[Quietly] I’ve never made a print and play (PnP) game before. Is that ok? Well… maybe I’ve been missing out. There are lots of reasons to create a good PnP game, even if you don’t think of yourself as a ‘crafty’ person.
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All posts filed under “Game design”
What can a negative review tell us about the lure of objectivity?
Some people hate Ticket to Ride; people who do not appreciate its brilliance. I hate the United Kingdom expansion as much as they hate the basic game. But unlike them, I’M ACTUALLY RIGHT… right? I like to think that I am a pretty positive person.… Read More
Great Design Decisions: Dominion’s useless victory point cards
This is the first post in an occasional series examining design choices that were critical factors in the overall success of a game’s design. In this entry, I go right in with one of the greats and look at Dominion’s powerful victory point (VP) card… Read More
11 resources to help first time boardgame creators work with artists
A collection of resources to help you speed up and improve the process of working with artists. Especially useful if this is your first game and you’re the one in charge of making sure it’s beautiful.
A new model for game design: Moving beyond the “Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics” framework
The MDA framework is now well known in design circles. Here I take it a step further putting forward my own riff on the model for tabletop games specifically; incorporating the notion of access and mapping out some critical detail.
When is a mechanic worth the set-up time? An illustrative example from Ticket to Ride: Pennsylvania
Applying a cost-benefit framework to a specific mechanic in a TTR expansion, I explore if we can create a more objective way of weighing-up design decisions; at least as far as set-up goes.
The designer’s drawer: A Dominion mini expansion – “By decree”
Many years and quite a few designs ago, I made a mini-expansion for Dominion. It’s been sat in a drawer ever since. So as an experiment in criticism and self-reflection – and with the benefit of hindsight – I’ve decided to dissect it. I want… Read More
An experimental mission to Flashpoint: The results (Part II)
In the last post I explored some possible reasons why Flashpoint’s turn order is just so forgettable. In this post, I present the results of my little experiment and explore what it all means.
What makes a memorable turn order? An experimental mission to Flashpoint: Fire Rescue (Part I)
Flashpoint is a very well designed game but it has an oddly forgettable turn order. Can we use it to find out if certain design decisions will always result in a more memorable structure? UPDATE: Full results now available in Part II.
Why Ticket to Ride: Europe’s station is still first class
Note: If you’ve not played a Ticket to Ride game before, I recommend that you play Ticket to Ride: Europe first before reading. I’ll be taking a lot of knowledge of the game for granted. I first discovered Ticket to Ride: Europe in 2008. It… Read More
