Category: Games

GameCon Canada - Cool Finds (Part 2)

7/7/2023

To follow-up with my last post where I felt my little game geek girl heart ignite, I share with you now the game that unexpectedly lit up my teacher heart!

Pimohtewin, the Métis educational board game by Michif Media. This was described to me as a Monopoly meets Cataan game, intended to be accessible to families, and to immerse them in the history of Métis culture during the period of the settlement of the Red River area.

I was immediately impressed by the passion and dedication to the theme of their game, wanting showcase authentic representations. Every component in this display was made by them, from the 3D printed log cabin box to the hand-made pewter molds for their (hefty!) playing pieces. Every inch - nay, millimeter, of this game has been poured over with love and it shows!

I'll be honest, a Monopoly/Cataan hybrid probably wouldn't make it to the table for a regular game night at my house, but as a teacher, my little heart exploded and I probably took up at least 50 minutes of their time imagining how to honour this game and bring it to life in the classroom, beyond the classroom, to get a whole school involved and sharing the fun and learning.

Again, I haven't done a full playtest of this game, and therefore I cannot speak to the completeness of the mechanics and game play, but it is one of those games that's just so damn beautiful, and the conversations that could (and should!) emerge from unpacking each component would be so worthwhile!

I love what this is, and what it represents. Monopoly/Cataan is a great gateway, and I can't wait to see how this could evolve for Michif Media. My game geek girl heart is exploding with all of the future possibilities of them (and other under-represented nations) taking this rich content into more intense gaming realms - could you imagine a My Father's Work flush with real history and lore?!?!?

I wish nothing but the best to this group of designers who clearly had a vision and compromised none of it. My game designer heart is in awe of their ambition and dedication, and my teacher heart overflows with imagining how many lives this could touch, not just to bring friends and families together around a game table, but to heal some ties and fill-in some blanks, and above all, inspire so many to see the Past, Present, and Future that is written in their own voice.

Having taught some students who have been disconnected from their culture, or were reluctant to share it, I can't wait to see this generation use something like this to springboard a whole life's worth of ambition; because this game is so much more than how it plays, how it looks, or even the bits of facts embedded into it; this game is a triumph, it is what pride and passion can build, and THAT means EVERYTHING!

For more information, please visit michifmedia.com and find out how you can support the up-coming Kickstarter for this unique resource!

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GameCon Canada - Cool Finds (Part 1)

6/29/2023

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This last weekend we set up at the first ever GameCon Canada inaugural event. Unsure of what to expect at a convention that would cater to both the video game audience and the table top gamers, it was an adventure for exhibiters and attendees alike!

I was pleasantly surprised at the flow and ease of this convention, the helpful staff, the friendly table neighbours, and the depth of the conversation had with everyone who stopped by our table, as well as the tables we were able to venture out to visit.

The whole family came, and we left with some great souvenirs, fun memories, and some new friends!

What I love most about being able to get out to the convention is the rekindling of inspiration. Being a room filled with creative, fun-loving people, re-visiting my own creative projects and remembering why I loved them in the first place, and meeting with people who make you want to make your next piece even better than the last (and RIGHT NOW!!!). As a full-time mom who came from full-time teaching, that spark can feel so lost under the weight of everything else that needs to get done TODAY, and while convention days are long and busy, they are also a chance to spend some time with that part of myself that I'm pleasantly surprised to find isn't lost at all.

So it might just be a little party sparkler right now, waiting to ignite into something greater, but for this post I'd like to raise my little sparkler to a couple of up-coming board games and their design teams for daring to pour their heart into something new.

Unscrewed by Mean Hyena Games

90's Cartoon Throwdown Mayhem (in a Box)

When I first walked by this booth, my eye immediately fell to the crude and absurd (but in a good way!) cartoon standees. The box only confirmed my impression, and designer Chris Cooke was more than happy to walk me through this up-and-coming game.

I'll be honest, this game does not speak to my personal aesthetic, however, I happen to have married a board game geek who enjoyed the 90's classics far more than I did (it helps that he's also a little bit older than I am and probably remembers it better than I do anyway).

I instantly saw images that made me think of Ren & Stimpy and Rocco's Modern Life, cartoons that hubs and I reminisced about recently as our sons discovered Spongebob Squarepants for the first time just a couple of weeks ago. Hubs remembers these shows with great fondness. I myself have vague recollections at best, and yet somehow have the Log Song firmly planted in my brain -- ironically enough hubs did not remember the Log Song at all!

It was of no shock to me when Chris Cooke mentioned those shows specifically as inspiration for his game design, that with a little Warner Bros Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote action of using anything and everything ACME has to offer for offing the guy next to you, which is exactly what this game is going to immerse you into. You aren't just a grotesque 90's cartoon reject, you are the BEST grotesque 90's cartoon reject, and By Golly, when there's only room on the time slot for one of y'all, well, thank goodness you're just a cartoon or this would RRREEEAAAALLLY hurt!

Each player begins on a small grid board. A variety of boards are available for playing with, each with it's own unique assortment of mayhem-inducing obstacles and strategic(ish) game-changers. I say strategic(ish) because the mayhem will most likely override any well-laid plans you've made. Pictured here are Oil Slicks to send your opponent shooting off, "X" of where the over-sized Anvils are going to drop (as soon as a target is in place, of course!), and some portals which could either save you or push you off to somewhere you do NOT want to be.

Each player is given a unique attack power, so not only are you "goin' huntin' fur wabbit" with your own strength, but are going to use the terrain to knock or squash every opponent in your way. Yes, this is Last Man Standing, but it's even more chaotic than that!

These frames descend between rounds to shrink the size of the playing board. If you've pushed an opponent to the outer edge of the board, they will automatically be killed as the new frame descends upon them! Now as you continue to play, you can push your opponents into the new ring of hazard, which will only grow into new rings of hazards as you continue to play new rounds. If you've survived this long, it's a bloody miracle (and yes, I mean BLOODY, as you can slip on the blood splatter of your fallen foes!). BUT IT GETS EVEN MORE CHAOTIC THAN THAT!!!

Each player pre-plans 3 turn movements. You get 2 Direction cards and 1 Improvise card which gives you a one-time action. You get to choose which of your 3 cards you are going to use over your 3 turns, but they have to be decided BEFORE the round begins, and every player places their choices FACEDOWN so you have NO IDEA where your character is going to be on the board and what they will be up against once other players have done their turn. You just have to cross your fingers and hope that the cards you picked will still work in your favour when your next turn comes around, though you have have inadvertently just thrown yourself into peril or certain death!

This is NOT the game to play if you are a Type A Strategist who has to win. Prepare to lose, and lose in the stupidest way imaginable. This is a game for people who want to laugh at themselves and make memories with friends who can embody the ridiculousness of the game in front of them.

Is this a game I would be drawn to if I were single and just playing with my current collection of girlfriends? No, probably not. But did I jump excitedly and run back to my hubs about this game because I know HE would love it? Absolutely! And I am adding this game to our "must-have" list because I can already picture it on our table, me cynically trying my darndest to pulverize my husband all of his friends, while probably sliding uncontrollably into a lava pit with no time to relish in my victories.

We have such fond memories of playing chaos games like Dragon & Flagon, where you stumble around sometimes one turn too late to punch someone who isn't there anymore, only to get hit by a flying chair you didn't see coming.

Quick rounds mean that player elimination doesn't make for dead space, it makes for a couple of minutes to watch your so-called friends meet their inevitable demise (VENDETTA! VENDETTA!) and then everyone has a good laugh before pouring another round and playing the next game.

I wasn't able to sit down and play a full game at this event, but Chris Cooke humored me into walking through as much of a game as he could while still needing to answer questions of other passers-by.

Unscrewed is a game for 3-5 players, plays for around 30 minutes (or less!) and is waiting anxiously to launch on Kickstarter! For more details (and probably far more accurate details) check out their official website: https://www.meanhyenagames.com/ or any of their socials for MeanHyenaGames. And while I cannot yet give a detailed review of gameplay, I'm confident enough to declare that this game is "BETTER THAN BAD, IT'S GOOD!"

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End Phase One - Game Design Update

3/3/2023

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Since the previous update, we played The Black Cauldron again, switching roles, and implementing all of those changes we made note of before. This time, even with a few disruptions from the children, we had a seamlessly flowing game that was very close to either of us potentially being the victor, and all within one hour!

I think it's safe to say that the mechanics work. The interactions are more meaningful, the progression (while definitely NOT a meta-progression game) feels intuitive, and (THANK GOODNESS) we've eliminated all of the start-and-stop setup so each Deck unlocks with everything it needs already pre-loaded before the start of the game; all that the players need to do is shuffle Hen Wen into the newly unlocked Deck and then keep the game going.

Previously it felt like a lot of killing time and waiting. Now, each player can focus on whatever it is they want to achieve WHEN they feel ready to. The Horned King can begin his search for the Black Cauldron in the first turn if he wants to, or Taran can race ahead to try to beat him too it (wouldn't recommend that, myself, but the fact is HE COULD!)

We have more ways of cards moving in and out of play, and more strategy as to what and WHEN a player may choose to Equip a card. Before hand the Horned King could just sit on the cards Taran needed and make the game endless if Taran sat on the Black Cauldron in a complete stalemate. But with two ways of utilizing your Deception, it makes growing your Cunning even more powerful, and the cards hidden away in your hand aren't safe at all!

Things feel more balanced. Decisions feel more meaningful. And now time is of the essence as both players race to gather everything they need to win.

It wasn't the game I initially set-out to make, but it's a far more worthy game than the disjointed mess it would have been if I tried to beat it into a mechanic-type. So cross off Meta-Progression from my design resume. Whatever THIS is, it's the game I was meant to make.

Next steps are:
- updating the rulebook
- updating the card text and printing replacement cards
- maybe even loading up a Tabletop Simulator version

It's not necessary, but I do want to still try to make this a 1 player game that flows just as well as 2. I have some thoughts about how to do it, but I want to lock-in this 2 player version first. After that, I enter the adventure of re-skinning it in a way that still feels purposely designed. I have some ideas for that, too!

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The Horned King Rises Again! - Game Design Update

2/25/2023

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In my last post I mentioned my doubts about this Black Cauldron game doing what I needed it to do. Well shortly after publishing the post and wondering if I would just scrap the whole thing, I scribbled down a small game board. This game will NOT be scrapped, though the Meta-Progression probably is.

It sounds a bit silly, and trust me, it even feels a bit silly to me when I think about it, but the simple act of putting the card decks I already made and placing them on the board suddenly opened up a lot more opportunities to explore different possibilities. Rather than keeping these "Chapter Decks" out of sight until the current Chapter concludes, I now have the ability to Activate the next Chapter by shuffling Hen Wen in at random, rather than always being in a concluding end of the deck. Hen Wen still initiates the opening of the next Chapter, but now players can go forward CHOOSING which decks to draw from, with each having their own advantages and disadvantages.

I have also replicated the source material a little bit more closely by recreated the Morva Cauldrons, the seemingly infinite number of black cauldrons that make it near impossible to find the one actual magic Black Cauldron. Unlike the film, where only Taran and his friends learn about the location of the Cauldron through the Fair Folk, I have given the Horned King a fair shot at finding the Cauldron should he choose to engage in the near-impossible task of sorting through a deck of black cauldrons. In this way, the Horned King could dedicate his actions to digging for the Cauldron BEFORE the Chapter 4 deck has even been Activated, which could give him the advantage over Taran who needs the Chapter 4 deck to find and equip the Sacrifice card - after all, true to the source material, even if Taran has the Cauldron, he can't do anything with it until the Sacrifice is made.

So I just finished playtesting it with the new board, and I am happy to report that my anxiety about the repetitive direction my original design was taking was squashed! Rather than waiting to move on to a Chapter, we are able to push ahead and double-back as needed, both players can race to achieve the game goal or target different decks to complete different objectives along the way. We did still have to readjust a few things as we went; obviously the decks I made were meant for the original game setup, and a lot of the mechanics we adjusted to the first time now needed to be adjusted back to fit the new format.

Even after playing, we did some discussing about things, component-wise, that this new version of the game would need, since, as I am sure you can see in the picture above, there are a LOT of cards to keep track of as you go! So I whipped up a couple of makeshift player trackers (on scrap paper because that's what prototypes at this stage look like!), and we'll try it out again on another day with the new changes and see if it feels smoother.

So far we have been switching back and forth each time we play, one person as Taran, the other as the Horned King, that way we get both perspectives about how each character is balanced against the other. We only played through this one once, mostly because up until now we've only played through 1 or 2 Chapters. Add some frequent disruptions from children and some game adjusting along the way, and I think this play-through took us about 2 hours. We'll see how it goes with the new changes from the start, and while I can't predict that the children will be less disruptive the next time, at least we shouldn't need to start, stop and reset a turn quite so often if all goes well.

Fingers crossed that I have a winner here. Not for the Game Crafter contest, obviously. Not only am I abandoning any thought of making it Meta-Progressive, but this design is 100% based on copyrighted materials that I have ZERO license for (yet!).

If it works, my next steps are figuring out that solo player possibility (no idea if it even is possible anymore, but only one way to find out!), and then exploring re-masking options if the Black Cauldron element is unobtainable.

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The Slightly Darkish Cauldron - Game Design Update

2/18/2023

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So I've plugged away up to what I think is the final Chapter (or Round) of the Meta-Progression game inspired by The Black Cauldron. We've had some fairly successful playtesting of the first few Chapters, but now that I've reached that final climax, the revealing of the Black Cauldron, I'm becoming more aware of this design's faults. It's not a style that I am particularly drawn to, and now it just feels like several rounds of sameness.

I'll keep playing with it to see if it's coming across as off as I predict, and maybe it will help highlight some areas to fix up. We've already been discussing options to re-mask it, and part of me feels that not being so closely connected to an established plotline might give me more wriggle room. But I think if I want a game style like this to work for me, I need to make some significant modifications to what progressions actually happen in each round. I want it to feel like you're campaigning towards something that gets more epic as you go.

So not a very hopeful update, unfortunately. I'm not admitting defeat just yet, but am well aware that if this doesn't meet my standards for the game table, that it won't get the final polish to stay there.

Things are still rolling nicely for Mamas, and I have delayed Flip Yer Kilts far longer than I would have liked, though it is still on my goal for the month to get that rulebook set. A little over a week left. Plenty of time!

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2 Years and So Much Has Changed

2/3/2023

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Since my last post, I've lost a parent to cancer, given birth to a baby girl, quit my teaching job, took up witchcraft (no, seriously), and have admitted temporary defeat in most of my writing endeavors (which I hope to change, but one project at a time), and have gone full force in table top game design.

I was previously posting about the release of my first game publication, Outlander: The Series - the Boardgame. It was a project I thoroughly enjoyed making, and even more so, felt like I was contributing to helping my hubs along with his business. What we've discovered is that this is something I'm good at, and compared to novel writing, I'm quick. The downside being that I have created numerous games that I've handed off and, thanks to my lovely Dory brain, have next-to-no recollection of. So I have to be quick and I have to be focused.

This past year I've been taking the lessons learned from my Outlander journey and putting that into my new projects. And while I have no intention of going into competition with hubs, or taking on another self-pub branch myself, I am looking to see myself less of an idea supplier and more of a creator.

So instead of creating a wall of ideas to collect dust, I am using this new-found opportunity of being home to push forward as far as I can. And so, I present to you MY work-in-progress prototype:

This is Mamas: A Regency Gossip Game. Currently unpublished, but I hope to change that within the year or so.

Backstory

This idea began as all of my ideas do: "What if?"

And so was while throwing myself into the Bridgerton tv drama sensation that a conversation sparked: Wouldn't it be funny if someone took this idea of the debutant match-making cattle-auction and turned into some sort of property game where you were trying to invest in selling-off your sons and daughters to the "right" people?

Well, I didn't make Bridgerton Monopoly (sad face), so that idea is still up for grabs should you want to cash in on that and whoever owns Monopoly trademark (teehee, monopoly on Monopoly).

It did take me about a year to get the linch-pin to the idea that was brewing. Without reason or warning, I realized that centerpiece the whole affair was the Mama. The Mamas of the Ton control the social world and will stop at nothing to boost their children, or at least that's what every Regency-based book and film has ever taught me since Jane Austen (It is a truth universally acknowledged!). And so I had my raison-d'etre, to pit a ton of Ton mamas against each other! What fun would that be?!?! Snide gossip! Throwing a young person's social status through the moral paper-shredder just because they came in with the wrong shoes! Well, the idea was golden and a game was whipped up!

That's not to say that I got everything right on the first try, adjustments are always being made.

Phase One

I had the idea, social slander, and I had the objectives, get your favourites matched and beat the other Mamas. So next I had to get my objectives to link up in a way that made sense on the tabletop - not only sense, but had to be a fun and memorable experience to boot!

This introduced the idea of votes, gaining points for your social gambling. Then I had to think of all of the ways we could disrupt another Mama from obtaining their goals. And so the rather large collection of the Social Deck began, adding Anytime cards to change-up the Gossip and Goals.

The trickiest part in Phase One was timing. How do we keep the game snappy but interesting?

Well this silly thing ended up being the next linch-pin into the mix. Originally I had two different trackers, one for turns and one for rounds... needless to say, that was A LOT! And completely unnecessary.

The more we played the more we were able to refine just what a turn should look like. It actually turned the Anytime cards into ANYTIME cards instead of just a generic Action card. So rather than dictating how many cards total a person could play per turn, we let the chaos evolve for itself. And it was MARVELOUS!

Players were still restricted to playing 1 Gossip card, but now could mix and rearrange the Lords and Ladies, could steal and undo actions from their opponents, and as long as they had the cards to do it, they could stir up all sorts of trouble! Or, alternatively, fix-up the trouble someone else caused them!

This was a lengthy course of trial and error playtests, always looking for balance.

Phase Two

Opinions. Liking trying to edit your own work in anything, your brain overrides things it doesn't like. From typos to sequences, using your own brain for too long is a BAD idea. So we brought Mamas out to a few people at a time. Their feedback was vital. And it challenged me to think about how to combine something that they wanted with what I wanted the game to be.

A word of advice, NEVER cater 100% to all of the feedback, your project will never get made because it will never be perfect. It will also no longer be the game you wanted to make. Yet, NEVER dismiss feedback. People may not always know what they want, and so their suggestions are not always the exact solution, but will point you towards a potential problem in your design.

And thus I had to face my next BIG obstacle. The winning conditions. At the time, the mechanics places only 1 Lord and Lady on the Dance Floor at a time. I knew that I didn't want it to be inevitable that everyone would be able to successfully match-make their Couples, but what I had done was make it so unlikely that even having a Couple goal card was near redundant.

How to fix this? I didn't want to remove the vote casting. I didn't want all of us aiming for the same goals. So we tried it with 3 Lords and Ladies. It increased the odds, made you more selective in which Gossip you played and who you played it on, and it meant that you could probably gain control over at least one Couple without controlling ALL Couples.

Now that we solved that, I had to make sure that the mechanics and sequences kept up.

Phase Three

Connecting the dots!

Now that I had 3 Couples, there was so many more ways to interrupt the Dance Floor. And what about the timings? How many turns could you have? How long did the Round last? How many Rounds did you play?!?!

So the targeted playtests continued. And what I discovered is that when you use 3 couples at a time, your Lords and Ladies thin out much more quickly. This was good, because now I didn't have to come up with an arbitrary reason for the game to end, it would take care of itself. There just won't be enough couples to continue on for more rounds. It was perfect!

So that eliminated my second tracker (thank goodness!), and then left me the question of what to do with the turns. Originally my Clock hand moved after EVERY turn and the Round ended at the 12. And then I had to account for adjustments depending on how many players were at the table -- I wanted the game to be snappy, but still fair. With how the game was currently running, the answer was simple (the answer is always simple once you've discovered it): Use the Clock as the First Player marker (eliminates another component), and when the turn sequence gets back to that Player, they move the Clock hand. One Round, One Clock Movement.

I know, I know, why didn't I just do that in the first place?!?! IT'S A PROCESS!!! At least I got there in the end.

Phase Four

I'm hesitant to say that the game is now complete, but it IS as close to complete as it has ever been. I still need to play through with all sorts of player combinations, just to make sure that I haven't overlooked something that slows the game down or shifts the balance.

But luckily I know that I have something that works and works as I intended. Everyone who has played has walked away with tears in their eyes, belly-laughing from the down-right dirty insinuations tossed at these fictional caricatures of gentry. It's fun. It's memorable. And it's mine, from start to finish!

Needless to say, I'm starting 2023 off with my game face on!

And, yes, my next one is following close behind! I don't know how many slightly off-colour card games I'm going to spew out, but no one's going to stop me just yet!

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My Look at "The Adventures of Tennessee James"

8/9/2021

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I did a thing, in a car, because that's the only place I have privacy where I'd want to set up a camera...

So here is my preview/overview for Variable Outcomes' new Kickstarter: The Adventures of Tennessee James.

I didn't design this one, but I have been watching the game grow and change over the past year, so I do feel part of it as it's getting ready to enter the world all on its own.

For the record, I only caught my kids running around outside unsupervised twice in the filming of this video.

They had a father around somewhere, I think...

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A Christmas-In-July Miracle: Website Updated!

7/27/2021

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Pretty sure that this site has been growing cobwebs since 2019. My bad.

To be honest, I think my days of regular once-a-week posts are probably behind me, but that's not to say that things have not been active behind the scenes. Various attempts at writing have occurred. At some point I might even post the flash fiction pieces I've been playing with these past couple of years -- just for fun.

The BIG NEWS event, however, is that my dabbling in table top games has snowballed into something really big. So big that I'll be passing most of the reigns over to Variable Outcomes since they can run this full-time business stuff better than I can. Even my books will soon be available through them... us... I don't know the technical terms for my association, I just know that we share the same garage.

So have a gander at some simplifications made over here at NewellBooks, and then take a peak over at Variable Outcomes. Most of the in-person events I attend will probably now be under their company banner, but I am keeping my brand; it's my name and my family crest, so I won't be abandoning it any time soon.

I fully intend to keep writing. What I write and whether or not anything hits publication are completely different questions, and ones that I cannot answer at this time. I do know, however, that I will be focused predominately in the game world for the time being, and impersonating a fictional character through a hand-painted wooden meeple and a small speech bubble. Honestly, I think it's my calling. I am having far too much fun with it, and sadly am not yet being given nearly enough opportunities to unleash this talent. So, please, if you see a chance to leave a comment about the game, do so! Draw my attention and let me make my social media magic!

Here's a taste of the gifts I've left so far. Search through Facebook and Twitter to see the whole interactions.

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An Early Look At "Witchful Thinking"

10/14/2018

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In the last newsletter I dedicated October to family. Part of that was giving my husband a shoutout space for his Kickstarter table-top game "Witchful Thinking". While it is his creative brain-child, I have been on this journey with him and have seen this game evolve from a very simple concept to a competitive eye-catching game that stays true to the initial inspiration: to make mental math fun.

While I believed in the game from the first prototype placed on my dining room table, I am astounded by the life that this game has been given thanks greatly to the fantastic art created by Jackson Gee. I am eagerly waiting for the latest prototype to arrive this up-coming week so that I can see these beautifully wicked card designs for myself.

In light of the new prototype on the horizon, I thought that I would revisit the very first version of this card game. So please join me as we look at the original game and compare it to what's in store for Kickstarter backers.

The Box

You have to give the original box some credit, for the Paint program, it's pretty darn nifty. At least it's better than anything I could have designed with those little pixels.

Of course, when you look at the teaser picture from Jackson Gee, there is no comparison. Nonetheless, the theme is clear from both. A witchy game for witchy witches.

The Cards - Ingredients

The cards from the original game were very straight-forward. As you can see, there is no artwork just a title and a number value. The Ingredient cards are purple, they are cards that range in value from +5 to -5, as well as Action cards that can change up how a player uses their turn. These Ingredient cards make up the hands of each player, and these are the cards that will be played into the "Cauldron" (a 4 card slot in the middle of your gaming area).

For reasons beyond my knowledge, the Ingredient cards in the Kickstarter have the Green backing... and yes, you will see below that the other deck now has the Purple backing. Why are they switched? I have no idea. Does it matter? Not in the least because your game is epically more awesome to even bother thinking about this MS Paint print-and-play version I have!

The Cards - Potions

The green cards in the early prototype represent the Potion Cards. One of these is played each game, determining the value that players are aiming to achieve. Upon reaching the exact value of the Potion Card, the player who played the final ingredient card to equal the potion value wins the Potion Card. After this, a new Potion Card may be selected for a new game. How many Potion Cards are played is up to the group of players. You can choose to play to a certain number of points (ie. First player to 3 points), or you can play a pre-selected number of Potions (ie. the first 10 Potion Cards), you could choose to play based on a set time (ie. The player with the most won Potion Cards within twenty minutes), or make an epic game of going through the entire Potion deck.

Once again, these cards appear very simplistically in this early draft. Your game will look much more impressive with the awesome illustrations.

And, once again, I don't know why the colours are reversed, but, once again, it doesn't really matter!

Game Setup

Even with the new elements introduced in the Kickstarter version of this game, setting up the game table is pretty straight-forward. Select a Potion for the group of players to play with, and then set room for four cards within reach of all players. The four cards will be the "Cauldron", or in other words, the "Cauldron" will be the four number sequence to create the formula for the Potion value.

Last I played, players put five Ingredient cards into their hand, and then the group determines a play order. First player plays a card from their hand and then may discard and re-draw their hand. Turn order continues until an Action card (or in the new game, an Ability) determines otherwise. Your rulebook will be much more comprehensive than this one:

Extras - Number Line

Even in its earliest conception, "Witchful Thinking" has always been about brining young children to the game table. Even those kids who are just learning about their take-aways need to be able to play independently without being pushed aside as a spectator on a "team". To help those youngsters (and, let's face it, some of us who are a little slow to the draw when it comes to numbers), Matthew included a number line that could be used as reference. Not only does this help to speed up the gameplay for everyone else, but it can help a player strategize on their own privately, especially in the Kickstarter edition where there will be an available number line for each player; even better is that it is cleverly designed as a Spellbook so novice witches don't have to feel self-conscious about practicing their craft!

Extras - Game Changers

I really don't know what to call these. I know that they are listed as "Addition and Subtraction Cards" but that isn't a funky title. These are new to the game concept, and, as far as my knowledge is, they are used to complicate the formula in the Cauldron. You can play one of these cards to adjust how your number sequence goes. Replace a number in the cauldron with one of these cards and suddenly you have a brand new formula. Minus-ing a negative number? Well, now you've got a positive! *Note, I have not played with this feature yet, so I might be corrected on this!*

Extras - Characters

Probably the most impressive part of this game is a feature that did not come about until at least 3 game designs later... Character cards. Because this game was always about learning the fundamentals first, the idea of adding extra challenging strategy lingered in the air for many years. The only way to ensure an inclusive game was to design it to be customizable for each group of players. Therefore the Characters cards, while entirely genius, are completely optional. Got a player who isn't a strong reader or who is still working on understanding the basic gameplay? Don't worry about the cards with added text! You can take out the Action cards. You can take out the negative numbers (but if doing so make sure you only play with Potions of value +4 and up!), and as for Characters, skip 'em, or at least skip the Abilities and just let your little witches choose the picture they like best! This game is meant to evolve with you as you get better at your math skills and need a more competitive edge. Really want to shake things up? Choose a different witch per game at random! Not only will you get a different game experience, but you will have to re-train your brain on how to strategize from game to game (remember that you will probably be playing multiple games during each sitting since each game uses only one Potion card.)

While Matthew is the brain behind the witch characters and their abilities, Jackson Gee gets all of the credit for making them so lively! Honestly, I would read the graphic novel about these wickedly wonderful witches (maybe I should convince my husband to let me write that!).

And if you need some extra incentive to look at becoming a backer on Kickstarter, I may or may not have had a hand in designing a very special, slightly secret exclusive character card... (the only hint I can give you is: it may not be a witch!).

There are 16 unique Characters in each standard game box, each being double-sided with 2 Ability choices to choose from. So if you haven't been won over by the game yet, honestly, these characters are worth it just in art!

How To Play

As I mentioned above, there are many ways to play this game. In my first cringe-worthy video, I will walk you through how to play the very basic early version of this game. The game materials may change, but the game itself is still the same!

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A Touch of Evil - Round One

9/13/2016

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It's been way too long since I last made a game post, and somehow whenever I think to do it, it's always when we're playing the games I usually post about... I mean, we have about 100 games, you'd think this wouldn't be an issue!

Anyways, my brother dropped by for a visit, and of course he came with a bag of games of his own. We fell in love with Slaughterville, a crowd-funded horror-movie style game. At my brother's recommendation, we are not only now on the lookout for a copy of Slaughterville of our own (everyone is out of stock so we loaded up on the expansion packs in the mean time), but we were told that we would love A Touch of Evil.

A Touch of Evil is a Flying Frog production, and it's been around for several years. We've often seen it in the game shops, and because we have Conquest of Planet Earth which is another one of their games, we own like 5 separate pieces of advertisement for A Touch of Evil.

We never really jumped at it because, to be honest, it looks super cheesy. And while Slaughterville has similar graphics within the game, it owns its cheesiness by tongue-and-cheek portrayals of B-movie stereotypes. A Touch of Evil really just looks like they hired a handful of models/actors and played dress up in a costume store for a photoshoot montage moment, which was then photoshopped together as a grade 10 intro to graphic project....

...I know this sounds harsh, and clearly I've made crap covers in my day, but it was a huge factor in us not going near this game 10 years(-ish).

The game board is a totally different story. It's a beautiful old-timey map design that had both @TheMattCave and I thinking Sleepy Hollow. So it was very fitting that we chose our villain to be the Headless Horseman.

There were 3 of us playing for the first time, so, as usual, play went a little slow. We each took up an unlikely townsperson, and off we went to investigate, hunt wolves and ghost pirates. I know for a fact that we did not do the Town Elder thing well at all, along with other things. And there was a bit of confusion as we flipped back and forth from Competitive rules to Cooperative. I don't know who decided to play Cooperatively, but that's what we started with, and somehow we started with the tutorial setup and then @TheMattCave kept saying that we should be playing the advanced rules - so I really have no idea what we were doing right and what we were doing wrong...

...I'm very finicky when it comes to learning games, and while I make mistakes too, I do much better when I can take charge of the rule book - I'm a bit controlling that way.

So I'm going to reserve my final evaluation of A Touch of Evil until we play it again. I want to get a better feel for how the game is supposed to go!

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GameCon Canada - Cool Finds (Part 2)

GameCon Canada - Cool Finds (Part 1)

Unscrewed by Mean Hyena Games

90's Cartoon Throwdown Mayhem (in a Box)

End Phase One - Game Design Update

The Horned King Rises Again! - Game Design Update

The Slightly Darkish Cauldron - Game Design Update

2 Years and So Much Has Changed

Backstory

Phase One

Phase Two

Phase Three

Phase Four

My Look at "The Adventures of Tennessee James"

A Christmas-In-July Miracle: Website Updated!

An Early Look At "Witchful Thinking"

The Box

The Cards - Ingredients

The Cards - Potions

Game Setup

Extras - Number Line

Extras - Game Changers

Extras - Characters

How To Play

A Touch of Evil - Round One

Author

Categories

Archives

Unscrewed by Mean Hyena Games ​90's Cartoon Throwdown Mayhem (in a Box)

​Backstory

​Phase One

​Phase Two

Phase Three

​Phase Four

The Box

The Cards - Ingredients

The Cards - Potions

Game Setup

Extras - Number Line

Extras - Game Changers

​Extras - Characters

How To Play

Author

Categories

Archives

Unscrewed by Mean Hyena Games

90's Cartoon Throwdown Mayhem (in a Box)

Backstory

Phase One

Phase Two

Phase Four

Extras - Characters