had was that every player has a theme and some cards, there are  Lego pieces you can mix and match, but each player must pull blindly out of the stack of cards as the person goes around and randomly selects a card, and at the end of the turn everyone has to find their designated Lego pieces and build something along the lines Of the theme and each player has to go around and put in their guess as to what the person built and the more people that guess correctly the more points that player collects.
  3. Again, taking the idea of picking up and putting down cards each round like SushiGo with a deck of cards, each player gets 13 cards, and you have to go around and put one card down each turn, then swap decks, but the goal is to get every card in order from greatest to least, the fastest. Whoever has Ace through 10 and double points for face cards gets the most points, and triple points for the same color and suit the whole way through.
  4. Blackjack, but 2 die decide what number you’re trying to reach, the number that comes out of the die roll, instead of hitting 21. 
  5. Tabboo, the card game, but your team must play deaf ( they all have headphones on with music), and only the other team can listen in.