Paper Prototype Game Developing

Session 1 Gameplay/Game Building:

The first attempt at paper prototyping was about 45 minutes to think of mechanics and start testing. We decided to begin with a hexagon map and a standard deck of 52 playing cards. The initial idea was a battle between two players with cards that determine battle abilities. The cards would dictate movement and abilities. So both players started to move their player piece forward towards the end. One D6 was added to give players agency as directions and incentives to battle were added with health dots, battle dots, and card dots. Health had originally been the amount of cards we had and the urge to collect five of the same suit to the end. Health counters were added instead. Not only were battle cards discarded after each battle, but the loser would also reduce their health counter. This made players want to get more health. So now players had to try and get five of the same suit cards and get to their end of the map, as well as ensure their opponent failed to do the same.

The final rules to that initial gameplay were:

Game Mechanics:

• Hexagon Grid, Roll/Spin and Move, Take That, Card Drafting

Rules:

• Roll and whoever gets the highest goes first.
• Deal 10 cards per player.
• Each player starts with 10 health on their counter.
• Players start on opposite facing sides of the hexagonal board.
• Players can move in all directions on the board.
• Players can discard cards instead of moving.
• Player 1 rolls a D6 to determine how many spaces they can move.
• To win, get to the other side of the map with 5 of the same Suit cards in your hand.
• If both players get to the other side at the same time, whoever has the highest sum of their same suit cards wins.
• Whoever reaches their finish area ends the game

Special Board Spaces

Red Dot: Battle

• Challenge the other player to a suits battle
• Each player sets down their choice of the amount of that suit of card upside down. Once both players have set down their cards, reveal them to each other. Whoever has the highest number of the sum of their cards wins that battle (number cards are their numbers, King, Queen, and Jacks are 10, Ace is 11)
• Whoever has the least is dealt -2 damage

Green Dot: Health

• Get plus 2 health

Blue Dot: Cards

• Get 1 card

This is the first iteration of the paper prototype. In this case, the black player got to the other end with five of the same suit (the black clubs).

Session 2 Gameplay/Game Iteration:

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It was determined that the game had gotten too complicated and confusing with all the different pieces like the counters, the hexagonal map, the colored dots, the D6, and the cards. The first step in restarting the game was to remove the health, counter, and D6. Each player was in turn given 5 player pieces. The idea was to still get to the other side of the map and ensure your opponent didn’t get to their side. There were still spaces that allowed players to collect new cards. Pieces could move in any direction. Cards could be used as battle cards. Number cards push back the opposition by their worth. Aces are only worth one in an attack, but null any attack against you. Each player ends their turn by moving forward. Unfortunately it wasn’t very fun and the map was too large with few ways of stopping your opponent. Essentially, my opposition just made it across the map with few attacks from myself since the ability to get to the other side barely hindered mine.

The second session still includes the hexagonal map but does away with most of everything else. Seen here, two red pieces are on black dots and have collected more cards. An attack was made and nulled by an Ace.

It was at this point that the decision was made to scrap the board and use a chess board that allowed for more strategy. Each player has 8 player pieces and align to the facing sides of the board. The idea to get to the other side was still in place. Black squares on the board allow the player to take a card. Player pieces can only move directly forward while on a black square, but can move forward directly or diagonally when on white. Each player starts with 4 cards from a standard deck of 52 cards since four player pieces start on 4 black squares. Ace still meant one in an attack but null as a defense. Kings, Queens, and Jacks count for 10.

This is how the game is set up.

This is how the players can move on the board.

For an example of an attack, Player 1 attacks Player 2’s piece with a 5. Player 2 can counter with a 5+ card and that will null the attack. Player 1 then can either attack again (any of the opponent’s pieces), or move one of their own pieces forward, or move their own pieces back with a self attack. If Player 1 attacked with a 5 and Player 2 defended with a 3, Player 2’s piece moves back the subtraction of the cards, which is 2.

Red attacks Blue with a 5 and Blue defends with a 3. 5–3=2. Therefore Blue piece is pushed back to the black square.

If a player piece is attacked and pushed back, it can only go until it is obstructed. For example, if there is a piece directly behind an attacked piece, it cannot be pushed back.

The same as above but now the blue piece cannot move at all backwards because another piece is blocking it’s path.

So the final rules after this session were:

Game Mechanics:

• Grid Movement, Square Grid, Pattern Movement, Take That

Rules:

• Each player gets 8 pawns and lines their pieces on each black and white square at one side of the board facing each other.
• Each player begins with 4 cards.
• Game starts with the first player moving one piece forward one space.
• Pieces can only move directly forward when on a black square.
• Pieces can move directly forward or diagonally forward on a white square.
• Pieces cannot move backwards or side to side.
• Kings, Queens, and Jacks count as 10.
• Aces count as 1 in an attack and null an attack as defense.
• Players can choose to attack any of their opponent’s pawns on the board with a card that moves the pawn directly backwards.
• Players can attack themselves with their cards in order to move them backwards.
• An attacked player can choose to defend with any card. Cards of the same value as the attacking card null the attack as well as any card over the value. Cards of lower value used to defend reduce the attack by that number.
• Opponents can defend self attacks and try to stop players from moving their pieces back.
• Pieces that reach the opposite side cannot move.
• Player Pieces cannot jump each other.
• Pieces are not pushed off of the board, the attacks push them back to the last row or until there is a piece in the way.
• The game ends when a player wins by having all pieces at the opposite end of the board.

A Moment of Consideration

In the first attempt at play for this iteration, the first question to answer was what happened in this situation? The red piece can only move forwards, therefore it is blocked by the blue piece which does have an ability to move. This is an example of player strategy.

Another interesting development at the end of this play session was the fact that the blue piece here is blocked by the red piece. This puts the players at a stalemate. It’s highly likely that the blue player could win, but there are situations that the red player may have enough attack cards to keep pushing the blue player back until they get across to their side. Regardless, the blue player must self attack multiple times and move forward multiple times until the red player cedes.

Session 3 Final Gameplay/Iteration:

In the final session I was partnered with another player whom had never played before. The difference here was that the game was played online but in person.

The game rules were explained, although I determined afterwards that certain instructions needed to be stated more clearly. Despite that setback that drove the opposition to make decisions that were incorrect, the game play ended up being quite interesting! The game starts slowly as players move pieces and collect cards without much interaction. The size of the board is what inevitably made us interact though and was a good design decision in the end. Forced to combat, we figured out what strategies worked and what didn’t. I chose not to collect as many cards so I didn’t have enough in my arsenal often times. We were almost certain my opponent would win the game only for me to land on a black square when pushed back a space and get another card that would win me the game. I pushed my opponent back with a final card as they neared the end and I was able to finally land in the finishing spot on the right.

Seen here the Jack is played to push the Blue Player back all the way across the board in the last ditch attempt for the Red Player to win.

So while the instructions needed to be stated more clearly, the game ended up being enjoyable! I was suggested to possibly make it that the attack and defense cards start out face down and make it a random chance at whether the player is pushed back or not. I’m happy that not only is the game enjoyable, but it’s really quite easy to remake with game boards people often have already at home. I suggest trying it out and letting me know what you think!