Master of Olympus and Dawn of Gnome each contain strong and weak action cards. In both games I expected optimising those action cards to be crucial, but this is not how it worked out. I’m going to attempt to explain why, with some help from Captain America. Jumping off was the easy part… Individual actions, it turns out,… Continue reading Diary #28 – Action Loop
Diary #27 – What’s in a Gnome?
I’m once again taking baby steps through a new project – exciting but full of challenges (for example, I keep forgetting how to explain the rules). It’s a similar experience to designing Master of Olympus, as I describe here. Overall, Dawn of Gnome is coming on nicely in a thousand tiny ways: Solo: a game of tower doughnut defense… Continue reading Diary #27 – What’s in a Gnome?
Diary #26 – Curveball
Back in August, I wrote about a new board game idea based on the whole of human history. Since then, Dawn of Gnome has refused to leave me alone, and there’s a problem: I think it’s better than Master of Olympus (at least, its rules and manufacturing requirements are much simpler). I’m not alone in having reservations about Olympus: “There were… Continue reading Diary #26 – Curveball
Diary #25 – Led by the Blind
Master of Olympus entered a new era last night when it was tested “blind” without my input for the first time. Overall it worked well, and it’s good to know the game is now self-sufficient. Central to all this was, of course, the manual, which I wrote over the summer during visits to the Library… Continue reading Diary #25 – Led by the Blind
Diary #24 – This is SPARTA!
If I can get my players shouting that famous line from the film 300, I’ll know I’m doing something right. I’ve also been keen to simulate the second Peloponnesian War of 431 to 404 BC, and to make a small 2-player board suitable for conventions. These were all great reasons to design a new “Athens vs… Continue reading Diary #24 – This is SPARTA!
Diary #23 – Young Heroes
My aim post-Expo was to have a relaxing few months with no board game work. Is that what happened? Of course not! I’ve attended another Board Game Bash, designed another board and visited a gaming-focused youth club. On arrival at the village hall I almost collided with a nerf gun-wielding teenager riding an office chair.… Continue reading Diary #23 – Young Heroes
Diary #22 – Little Fish, Big Pond
While promoting my game, trident in hand, today, a group of young women passed accompanied by (I think) their grandmother. Some of them responded when I said my usual “Can I interest you in Master of Olympus?” but they carried on walking; I then called after them “You get to hold the Trident!”. This earned… Continue reading Diary #22 – Little Fish, Big Pond
