Hey everyone! As I mentioned in my last blog post, rather than playing other people’s board games I have been working on a board game of my own. I came up with the idea for this game almost two years ago, and I have been fine tuning it ever since. Last weekend, I invited a group of my friends over for a play through of the game and gave them a chance to mercilessly rip it to shreds. Luckily, their criticisms weren’t all that bad, and I’m hoping to make the game even better thanks to their help!

A few highlights from the game testing:

• 13 players attended, giving us the ability to play 3 separate games with 4, 4, and 5 players. I was able to watch the games and give guidance/answer questions which was extremely helpful.
• In preparation for the game, I ordered 5 prototype boards and printed out playing cards. It’s not a finished product, but it works well for our purposes and it’s nice to be playing on an actual board rather than cardboard. Below are a few pictures of the board and the pieces!

• While two of the three games used the standard set of rules I originally created, I gave the third game a set of variable rules to try out. It was a success, meaning that I now have two gameplay options to include in the rules and am even creating a third option for shortened gameplay!
• I received feedback from every player in the form of a survey, with a number of recommendations for improvement. I am now in the process of making tweaks based on their suggestions.

Now that my friends have helped me with their thoughts/critiques, I am excited to say that the next phase is where all of you come in!

Now that my friends have given me their thoughts, I am hoping to branch out and get some critiques from neutral parties. Since I know you’re all board game enthusiasts, I’m hoping that you will help me out by giving the game a try and letting me know what you think!

So, what is this game about you ask? And how do you get a copy to try? Both great questions! Currently I am in the process of making some tweaks to the game and getting some better-quality pieces. Once that is complete, I will be sending out a new blog post with a description of the game and some basic mechanics. I will also be creating a new tab on this blog with an online application to receive a copy of the game for playtesting. If the game sounds interesting to you and want to give it a shot, complete the application and I will send you one of the prototype boards to try out. All I ask is that you give me some feedback about your gaming experience, and if you liked it then spread the news!

Alright, that’s all for now- be on the lookout for the next post, I’m excited to see what you all think about my game!!