So let's see if we can state in simple terms what's going on in this half-made card game so far:
- Standard game mechanics, nothing to write home about: players, individual play areas, one draw deck, cards in hand or in play area, used cards go to the discard - so far, standard game mechanics
- Unusual game mechanics: face-down discard pile, win condition not chosen until murder weapon is drawn
- Simple explanation: scandals played face down, including murder. Scandals face up bring consequences. Murder also makes you lose but ends the game. Action cards do action things. Somewhat like a Magic clone: creatures = characters, action cards = sorcery/instant/interrupt, and too much scandal/caught murdering = out of life points.
I haven't played the currently Kickstarted game Exploding Kittens, but I think I might have developed a similar playing conceit: a game of hot potato with effect cards to mitigate being caught. Granted, people who have not played the game have expressed concerns with how boring/simple the mechanics would be. It's certainly a road sign for me, saying that I need to add more.
What mechanics could be added to involve more complexity to the game? I don't mean action card mechanics, I feel that that will come in time, and is actually a sort of a second order complexity. Fluxx does this on purpose; its rules are almost completely read off the cards near the end of the game. It's fun in a confusing way, but I'd like to make the cards no more complex as I have to in order to create the perfect level of complexity.
Another iffy decision that needs to be made is: how heavy do we go on the scandal part? This could be a game merely about scandal without so much emphasis on murder, if need be. But that would change the mood of the game from the players being outstanding citizens solving a murder to players being scoundrels, all trying to embarrass the other characters. It would be very similar to Gloom. I wouldn't want to copy it too closely.
What if we went in G's direction and tried to get into the nittier grittier about solving a mystery, using the cards? The scandal part would be a side mechanic to this main mechanic of solving the murder. This takes me somewhat back to square one. The difficulty of creating the scene in specific details is enormous, since you'd have to have a card for every possible weapon or scenario, like Clue (wrench, lead pipe, axe, and so on and so on...) I could reuse the Capability/Motive/Opportunity mechanic. Perhaps if someone was proven to have all three (placed face up in their playing area), that could be the lose condition for the murderer. The only problem is, that I wouldn't want to create a sort of Schrodinger's murderer condition, whereupon the murderer who is caught (and loses the game) did not get selected until late in the game, and so not given the chance to outwit everyone else. I'd want a mechanic where the murder is determined early on (in secret, drawing the right card), and then that player spends the rest of the game avoiding getting caught.
Some more card ideas:
- Guilt-wracked: You must play this card on any scandals in your play area immediately, or you must play immediately after you play a face-down card thereafter. (Insert bad effect here)
- Mob-justice: Play any time. Players vote to lynch one follower.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Monday, January 12, 2015
A murder mystery card game...or just trying to get a good mechanic for it
Ditching my last concept has brought me full circle again back to the basic premise of what I wanted to do; a murder mystery card game that creates the illusion of solving a different murder every time without a) resorting to simple subtractive deduction like Clue, and b) not becoming a too-involved ersatz roleplaying game that would require too much setup time by a "game master".
Let's face it, these RPG-like board and card games exist in part because running a roleplaying game is a time intensive pursuit. Using the straight-jacketed rules of a board game is what the average gamer likes, because it is such a pleasure to uncover the entirety (or as much of it as you can) of permutations in a rule set. It's fun to be good at something. It's fun to be an expert.
There's nothing wrong with designing a good board game with a few mechanics thrown together in a new way, and off you go. I played, for the first time, Grave Robbers From Outer Space last night. It was a great game that I highly enjoyed. The scene it was trying to set - that we are all movie directors, and each players sends monsters into each other's "movies" - worked beautifully. Yet looking at it, it is a collection of simple mechanics. Your characters in your movies are similar to creature cards in Magic/object cards in Fluxx, etc. You have monsters that are attacks. You have effect cards that you hang on to at the right time. This makes the game very similar to Magic and the dozens of clones out there. (Is there some kind word that describes this sort of card game type? A card game that comprises in part a personal possession area that plays an active part in the game, in addition to your hand? Magic yes, spades no. I'd call it a "personal space" or "territorial" card game, if it was mine to declare.) Add a few extra game mechanics, and boom, off you go.
As an aside, it truly was a boom that Wizards of the Coast couldn't keep a lid on the "personal space", and tapping game mechanics (or at least lease it out...I never heard what the end result of that was). The only downside is that many card games use those mechanics and the process can get stale. Still, the board game renaissance is keeping things fresh.
Everything below this is a scratch pad for designing the game.
- "personal space" game?: I'd like to avoid having it be another Magic clone, but unless there is some major breakthrough, there will have to be elements of personal playing spaces in the game. Maybe if I could make the hand as important as what's on the table; cards played in front of you is public knowledge about you, whereas cards in your hand are private details? And then a third card would be action cards, of course.
- Some of the cards played in your "personal space" could also be played face down, creating intrigue...something secret exists about the player, but what? The play space would have to be less touchable than the player's hand, since the traits played face down would be bad.
- Determination of killer beforehand: a separate deck or some combination of cards beforehand? or during? or even scapegoating? That could work: not determining a killer but proclaiming a killer...making someone lose.
- One of G's main things he wants in his game (though we might still collaborate) is that he wants each player has some sort of damning fact that they try to hide. If it is revealed, that player loses...loses the game, loses points? Dunno, but it adds a twist. Waiting to see what he wants out of it.
- looking at other player's hands: I would think that in a game of figuratively playing your cards close to your chest, you would literally do this as well, until someone force you to show.
- creating a trail of clues: cards that would affect a card in your hand. If you have "murder weapon", then "leaving fingerprints" would mean you discard the weapon immediately but have to hold on to the fingerprints card.
- Catching people in the act: perhaps some cards could force another player to reveal something damning about them, if they have it. Sort of a "Go Fish" mechanic.
- Discard pile face down. This could simulate the ditching of evidence (getting rid of the murder weapon, for example)
So, let's start putting together a card game. Here's a gimmicky change: since solving a mystery means gathering clues, perhaps everyone starts with no cards at all, and draws one at a time? The murder weapon, the motive, the actions you can do, even the character you are, grow as your hand size grows.
Some random thoughts:
- A scandal revealed should penalize them in some way? Lose a turn? If they lose the game then it's too much penalty. Perhaps someone with some scandal face down could be susceptible to blackmail...
GAME PLAY RULES
The last person to have killed something goes first, the continues clockwise. Each person starts with no cards at all!
Each turn consists of drawing a card and playing it. Some cards must be immediately played, some cards can be held for use later. You do not discard from your hand.
There are three types of cards: Character Cards, Scandal Cards, and Action Cards.
- Character Cards: Play these cards in front of you, face up. The first character you play represents you, any further characters you play are your allies.
- Accountant: During your turn, you may draw from the discard pile instead of the draw pile.
- Butler/Maid: During your turn, you may give any card in your hand to any player.
- Hooligan: You must draw a card from the discard pile. If there is no discard pile, draw from the draw deck.
- Inheritor: During your turn, you may skip drawing a card in order to discard one scandal card from any player from play.
- Judge: During your turn, you may skip drawing a card in order to look at another player's hand.
- Socialite:
- Oil Tycoon:
- Private Investigator: During your turn, you may choose to draw two cards, play one, and discard the other.
- Scandal cards: Play these cards in front of you, face down. If a scandal is turned face up while in your play area, you lose your next turn. Scandals remain, face up, in front of you unless another card disposes of them.
- Bankrupt
- Criminal Record
- Divorced
- Fudged the Numbers
- Having an Affair
- Murder Weapon - Place this card in front of you, face down. You are the murderer for the rest of the game ...even if you discard this card.
- Action cards: These cards are normally played during your turn unless noted otherwise. They can be held in your hand until needed.
- Left a Damning Clue: Discard any one scandal or the murder weapon if they are in play in your possession, and place this card face down in your area.
- Blackmail: If someone who has a revealed scandal in play, plays a card that forces you to turn anything in your playing field face up, this card can be played immediately to cancel that effect.
- Planted Evidence: Play in front of another player. Any combination of three Planted Evidence or Left a Damning Clue cards in front of a player (face up) means the player is accused of murder and the game ends.
- Scandal Revealed! Play this card to turn over a card in another player's field of play. (1)
- Alibi: Play in front of you. None of your scandal cards can be turned face-up.
- Red Herring: Play in front of you, face down. Cannot be discarded.
- Gathering the Witnesses: All allies are discarded. - Damn the Consequences! If you have a scandal face down in your area, you may reveal it in order to turn a card in someone else's play area face up. This results in your next turn being lost.
If there are five of any combination of Scandals, Left a Damning Clue, or Planted Evidence in a player's area, that player is out of the game. If that player is the murderer, then the murderer is never found, and everyone loses.
So far, there's a bunch of mechanics for scandals, but not a lot for actually solving the murder. More to come...
Let's face it, these RPG-like board and card games exist in part because running a roleplaying game is a time intensive pursuit. Using the straight-jacketed rules of a board game is what the average gamer likes, because it is such a pleasure to uncover the entirety (or as much of it as you can) of permutations in a rule set. It's fun to be good at something. It's fun to be an expert.
There's nothing wrong with designing a good board game with a few mechanics thrown together in a new way, and off you go. I played, for the first time, Grave Robbers From Outer Space last night. It was a great game that I highly enjoyed. The scene it was trying to set - that we are all movie directors, and each players sends monsters into each other's "movies" - worked beautifully. Yet looking at it, it is a collection of simple mechanics. Your characters in your movies are similar to creature cards in Magic/object cards in Fluxx, etc. You have monsters that are attacks. You have effect cards that you hang on to at the right time. This makes the game very similar to Magic and the dozens of clones out there. (Is there some kind word that describes this sort of card game type? A card game that comprises in part a personal possession area that plays an active part in the game, in addition to your hand? Magic yes, spades no. I'd call it a "personal space" or "territorial" card game, if it was mine to declare.) Add a few extra game mechanics, and boom, off you go.
As an aside, it truly was a boom that Wizards of the Coast couldn't keep a lid on the "personal space", and tapping game mechanics (or at least lease it out...I never heard what the end result of that was). The only downside is that many card games use those mechanics and the process can get stale. Still, the board game renaissance is keeping things fresh.
Everything below this is a scratch pad for designing the game.
- "personal space" game?: I'd like to avoid having it be another Magic clone, but unless there is some major breakthrough, there will have to be elements of personal playing spaces in the game. Maybe if I could make the hand as important as what's on the table; cards played in front of you is public knowledge about you, whereas cards in your hand are private details? And then a third card would be action cards, of course.
- Some of the cards played in your "personal space" could also be played face down, creating intrigue...something secret exists about the player, but what? The play space would have to be less touchable than the player's hand, since the traits played face down would be bad.
- Determination of killer beforehand: a separate deck or some combination of cards beforehand? or during? or even scapegoating? That could work: not determining a killer but proclaiming a killer...making someone lose.
- One of G's main things he wants in his game (though we might still collaborate) is that he wants each player has some sort of damning fact that they try to hide. If it is revealed, that player loses...loses the game, loses points? Dunno, but it adds a twist. Waiting to see what he wants out of it.
- looking at other player's hands: I would think that in a game of figuratively playing your cards close to your chest, you would literally do this as well, until someone force you to show.
- creating a trail of clues: cards that would affect a card in your hand. If you have "murder weapon", then "leaving fingerprints" would mean you discard the weapon immediately but have to hold on to the fingerprints card.
- Catching people in the act: perhaps some cards could force another player to reveal something damning about them, if they have it. Sort of a "Go Fish" mechanic.
- Discard pile face down. This could simulate the ditching of evidence (getting rid of the murder weapon, for example)
So, let's start putting together a card game. Here's a gimmicky change: since solving a mystery means gathering clues, perhaps everyone starts with no cards at all, and draws one at a time? The murder weapon, the motive, the actions you can do, even the character you are, grow as your hand size grows.
Some random thoughts:
- A scandal revealed should penalize them in some way? Lose a turn? If they lose the game then it's too much penalty. Perhaps someone with some scandal face down could be susceptible to blackmail...
GAME PLAY RULES
The last person to have killed something goes first, the continues clockwise. Each person starts with no cards at all!
Each turn consists of drawing a card and playing it. Some cards must be immediately played, some cards can be held for use later. You do not discard from your hand.
There are three types of cards: Character Cards, Scandal Cards, and Action Cards.
- Character Cards: Play these cards in front of you, face up. The first character you play represents you, any further characters you play are your allies.
- Accountant: During your turn, you may draw from the discard pile instead of the draw pile.
- Butler/Maid: During your turn, you may give any card in your hand to any player.
- Hooligan: You must draw a card from the discard pile. If there is no discard pile, draw from the draw deck.
- Inheritor: During your turn, you may skip drawing a card in order to discard one scandal card from any player from play.
- Judge: During your turn, you may skip drawing a card in order to look at another player's hand.
- Socialite:
- Oil Tycoon:
- Private Investigator: During your turn, you may choose to draw two cards, play one, and discard the other.
- Scandal cards: Play these cards in front of you, face down. If a scandal is turned face up while in your play area, you lose your next turn. Scandals remain, face up, in front of you unless another card disposes of them.
- Bankrupt
- Criminal Record
- Divorced
- Fudged the Numbers
- Having an Affair
- Murder Weapon - Place this card in front of you, face down. You are the murderer for the rest of the game ...even if you discard this card.
- Action cards: These cards are normally played during your turn unless noted otherwise. They can be held in your hand until needed.
- Left a Damning Clue: Discard any one scandal or the murder weapon if they are in play in your possession, and place this card face down in your area.
- Blackmail: If someone who has a revealed scandal in play, plays a card that forces you to turn anything in your playing field face up, this card can be played immediately to cancel that effect.
- Planted Evidence: Play in front of another player. Any combination of three Planted Evidence or Left a Damning Clue cards in front of a player (face up) means the player is accused of murder and the game ends.
- Scandal Revealed! Play this card to turn over a card in another player's field of play. (1)
- Alibi: Play in front of you. None of your scandal cards can be turned face-up.
- Red Herring: Play in front of you, face down. Cannot be discarded.
- Gathering the Witnesses: All allies are discarded. - Damn the Consequences! If you have a scandal face down in your area, you may reveal it in order to turn a card in someone else's play area face up. This results in your next turn being lost.
If there are five of any combination of Scandals, Left a Damning Clue, or Planted Evidence in a player's area, that player is out of the game. If that player is the murderer, then the murderer is never found, and everyone loses.
So far, there's a bunch of mechanics for scandals, but not a lot for actually solving the murder. More to come...
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