I have spent time today in class making changes to my game, which was previously called “DISASTERS” and has now been changed to “BLAST RADIUS.” The original name was a working title as the original concept of the game was to have multiple different “disasters” that could be chosen from to change the story of the game. However, I found that the complexity that this added wasn’t really worth the amount of work that it would take to make different cards for different decks. I doubled down on the nuclear reactor explosion as the disaster, hence the name change.
I also spent time putting all of the possible items that can be drawn into a spreadsheet to manage the balance for further play-testing. The screenshot of what that looks like and how it was organized is below.
I also spent a bit of time in class designing proofs for the backs of the item cards and objective cards to see what a final version of the cards might look like. Those images are also below.
Let me know what you think 🙂
Blast Radius Play Test 2:
– Most frustrating moment: When incapacitated, not being able to do anything but roll the dice felt sort of bad, but it was understandable with how the game works.
– Favorite Moment/Aspect: The strategy of aiming for your objective while stopping others from getting theirs was fun and interesting.
– Anything I wanted to do, but couldn’t: Having more options per turn would be nice (Draw and use action for example (Draw and use action for example).
– What would I change: Being able to do more with item cards could be interesting (More effects, crafting, etc.).
– How has the playing experience changed since for play test: The game has become more refined and the cards have new updated visuals.
– Would I play again: Yes, it was fun and easy to get the hang of. It was also a healthy balance of strategy and luck.
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
– Keeping track of what everyone else had towards the end so I didn’t discard something that someone needed to win.
– Occasionally the pacing did seem slow which was sometimes frustrating, but overall I think it works well for the game.
– Completing an objective that involved deodorant only to get a new objective and need more deodorant.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
– Stealing Max’s wristwatch.
– I also liked being able to draw from both the deck and the discard pile, I think that it makes the game a lot more strategic in terms of what you can and can’t hold on to.
Was there anything you wanted to do but couldn’t?
– Have more weapons/chances to attack/steal from other players – I got in this lull towards the end where I couldn’t draw anything I needed or could use.
– Get deodorant, I always needed deodorant.
– I also wanted a chance to craft more, but I didn’t really have the chance/need to.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?
– I like being able to do more than one objective at a time, I think that would be a good addition, but when playing that way I think the number of objectives needed to complete to win should be raised.
– like I said it also would’ve been nice to have more opportunities/chances/need to craft
How has the experience changed since the first play test?
N/A
Is this a game you would play again? Why?
Yes! I really like the way that strategy plays into it, and I think it’s a lot of fun!