Ok, the first proper sitdown playtest with fellow game designers rather than game enthuasists.

Will do a write up eventually

Here’s that write up, some 2.5wks later.

Taking the game to be played by complete strangers is an intimidating thing. Thankfully, I had my friend Huon along for support. Run at The Gaming Verse in the middle of Melbourne, we were up against a Beyblade competition. The noise of letting it rip can be pretty difficult to explain game rules to newcomers, but everyone did a great job despite the background noise.

Testing some games in progress, such as a Flock of Sheeple, a wolf in sheeps clothing mafia style game and a Codenames but dance moves situation.

A few of the best comments were:

Make the game clearer BEFORE fixing mechanics Make guides, then make changes so you can tell the difference between infomration issues and game issues. Volcanoes don’t feel good because you don’t get to place extra critters - particularly noticeable in a four player game.

• Feels like most turns are similar (this was an early comment, which is true)
• Don’t have a lot of control of your starting island (alternate placing arrangements have now been devised)

Hard to understand how to win ()

Analysis paralysis

Focus Small, meaningful decisions

The game getting bogged down by one or more players. Brain freezes within the decision space.

If you’re getting analysis paralysis, you’re probably doing something right.

6 factors that affect AP

• How understandable the rules are
• Intuitive to learn and retain
• Rules aren’t obviously streamlined
• Every turn matters otherwise people will check out and back in
• If scoring is completely transparent - people spends their turn trying to maximise the entire score.
• Don’t let an AP prone player win (polite, practical and to the point)

Don’t forget to mention that you won’t stay on your island.

If you have a bunch of different things you can do, if anything is

“you might wanna do this right away, otherwise other people might take it”

Planning your turn - TRY placing.

End of round goals that rewards and (rewarding) forward momentum

e.g.

• last to set off a volcano
• First to 5 critters

Different default powers per person. Flying (Can fly) Sea (Sea movement) Colossal (You can upgrade) Crafty (You can make extra purchases) Cooperative (You can move onto others lands)

Agile (you can move two?)

Gotta work out how to distribute that damned newsletter

Update, we got there! Sign up here:

http://volcanique.rocks/subscribe/