I’ve got 5 games started now, and I thought it would be a good idea for me to lay out each idea and its current state. It seems wise to pick one or two to focus on. Do any of these grab ya?
1) KNIGHT WRITER: A 2-Player Card Game of Swordplay and Wordplay
Two Knights from the Alphabetic Order are locked in linguistic combat, forming words to complete Medieval Mad-Libbish goal cards. This one’s the furthest along, having had 2 playtests and 3 iterations. Now I need to work on the goal cards and get it into Tabletop Simulator for more playtesting.
2) PARKING AREA 51: A 2-Player Area-Control Game of Parking UFOs
Players control teams of 5 UFOs, selecting movement by flipping numbered discs and vying for control of the center of the board to get the most units of Energy (VP). I made a prototype, but I’ve only tested it by myself and with my kiddo. Based on those tests, I want to redesign the board a bit and get it into Tabletop Simulator. Not much magic going on here yet; needs a hook.
3) MICROGOLF: An 18-Card Game of Putt-Putt
Players take turns completing the holes, keeping track of how many strokes they take; whoever has the fewest strokes is the winner. Cards feature cut-outs for traps, embossing for paths, flaps for walls, and a cocktail toothpick for the flag. This is still in the early, formative stages, but I think it could be really cool. I did some research and found Thistle Dhu, which I want to use as the template for my course.
4) O: The Quest for the Perfect Circle
Players attempt to draw circles using an increasingly helpful set of tools, then the players become judges and critique them. This is probably the silliest idea so far, which makes me want to pursue it further. No prototype yet.
5) Race Cards: A Kids’ Game of Racing and Collecting
Players use cards to move around the track, collecting upgrades as they go. One idea for a hook is to boost replay-ability: start with a footrace, gathering pieces for your horse. Next race is a horse race, where you’re gathering bike pieces, and so on with pieces for a Model T, a modern car, and a spaceship. No prototype yet.
Responses
I like #1 and #2 best
I like 3 and 5. ‘Gathering pieces for a horse’ cracked me up. The golf one sounds perfect for 18 cards. Im interested in know how you putt.
I like 1 & 3. 1 as it’s the furthest along, (s)wordplay is fun wordplay in and of itself, and mad libs are great. 3 because it sounds like the tightest concept to execute.
I like 1, 2 and 3. You had me at “parking UFOs” 🙂
As for “Knight Rider”, I think that’s a cool name and I like the idea of “linguistic combat”, it reminds of the new Exploding Kittens app, which I haven’t played yet, https://theoatmeal.com/kittyletter but you create words to create armies, lol.
I wish you all the best, looking forward to hearing more.
I like #3 the best. 1 and 2 sound interesting too.
Kid’s Race seems fun and would look fun with the right art style.