Game design update

Today I talk about SmashCon and my current game design projects. 

SmashCon

I had a great time at SmashCon this weekend, a cosy boardgame convention in a nearby community centre. 

This year I volunteered to help out and did two slots lending out boardgames which was great to meet a lot of people. There were between 100 and 200 people in the premises at only one time (we counted for fire safety regulations) and a nice background buzz of people enjoying themselves in small groups over a game. Entrance was free and there was a good mix of people, from parents with kids to young adult all the way up to senior gamers (like me).

I brought with me a copy of Draw Stranger, my 19 cards microgame, it was a great ice breaker! I would pitch and play with people when there was a lull in activity. It plays in five minutes, it’s quick to learn and has a great balance between luck and skill. People accepted a second game right away after which we’d continue small talking or playing other games. It’s great when a game can do this.

I have handed out most of the six copies of Draw Stranger that I printed and have updated the visual design for a next print run based on feedback I got so far. I will order a new batch from PrinterStudio when I order next time. The game is ready for a publisher to pick up.

Mediterranean Metro

I was spurred to pick up the design of Mediterranean Metro again by a stray remark. In Mediterranean Metro, you build a metro underneath a city with an ancient past. It’s a family card game for up to four players with 108 cards. The core of the game is the 48 city cards and underground cards that you lay out in a 4 by 6 grid. During the game players reveal the hidden underground cards and build metro stations and tunnels by paying the cost in workers, engineers and archeologists. There is a good balance of luck and strategy with random events and take-that cards to make it fun, fast and light. Plus you get a nice sense of accomplishment from having built a metro network together. 

I designed and play tested the game last year then put it in the drawer to simmer. The basic game worked but I was not satisfied with the game length for higher player counts. When someone called for a face-to-face playtest session, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Playtesting in Alphabar

Over on our game design Discord server, someone asked to meet up in Stockholm for playtesting. We landed on a format of four hours, booking a room in Alphabar, a boardgame cafe next to Alphaspel, a nice game store here in Stockholm and in the right direction for me to be easy to get to. 

We were three game designers playtesting each others’ games, all in variable state of maturity. First session I brought Holmgang and Draw Stranger, second and third session I tested Mediterranean Metro. Great to get fresh eyes and qualified feedback on all games. Especially happy to get several iterations of Mediterranean Metro in, it took it from an ooo game to a good game. Great feeling when you can make a game design better by making it simpler!

The latest version of Mediterranean Metro is up as print-and-play. I’m contemplating whether to do more playtesting in the current format or to proceed to create cards for a printed version of the game.

I am very satisfied with how Holmgang plays. I have gotten useful feedback on how to improve the visual design of the cards. I want to do another iteration of the cards, then I have a small number of copies to send out for blind testing. 

Gotlandia

Gotlandia has been on the back burner lately. It’s a great game, I am very happy with how it plays. It also a much harder game to publish, either on my own or through a publisher.

The next iteration will be about communicating the rules better on cards and game board to make it easier to learn. This is super hard! I came up with a new design for action cards, next up is to update reputation cards and generation cards. I have some ideas but have been pushing it as other stuff got priority. 

Now when I am ready to pick up Gotlandia again, I realise that the GIMP 3.0 version I installed on my new MacBook has some issues with the latest MacOS. At the same time, Affinity is now available for free so I’m consider if this is the moment to switch. From what I have tested so far, Affinity seems the better program. But there is both the learning curve of a new program and all the stranded assets I will have to port or recreate. Tough spot to be in.

When I have an updated version ready, I will playtest it further here in Stockholm. I also aim to host Gotlandia at LinCon again next year, it could become a yearly recurring thing. 

Swedish Annual Game design Awards

The next instance of SAGA, Swedish Annual Game design Awards, has been announced. They have made some changes to the format which I like. There will be two categories, light and heavy, and the timeline of the competition is concentrated to four months, culminating at LinCon in May 2026.

I am tempted to submit Gotlandia and either Draw stranger or Holmgang. Still chewing on this.

It's great fun to create and play games.