Category: Game Design Studio 1

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Aleah and Christine Game Idea Brain dump

Braindump:

Materials:

  • Fortune teller
  • Deck of cards (52 cards) 
    • Using tarot cards to build a deck

Sort of go fish 

  • Fortune teller tells us how many cards to pick up
  • Or fortune teller tells us depending of order of cards which one to pick up if u roll a five pick up the fifth card in your deck
  • Keep incorrect card and discard other 4 then pick up 4 new cards

Rules:

Take fortune teller select from coin, sword, cup, and wand

Spell one opening and closing each section with each letter spelled

Chose number from the spot left open

Open that section

Read aloud your action

Keep that card in your hand

Select a player 

Ask them if they have the same number/person and or suit

Collect all that player has

Discard all cards 

Pick up new set or 7

If the ask is unsuccessful 

Discard all cards except the one you used in that turn

Then pick up 6

Other player that was asked to replenish hand 

Continue with this process until out of cards then shuffle the discard pile

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Prototype 3 – Roll and Repair

Concept: Compete to fulfill “repair orders” with limited dice rolls

Gameplay:

  • Each player runs a workshop.
  • Orders (cards) show what dice combos you need (roll a 3 = fix engine).
  • You roll up to 3 times per turn (Yahtzee-style) to complete jobs.
  • Use “Tool” cards to modify rolls (“Reroll one die,” “Swap with another player,” “Delay order for bonus”).
  • Earn money for jobs, lose it for broken tools or failed orders.

Each turn players all choose a new Repair Card each round rolls the device. Collect the money if you ruled the specified number on the card. Choose a Tool card and roll again. Follow instructions on Tool Card if applicable. If there is opportunity, role one last time. Collect all money for complete Repairs.

There are 10 rounds.

Winning:

Richest repair shop after 10 rounds wins

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Witch’s Brew Game Review

  1. Much of the game is centered around chance, making it hard to form offensive or defensive strategies. Players would hoard their cards for a while until they had enough of a stockpile to play offensively or defensively.
  2. I like the idea of Tarot cards being “wild-cards” in essence. They can aid in strategies, speed up gameplay, or completely shift the momentum. However, I feel that they should be treated as special cards drawn from a special pile or earned for performing actions.
  3. There were plenty of opportunities in the game. The mechanics blend nicely, and the gameplay is smooth.
  4. I would add more spells for extra complexity and make the ingredients more universal (meaning they can work for multiple spells). If this were to change, the points to win may need a change. I would also expand on or emphasize some of the conditions that come with cards.
  5. I liked the layered gameplay of collecting cards and using them against others in a greater way. I liked the punishments for being cursed and the idea of using spells to counteract their effects. I made a strategy to play offensively if I could defend against attacks as well.

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The Trial of Taming Spires

  1. The game leaves the entire world building, adversities, and situations up to the game master. Despite this making the game much more open than more linear DND style games, it also makes the game’s fun entirely contingent on the game master’s creativity. I was automatically decided to be the game master (which is an honor), but I felt overwhelmed because I had no framework or idea from where to build off of. I would consider adding more context or foundations for game masters who may not be as improvisational.
  2. I had a lot of fun challenging myself to create an improvised story that featured character arcs, branching paths, and a world that I know little about. I was just as reliant on the enthusiasm of the players as I was on good storytelling.
  3. I wanted a greater idea of what I was guiding my players towards. Though the game master sheet provides a brief explanation of the overall themes and enemies that are not to be revealed until the end, it does little to help develop a story; it only provides a setting. Contrast this to the Honey Heist, where locations, adversities, and main antagonists were determined on a dice roll.
  4. I would add more relevance to the beasts that each character possesses, whether it be a deeper battle system or a way of distinguishing beasts from one another. Also, it is difficult to keep track of the traits each character has on top of the traits each creature has.
  5. I enjoy story-driven games that are up to the imagination of a player. While the mechanics and rules cold be refined, I believe that the game is a fun DND-style experience.
  6. Yes, I would play The Trial of Taming Spires again, though I’d like to make a character and not always be chosen to be game master.

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Headlampers Game Review

  1. Near the end of the game , the low amount of available tiles on the board meant that players spent more time rolling the dice to get the number on the tile. Furthermore, if you miss the tile number, your turn is skipped. This made the game much longer, as much of the end game was spent rolling the dice to get a specific number repeatedly. I would recommend adding a re-roll mechanic that allows players to get more out of their turn during the end game.
  2. I loved the theming and competitive factor between players in the game. I believe that the concept is simple, yet solid.
  3. There were many moments of inaction in the game because none of the players could roll the number needed to pick up a tile. I would change this mechanic, either through new rules, cards, etc to eliminate that downtime.
  4. The amount of wildcards was plentiful, but the cards themselves were often repetitive. I believe that adding more diverse cards could enhance the game play more.
  5. I did not mind the dice rolling being the primary action in the game. The dice make the game naturally fair, and the wild cards enhance the game by giving players reasons to challenge each other.
  6. Yes. I think the game is fun to play casually with friends. With some added mechanics, or tweaked features, I believe some of the aspects of the game could be ironed out to make the game better. However, I believe that the simplicity works in Headlampers’ favor, because it gives all players the likely chance to win at the cost of skill expression.