How it began

Creating this game has been a journey filled with inspiration from some of my favourite games. Each of the following games brought something unique to the table:

Starting with the Complexity of Catan

Catan is not considered a complex game by current board game standards, but that is a major part of its gateway nature for people first venturing into the board game world. An intricate balance of strategy, resource management, and player interaction is a foundational class in Euro game design that I wanted to base my game on.

Simple elements of resource collection inspired me to think that maybe it could have similar features, but I would try to mitigate the luck of waiting on the roll for resources to be able to do anything much during your turn. These were key inspirations for the beginnings of Volcanique. I wanted to create a game that was easy to learn but offered layers of complexity that would keep players coming back for more. Every time I added a new element - most notably the volcanic powers, I have been very careful to try and ensure that the mechanism was simple and easy to remember, but the ways that it interacts into the system of points were vast.

The Shifting Board of Hive

Hive’s dynamic board was a game-changer in how I thought about boardgames. The way the board evolves with each move, creating new strategies and challenges, is fascinating.

This concept of a constantly changing playing field heavily influenced my design from the start, encouraging players to adapt and think on their feet as the game progresses. I couldn’t thematically and mechanically make the entire islands move around, the scale of tectonic plates shifting compared to the fleeting movements and control of the critters didn’t quite fit right with me. It also added a level of board management and complexity that was already getting hard to keep track of towards the end of the game when there are multiple volcanoes and lava flows.

The Tactile Nature of Azul

Azul’s tactile experience is one of its most captivating features. Hearing the clinking of the tiles as they are shuffled in the cloth bag, feeling the tiles as you decide between which colour and where to place them, and the visual appeal of the patterns all contribute to a deeply engaging experience. This inspired me to focus on the physical interaction players would have with the game, ensuring that every piece felt satisfying to touch and move. It took me into the world of porcelain tiles, not just cardboard or wooden pieces. They need weight. They need the clink.

Root

In a similar vein, the art style of Root brings in a very large audience to try a significantly more complex game. I’m far from deciding what path I’ll exactly go down for Volcanique, but I’m hoping to make it a light-hearted game, not getting too deep into a storyline. Maybe letting whoever wants to make their own spinoffs using the same mechanics. Also, using a 12-sided dice with only 4 possible faces makes a delightful roll compared to the standard triangular pyramid d4.

Pass the Pigs

A game of luck, a game of greed. Such a simple game that you can play at the pub. I still want to incorporate elements of that final turn feeling of Pass the Pigs, that ever-so-slight chance that one player could come from behind. It’s basically zero, but it’s not quite. Gambling be damned. All or nothing for those who would lose anyway (and they probably will still lose…but there’s a chance).

Hexagons are the Bestagons

Need I say more? CGPGrey has it covered.

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Thanks for reading - ABK