Over the weekend I was able to attend my first Protospiel in Milwaukee. It was a fantastic time. Driving the 5 hours to get there wasn't the most exciting, but it was well worth the trip. I got to play a lot of other designer's games as well as my own. I got a lot of great feedback and hope I was able to provide some helpful insights for other designers. It was a completely different experience than Unpub. At Unpub I wasn't able to play any other games until late at night and it was only 1 or 2 when I did.
I really should have taken better notes on the games I did play. I'll try my best and hopefully the Protospiel website to figure out which games I played. I apologize to anything I mess up or forget.
The first one I played was Beeeees!(that's 5 e's) by Marcus Ross and Cara Heacock. They were one of the previous winners of the Tabletop Deathmatch. It was a real time dice rolling and matching game. It gave the feel of "bee"ing a busy bee. It went through a few different stages during the weekend and it's definitely going somewhere. The artwork was phenomenal just like their previous game Discount Salmon. I'm excited to see what comes out of the game.
One game I was only able to watch was Goodbye Friend, Hello Dinner by Kevin Jones. I started watching in the middle of the game but I was able to quickly understand what was going on. It was a secret bidding game where you're trying to grow your village. There are cannibals and other tribes involved so it can be tricky. The artwork was fantastic and was done by Jason Gerke. The game used a bidding type similar to Revolution! The way bidding worked was kind of like a worker placement on your own board. You were deciding what the people in your village were going to do. You use people to get more people to win the game. You need to try and get enough food for your villagers each round so they don't starve. If they do, they might eat each other making it a little tougher to win. I didn't get a chance to play it but I plan on it if I get the chance.
Parkies by JT Smith was a game I was also only able to watch. I started watching close to the beginning of the game. It was a game where each player is trying to build an amusement park. There were plenty of attractions for players to bid on and expand their parks. They wanted to build a variety in their parks to attract more guests but also needed to be profitable. The game looked fantastic and had a shorter playtime while allowing players plenty of time to still build a decent park. It looks approachable to mostly everyone. There is enough of a game to satisfy a gamer and it's easy and simple enough to get a new comer to play it and not be lost. It is one I would definitely play with any group. It's a game I would for sure back when it comes to Kickstarter.
7 Cities was a game I was able to play. I don't have the card with me but there it more to the name and I can't remember the designers name. I know the rest of the game's name means 7 cities in a different language. It is a city building game that involves war. It is relatively simple but is also fairly complex at the same time. There are only 2 types of units and then cities. You're trying to build 7 cities or get victory points by killing other troops and cities. The board is not a typical hex or square grid. It's really cool and has spaces that are not always adjacent. Some spots have 8 adjacent spaces and others only have 6. It makes the map and planning something to think about. I think the game still has a way to go to streamline everything but I thought it was fun. There is an opportunity to win via attacking people and building up your city to 7. I think the game lasts shorter than it looks and will have lots of decisions to make. I'd be interested in seeing how it ends up. The combat does not use dice and is more direct. It feels like a Euro game that has combat in it.
From Gutter to Glitter by Deirdra Lyon was a game that was not a style I look for. I was not the demographic this game was aimed at though and neither were the other people I played with but we gave it a try. The game is a girls night out party game. Each player is taking control of a princess and is trying to get the end and then whoever can tell the best story will win. The game has a truth or dare type category, a trivia category and an action category. Right now the game is roll and move to determine the category you land on and to get to the end. There are also spaces on the game to collect story pieces. You use the story pieces to create your story at the end. The more you have the more you have to choose from when you create your story. While I wouldn't be dying to play the game, I think there are people who would love it. I think there are aspects that could get some men to play the game as well. I want to see where it goes and would be willing to back the game to see it created. It's a game I think my wife would enjoy.
My prototypes
I was able to play my games a few times. Siege of Sunfall is a new one that I am working on the The Game Crafter's player elimination contest. Don't forget to vote for it! It has a small co-op element where players must work together to not die, but in the end they want to come out ahead. Players start the round with coins. A card will be flipped with a number on it. The players now have to secretly put coins in their hands to try to beat the card. They don't have to beat the card by themselves though. The total of all coins played by the players are used to see if they beat the card. If they beat the card, the player who put in the most gets the card. If they don't beat the card, then the player who put in the least is out for the remainder of the round. A round will last 5-10 cards and the game will be about 5 rounds. Any coins you have left at the end of a round are converted into points and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
The game is all about social loafing. If you can beat the card, putting in 0 coins might be best. If you can't beat the card, then just don't be the lowest. The game has a lot of player interaction and a lot of second guessing on how many coins you should put in based on what you think others will do.
The feedback I got from this game was fantastic. I tweaked a few things during the play and think I have a better game now then when I started. I plan on getting a print and play version as soon as possible. I want to get as much as feedback as I can for the game. I think it can fill that quick social game to either end or start a game night. Look for the print and play soon and then play it again and again.
The other game that I was able to get one play test with was Meltdown! It's my dexterity based co-op. I got some feedback from Unpub and lot of people enjoyed it. I think there is quite a bit to do with the game and there a few tweaks I want to try. It's still at a point where I might completely change a mechanic though. I think the changes from Unpub were a step in the right direction. I need to see adjust it again based on the feedback from Protospiel. I don't think this one would work well as a print and play though. It uses too many pieces to try and do it.
The basic premise is that players are trying to work together to shutdown the reactor before it explodes. Each player has 4 cards they need to play from the deck to shutdown their part. Each round players will stack cubes showing the core heating up. If a stack ever falls then core exploded and everyone loses. The game has a dexterity element along with hand management. I wanted to make a game that had the tension this provides. I think it's a unique idea and I hope to get it working well soon. It's playable now, but I just want the win percentage a little lower. I think the game is a little too easy right now. I also need to work on the different roles for players.
That's all I have for now. Protospiel was a blast. I got to play my games and I got to play tons of others. I plan on going to any other ones I can in the future and recommend any other designers do the same. You get to see what other people are working on and provide help. You also get tons of help for your own games. Remember to watch for the print and play of Siege of Sunfall coming soon.
-Jonny
Play games. Always.
I really should have taken better notes on the games I did play. I'll try my best and hopefully the Protospiel website to figure out which games I played. I apologize to anything I mess up or forget.
The first one I played was Beeeees!(that's 5 e's) by Marcus Ross and Cara Heacock. They were one of the previous winners of the Tabletop Deathmatch. It was a real time dice rolling and matching game. It gave the feel of "bee"ing a busy bee. It went through a few different stages during the weekend and it's definitely going somewhere. The artwork was phenomenal just like their previous game Discount Salmon. I'm excited to see what comes out of the game.
One game I was only able to watch was Goodbye Friend, Hello Dinner by Kevin Jones. I started watching in the middle of the game but I was able to quickly understand what was going on. It was a secret bidding game where you're trying to grow your village. There are cannibals and other tribes involved so it can be tricky. The artwork was fantastic and was done by Jason Gerke. The game used a bidding type similar to Revolution! The way bidding worked was kind of like a worker placement on your own board. You were deciding what the people in your village were going to do. You use people to get more people to win the game. You need to try and get enough food for your villagers each round so they don't starve. If they do, they might eat each other making it a little tougher to win. I didn't get a chance to play it but I plan on it if I get the chance.
Parkies by JT Smith was a game I was also only able to watch. I started watching close to the beginning of the game. It was a game where each player is trying to build an amusement park. There were plenty of attractions for players to bid on and expand their parks. They wanted to build a variety in their parks to attract more guests but also needed to be profitable. The game looked fantastic and had a shorter playtime while allowing players plenty of time to still build a decent park. It looks approachable to mostly everyone. There is enough of a game to satisfy a gamer and it's easy and simple enough to get a new comer to play it and not be lost. It is one I would definitely play with any group. It's a game I would for sure back when it comes to Kickstarter.
7 Cities was a game I was able to play. I don't have the card with me but there it more to the name and I can't remember the designers name. I know the rest of the game's name means 7 cities in a different language. It is a city building game that involves war. It is relatively simple but is also fairly complex at the same time. There are only 2 types of units and then cities. You're trying to build 7 cities or get victory points by killing other troops and cities. The board is not a typical hex or square grid. It's really cool and has spaces that are not always adjacent. Some spots have 8 adjacent spaces and others only have 6. It makes the map and planning something to think about. I think the game still has a way to go to streamline everything but I thought it was fun. There is an opportunity to win via attacking people and building up your city to 7. I think the game lasts shorter than it looks and will have lots of decisions to make. I'd be interested in seeing how it ends up. The combat does not use dice and is more direct. It feels like a Euro game that has combat in it.
From Gutter to Glitter by Deirdra Lyon was a game that was not a style I look for. I was not the demographic this game was aimed at though and neither were the other people I played with but we gave it a try. The game is a girls night out party game. Each player is taking control of a princess and is trying to get the end and then whoever can tell the best story will win. The game has a truth or dare type category, a trivia category and an action category. Right now the game is roll and move to determine the category you land on and to get to the end. There are also spaces on the game to collect story pieces. You use the story pieces to create your story at the end. The more you have the more you have to choose from when you create your story. While I wouldn't be dying to play the game, I think there are people who would love it. I think there are aspects that could get some men to play the game as well. I want to see where it goes and would be willing to back the game to see it created. It's a game I think my wife would enjoy.
My prototypes
I was able to play my games a few times. Siege of Sunfall is a new one that I am working on the The Game Crafter's player elimination contest. Don't forget to vote for it! It has a small co-op element where players must work together to not die, but in the end they want to come out ahead. Players start the round with coins. A card will be flipped with a number on it. The players now have to secretly put coins in their hands to try to beat the card. They don't have to beat the card by themselves though. The total of all coins played by the players are used to see if they beat the card. If they beat the card, the player who put in the most gets the card. If they don't beat the card, then the player who put in the least is out for the remainder of the round. A round will last 5-10 cards and the game will be about 5 rounds. Any coins you have left at the end of a round are converted into points and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
The game is all about social loafing. If you can beat the card, putting in 0 coins might be best. If you can't beat the card, then just don't be the lowest. The game has a lot of player interaction and a lot of second guessing on how many coins you should put in based on what you think others will do.
The feedback I got from this game was fantastic. I tweaked a few things during the play and think I have a better game now then when I started. I plan on getting a print and play version as soon as possible. I want to get as much as feedback as I can for the game. I think it can fill that quick social game to either end or start a game night. Look for the print and play soon and then play it again and again.
The other game that I was able to get one play test with was Meltdown! It's my dexterity based co-op. I got some feedback from Unpub and lot of people enjoyed it. I think there is quite a bit to do with the game and there a few tweaks I want to try. It's still at a point where I might completely change a mechanic though. I think the changes from Unpub were a step in the right direction. I need to see adjust it again based on the feedback from Protospiel. I don't think this one would work well as a print and play though. It uses too many pieces to try and do it.
The basic premise is that players are trying to work together to shutdown the reactor before it explodes. Each player has 4 cards they need to play from the deck to shutdown their part. Each round players will stack cubes showing the core heating up. If a stack ever falls then core exploded and everyone loses. The game has a dexterity element along with hand management. I wanted to make a game that had the tension this provides. I think it's a unique idea and I hope to get it working well soon. It's playable now, but I just want the win percentage a little lower. I think the game is a little too easy right now. I also need to work on the different roles for players.
That's all I have for now. Protospiel was a blast. I got to play my games and I got to play tons of others. I plan on going to any other ones I can in the future and recommend any other designers do the same. You get to see what other people are working on and provide help. You also get tons of help for your own games. Remember to watch for the print and play of Siege of Sunfall coming soon.
-Jonny
Play games. Always.