Shields Up! Reviews!

The reviews for Shields Up! are coming in and it really is fantastic to see the response. As a designer the most gratifying thing is to see that the reviewers are interpreting the game exactly as I had intended.

One detail about the game that I really enjoy is that late in the game there can be a lot of cards tied up in hands, shields and equipment on the table. This leaves very few cards for the draw/discard pile. This can lead to a mini variation of the game each time as the contents of the draw pile can be really slim. This means players will repeatedly abuse those same cards to some end. The result of all this is that the end game dynamics can be very different in each game. Ultimately, there is always a way to win though, its all about spotting the chance first. I was really pleased to see that this review by Everything Board Games picked up on that.

Everything Board Games review of Shields Up!:
http://www.everythingboardgames.com/2018/04/shields-up-kickstarter-preview.html

In this video review by Boardgames and Bourbon its fantastic to hear how much they loved this little game. I believe that much of the success of the design is due to the rapid refinement it received at Protospiel Madison.

There is still pleanty of time to get in the Kickstarter. You can get just Shields Up! for $10, including shipping. Or for $24 you can get Shields Up! plus two other great 18 card mirco games! Again, shipping included!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1955058029/kingdom-18-itty-bitty-dungeon-delve-and-shields-up

Shields Up! On Kickstarter now!

I am so excited to say that the Kickstarter for Shields Up! has been up and running for a few days. It is actually being featured as a bundle of 3 micro games, all containing 18 cards. I can’t wait to get this game out into the world. Even more so, I am eager to see the stretch goals we have planed come to life. I have been testing out some extra cards that add even more layers to this already fun game.

Please check out the Kickstarter campaign! You can get Shields Up! for $10 (shipping included) or all three games for $24 (shipping included)!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1955058029/kingdom-18-itty-bitty-dungeon-delve-and-shields-up?ref=3rrwyh

Here are the cards from the game:

card-display

Emotion Focused Game Design

This session could, in my opinion, be titled Emotion Focused Game Design. In it the speaker talks about the different elements of the board game Burgle Bros and how he consider emotions as it relates to each element of the game. It is interesting to see how he considered the story arc, how emotion played in and how this was worked into the elements of the game. Really thought provoking.

A Crash Course in Graphic Design for Board Game Designers

I am really excited to be presenting at CrafterCon 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin! I have spoken at many events over the years, but I must say that I am more excited about this one then any previously. I have posted my presentation to SlideShare because it makes it easy to view.

If you prefer, just download the PDF here (~150mb file) or a compressed version here (12 mb).

Rule making game mechanic in Visitor

visitor-player-power-curve

I recently backed a game on Kickstarter called Visitor. This relatively simple game has an interesting mechanic where one person creates a rule, and the goal of the other players is to figure the rule out. The article linked to below is a write up from the designers about the process of shaping this game. I have fond memories of the game Mastermind, and it was very interesting to see how it fit into their analysis.

Unique Mechanics of Visitor