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jackSee gameboard here: https://twitter.com/CartesianDaemon/status/763871871943270400
I keep changing the name of the game. But you're manufacturing something (toys? robots?). You get a toy/pig/pallet at the left side of the board, and need to move over the conveyors to the right side of the board where you get a crate/wrapped present/victory counter.
I wanted to capture the slightly hectic "everything in all directions, build an intricate machine" feel of RoboRally, but in a game which could be learned and played quickly and easily, possibly even by a mix of children and adults.
So I focused on making sure (1) the decisions are usually interesting, there should usually be at least two plausible options and no "of course" decisions and (2) it should be hard to play wrong, all possible moves should be legal even if suboptimal, it should be easy to move the pieces without getting it wrong even if you're not winning. I even stuck to one tile a turn, partly because that seemed enough to be interesting, partly so you don't have to try to keep track of a hand you can drop or show people or forget to draw etc. Each turn is self-contained and fairly easy to follow.
Rules
Set-up
- Deal tiles into a 5x4 grid. L = start row. R = score 1. Edges = pits (go back to the start). Alternate toys at start row, 1 each 3-4 players, 2 each 2 players. just off edge of board (on invisible "move forward" arrows)
Turn order:
- Draw tile, place over any tile in any orientation. Not under toy. Not on tile latched by adjacent magnet.
- Move all your toys in any order
- If you move off the end, get a present
- When a pawn reaches the end of falls off the edge or down a pit
--- goes back to the start (unless you have 1/2 toys already on the board, then return it to the supply)
--- Choose which row it starts in (not directly behind a tile with a toy in)
--- (WAS: opponent to your right choose which row it starts in)
Moving
- Move in direction of arrow, 1 tile or the number of tiles shown in the arrow
- Don't move past wall
- Push any number of toys ahead of you in a straight line (if no walls)
Game end
- When you draw the last tile, finish your turn. Then the player with the most presents wins.
- Tiebreaker = furthest-forward toy (then second-furthest, etc)
- (Alternative rule for longer game: when draw pile is exhuasted, collect all tiles with no toy on them and redeal. Play to N redeals or N presents)
FAQ
- Infinite loop: Congrats! When toy returns to previously visited tile in loop, if it's impossible to change any of the tiles in the loop (eg. all have pawns on, or are latched by magnets), may return pawn to start
- Can't progress: (eg. unmoveavble unpassable tiles forming barrier from top to bottom of board). Redeal all those tiles.
- Move diag and walls: Moving from C to B. If A and left side of B are clear, ok. Same for D and bottom side of B. If both have walls, can't move. If both have pit, fall in. If one wall and one pit, roll a die:
AB
CB
- Move diag off corner of board = treat as moving off the end, get present, go back to start.
(These are the rules for Deck #2, a slightly tweaked version. I have Deck #1, the version Liv and Ghoti tested, safe and unchanged and won't fiddle with it, but the rules are written down, not electronic.)
I keep changing the name of the game. But you're manufacturing something (toys? robots?). You get a toy/pig/pallet at the left side of the board, and need to move over the conveyors to the right side of the board where you get a crate/wrapped present/victory counter.
I wanted to capture the slightly hectic "everything in all directions, build an intricate machine" feel of RoboRally, but in a game which could be learned and played quickly and easily, possibly even by a mix of children and adults.
So I focused on making sure (1) the decisions are usually interesting, there should usually be at least two plausible options and no "of course" decisions and (2) it should be hard to play wrong, all possible moves should be legal even if suboptimal, it should be easy to move the pieces without getting it wrong even if you're not winning. I even stuck to one tile a turn, partly because that seemed enough to be interesting, partly so you don't have to try to keep track of a hand you can drop or show people or forget to draw etc. Each turn is self-contained and fairly easy to follow.
Rules
Set-up
- Deal tiles into a 5x4 grid. L = start row. R = score 1. Edges = pits (go back to the start). Alternate toys at start row, 1 each 3-4 players, 2 each 2 players. just off edge of board (on invisible "move forward" arrows)
Turn order:
- Draw tile, place over any tile in any orientation. Not under toy. Not on tile latched by adjacent magnet.
- Move all your toys in any order
- If you move off the end, get a present
- When a pawn reaches the end of falls off the edge or down a pit
--- goes back to the start (unless you have 1/2 toys already on the board, then return it to the supply)
--- Choose which row it starts in (not directly behind a tile with a toy in)
--- (WAS: opponent to your right choose which row it starts in)
Moving
- Move in direction of arrow, 1 tile or the number of tiles shown in the arrow
- Don't move past wall
- Push any number of toys ahead of you in a straight line (if no walls)
Game end
- When you draw the last tile, finish your turn. Then the player with the most presents wins.
- Tiebreaker = furthest-forward toy (then second-furthest, etc)
- (Alternative rule for longer game: when draw pile is exhuasted, collect all tiles with no toy on them and redeal. Play to N redeals or N presents)
FAQ
- Infinite loop: Congrats! When toy returns to previously visited tile in loop, if it's impossible to change any of the tiles in the loop (eg. all have pawns on, or are latched by magnets), may return pawn to start
- Can't progress: (eg. unmoveavble unpassable tiles forming barrier from top to bottom of board). Redeal all those tiles.
- Move diag and walls: Moving from C to B. If A and left side of B are clear, ok. Same for D and bottom side of B. If both have walls, can't move. If both have pit, fall in. If one wall and one pit, roll a die:
AB
CB
- Move diag off corner of board = treat as moving off the end, get present, go back to start.
(These are the rules for Deck #2, a slightly tweaked version. I have Deck #1, the version Liv and Ghoti tested, safe and unchanged and won't fiddle with it, but the rules are written down, not electronic.)
no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 11:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-12 12:47 pm (UTC)I probably need to rewrite the FAQ. I think it's actually fairly intuitive in practice. I think it's similar to what you suggested, I just tried to think through the rest of the edge cases. But there's no point having that it's not clear.
Thank you. I'm not sure how the magnets will play, I liked the idea because it felt like it would give slightly more interaction with the board beyond "always play in the square someone's about to move into". But you and ghoti weren't sure if it needed more, so I'll try it and see how it goes.
And yes, I hadn't intended to change those, but when I was writing them out, I realised that was probably simpler to follow. I'll see if people find it intuitive in practice.
xx
no subject
Date: 2016-08-15 09:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-16 10:17 am (UTC)I'm still eager for more playtesters, if you'd like to give it a go at some point.
Re: play test at Monday Games Evening (2016-09-06)
Date: 2016-09-06 08:01 am (UTC)It was fun. I look with pleasurable anticipation for future iterations.
Pallando
Re: play test at Monday Games Evening (2016-09-06)
Date: 2016-09-06 11:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-09-07 02:22 pm (UTC)I think you said Colin+Rachel were next in your eventual rotation of inviting to a proper dinner, and I'm very fond of your scrupulous equality :) But if you wanted to come to mine/yours/the pub and try it out in a more casual way, is there any evening that would be good for you?