Category: Prototype

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Strays: Rules, Board, and Cards Ideas

Strays A Board Game AdventureDownload

🟢 BONUS MOVES (6 cards)

1. Zoomies! — Move forward 3 extra spaces.

2. Sniff Something Familiar — Move to the nearest Red house space.

3. Fetch Champion — Roll again and take another full turn.

4. Neighborhood Shortcut — Jump across one Alley to any connected Street.

5. Lucky Bone! — Gain +2 points instantly.

6. Treat Time — Draw one extra Fetch Card this turn.

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🔴 PENALTIES (6 cards)

7. Caught by the Dogcatcher! — Skip your next turn.

8. Lost Collar — Move back 3 spaces.

9. Rainstorm! — All dogs lose 1 move next round.

10. Wrong Yard! — Lose 2 points for trespassing.

11. You Chased a Cat — Move back to your previous intersection.

12. Dropped the Bone — Discard your lowest-value house token.

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🟡 TRADES & SWAPS (6 cards)

13. Playdate — Swap one house token with any player.

14. Friendly Bark — Choose one player; both of you draw 1 Fetch Card.

15. Steal the Spotlight — Take one random card from another player.

16. House Swap — Exchange your highest-value house with another player’s.

17. Pack Instinct — Move to share a space with another dog; both draw 1 Fetch Card.

18. Good Neighbor — Give one Red house to another player; gain +2 points for kindness.

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🟣 CHALLENGES (6 cards)

19. Dig for Treasure — Roll the die; on 5 or 6, gain +3 points. Otherwise, lose 1 point.

20. Bark-Off! — Choose another player; both roll. Higher roll gains +2 points.

21. Hide the Bone — Roll the die; on even, draw another card. On odd, skip next Fetch action.

22. Obstacle Course — Move through two hydrant spaces in one turn to earn +4 points.

23. Sniff Contest — First player to reach a blue house gains +2 bonus points.

24. Runaway Mail Truck — All players move 2 spaces backward.

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🔵 EVENTS (6 cards)

25. Garbage Day! — All Red houses are worth +1 this round.

26. New Family in Town — Add a new Red house token to any empty space.

27. Full Moon Frenzy! — Every player moves again immediately.

28. Squirrel Chase! — Roll a die: 1–3 move back 2 spaces; 4–6 move ahead 2 spaces.

29. Friendly Fire Hydrant — Gain +1 point for each hydrant you’ve passed.

30. Dog Park Meetup — Every player draws a Fetch Card.

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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.