Playtesting the Controlling Idea

A month ago I talked about how the controlling idea helps me better prepare a game for playtesting.  Today, I am going to talk about how the controlling idea helps me use feedback from the playtesting of Underground Street Racing at the UNPUB Mini in Chantilly, Virginia.

For those of you not familiar with my game Underground Street Racing, the original controlling idea was for the players to experience the dynamic, fast, and has twisted turns of fate of snowboard cross, a Winter Olympic event.  I discovered during my iterative design phase that being true to a snowboard cross theme made the game too complicated, and that I could preserve the same experience by resetting the controlling idea and the theme to Underground Street Racing.

Controlling Idea and Playtesting Help Fixed Theme Problems

What playtesting revealed to me is while I had internally altered the controlling idea to be about underground street racing, some of the language I was using in the game was thematically snowboard cross.  In the version of Underground Street Racing that I was playtesting, cars could go too fast and crash.  When a car crashed it also crashed into other cars around it and forces all the crashed cars to stop before accelerating back into the race.

This frustrated my playtesters.  The pointed out that when there is a crash in an unregulated street race, especially if it takes out more than one car, there is no expectation of anyone walking away, let alone continuing the race.  That is when I realized crashes for going too fast was a byproduct of my old controlling idea and theme.  When snowboarding, if you crash, you generally get right back up and keep going.  Even if you crash into a few other people some bumps and bruises may be expected, but injuries are very rare.  

I needed players to stop imagining a horrendous NASCAR style crashes. So I thought back to my controlling idea of car racing and thought to myself what else can happen from going too fast in a car race that results in everyone slowing down, but not in the outright destruction of their car.  That is when I started visualising cars spinning out in NASCAR races and all the nearby cars having to slow down to avoid crashing into it.  So, I changed the terminology so that when a car goes too fast around a turn it loses control and spins-out.  Cars that spin-out, stop, regain control, and then try to get back in the race.  Cars around the car that spins-out also are forced to stop and then try to get back in the race to prevent a crash that would have eliminated them from the race altogether.

Controlling Idea and Playtesting Help Fixed Mechanic Problems

Playtesting also showed me where my game was unsuccessfully meeting the goal of the controlling idea.  I wanted strategic spin-outs throughout the race to be the twisted turns of fate within the race, but in repeated playtesting, each race had only one strategic spin-out close to the end.  I quickly figured out this was due to having five lanes in the game, and it taking a player half the game to get into a position where it was possible for a car to spin-out. And so, five lanes became three to encourage more spin-outs.

Even with the reduction in lanes, I still had a problem with the game not living up to the controlling idea.  The race was not exciting enough.  

Originally when players came around a turn they could speed up or slow down by being above or below the target number with their dice.  If players dice equaled the target number they remained at the same speed.  Maintaining a good line through the turns was the only way to keep control and momentum to the next turn in the race.  Each time a player played dice to move, they lost the dice from their hand unless the dice total equaled the target number, in which case they kept one die to use later in the race.

I thought this setup would result in chaotic and exciting races with cars constantly speeding up and slowing down.  Sadly, in actual game play this led to scripted races where players made sure to always hit the target number with all of their cars to keep as many dice as possible.  Only at the end of the race did players use dice to move into the faster lanes for the win.

I was at a lost at what to do until I received one suggestion that challenged my initial expectations on what was needed to achieve the controlling idea. The suggested change was to reverse the target mechanic, so that players only lose dice when they hit the target number.  That meant speeding up or slowing down allowed players to keep dice in their hand.  This had a massive effects on gameplay.  Cars were now swerving all over the place on the board, and with the reduced amount of lanes it meant that a potential spin-out was on every turn.  Players were not losing as many dice from their dice pool, letting me reduce by half the amount of dice each player needed to play the game.

Initially in my design, without any playtesting, I would not have entertained this idea.  I, incorrectly assumed that players needed the extra incentive to maintain a straight line through the course to better simulate strategic racing.  After I instituted the change and saw how it drastically alter the game for the better, I realized players were already rewarded to maintain a steady course by avoiding a spin-out or stopping during the race.  To create side to side motion created the risk needed to infuse the game with excitement throughout the race, I needed to make it harder to maintain a straight course.  I discovered that this change to the game better adheres to the goals of my controlling idea and is now a fixture of the current version of the game.    

Final Lessons on Controlling Idea and Playtesting 

Having a controlling idea at the onset of playtesting helps to better channel suggestions to make the game stronger.  I was able to take the feedback from the playtesters and discover flaws in my design that did not fit the theme or the desired experience of my current controlling idea and changed them to better fit the game.  

That said, the game still is a work in progress.  I still need to get more playtests of the game to figure out where else I can improve it.  If you wish to play test Underground Street Racing you can find the rules here, the print and play here, and the online feedback forms for the game here. I am grateful to any thoughts or pieces of advice you have.  

Chantilly2014 UNPUBMini Preview: Mike Karg

If you have not picked up your tickets for the upcoming UNPUB Mini at the Game Parlor in Chantilly, VA (in northern Virginia just west of D.C.) on June 21st, do not worry, you do not need no stinkin tickets to attend.  The event is free, so just show up and you will be rewarded with the latest board games from over 10 designers (including Dr. Wictz) ready for play testing.

To give you a taste of the upcoming excitement, I invited designer Michael Karg to talk about the games he will be demoing at the UNPUB Mini. I first met Michael at the 2013 Congress of Gamers UNPUB Protozone where I playtested his game Boondoggle.

Michael Karg:  You broke the game then, but I have fixed it and am looking forward to letting you try to break it again.

Dr. Wictz: Can you give people a quick run down on Boondoggle.

Michael Karg:  Boondoggle is a road construction game set in a corrupt city. Resources are bought and sold on a volatile market, players can become honchos of a particular resource and there is a great deal of shenanigans going on.

Dr. Wictz: And is Boondoggle the only game you are bringing?

Michael Karg: I’m also bringing Aesop’s Gambit, a card game with poker elements and characters of fables facing off in various predicaments.

Dr. Wictz: How has Boondoggle changed since you started presenting it at UNPUB events?

Michael Karg: I have edited and streamlined it since last year. Hoarding of the limited resources was a problem and rather than completely eliminate that possibility, I added a twist that sharpens the strategy and makes the final round much more competitive. Plus, I added Bus Lanes, which offers another route option and also eliminated a paralysis-by-analysis bugaboo.

Dr. Wictz: What inspired the theme for your games?

Michael Karg: The word “boondoggle” was the starting point. It’s a funny word and a pervasive problem –think Silver Spring Metro Transit Center for Maryland folks. A boondoggle is a project that takes on a life of its own with a bloated budget, no end in sight and no easy way to end it. The Concorde jet was another one –billions spent on an impractical project before it finally killed. Wonkish folks should also look up the “sunk cost fallacy”.

As for Aesop’s Gambit, after playing Pacific Typhoon, a WWII card game, I wanted to play around with that central mechanic of card play in a completely different arena. Besides Aesop, I threw in some Beatrix Potter and Wind in the Willows. Savagery and brute force may win, but sometimes the humble and clever slay the dragon.

Dr. Wictz: What are you hoping to learn about your games at the UNPUB Mini?

Michael Karg:  I want to constantly refine them so that game length goes unnoticed because everyone is fully engaged at all times and loving it. That’s a real challenge to pull off with unambiguous rules and mechanisms, but it’s fine to try.

Dr. Wictz: What piece of advice would you give first time designers attending their first UNPUB Mini?

Michael Karg:  Listen and observe. Take in as much as you can about what playtesters are saying and doing during your games, and do the same when you’re playing other prototypes. I love to learn how other designers think and see their own games, and how they evolve.

Dr. Wictz: How did you get into designing board games?

Michael Karg: I love to take things apart, which is the only way to learn how to create something. I love Agricola and in asking myself why I like it so much, I began to see how the theme and mechanics working together so beautifully. It’s a habitable world with difficult choices and a sense of humor, and it is endlessly playable. Reverse engineering like this can be as much fun as playing the game itself.

Dr. Wictz: So you really enjoy making board games?

Michael Karg: I enjoy the freedom of creating little worlds. I get to make up the characters, the rules and the story with the challenge of making it all familiar. The homemade, arts-and-crafts aspect is a big part of the process for me. Using wood and markers and glue reinforces the tactile nature of board games. The solid, physical aspects of board games are often not as appreciated as much as they should, but subconsciously, I think they make a big difference. I enjoy the raw, visceral nature of my games as well as seeing that handprint in other designers’ prototypes.

Dr. Wictz Any shout outs to your most dedicated game testers (cough  cough, wife, gf, etc.)?

Michael Karg: I have to thank all of the dozens of people who have played my games so far, but especially, my wife, Chris, who is always brutally honest in her critique.

Dr. Wictz: Thank you Michael for taking the time to talk with me.  If you want to learn more about Michael and his games you visit his website http://www.michaelkarg.com/ or follow him on twiiter @michaelkarg.

Chantilly2014 UNPUBMini Preview: Matthew O’ Malley

We are only a few days away from an UNPUBmini at the Game Parlor in Chantilly, VA (in northern Virginia just west of D.C.) on June 21st.  The event is free and has over 10 designers (including Dr. Wictz) bringing their latest board game designs for play testing.  To give you a reason (as if you needed any more) to stop by for an afternoon of board gaming heaven I invited board and video game designer Matthew O’Malley of Black Oak Games to stop by and give us a preview of what he is bringing to the UNPUBmini.

Dr. Wictz: So what are you bringing to the Chantilly UNPUBmini?

Matthew O’Malley: I'll be showing  Knot Dice.  I created custom dice that attach side-to-side to form Celtic knot designs for use in puzzles, art creation, and in several different games. Right now I'm testing a cooperative game, a partnership game, a full competitive game, and a real-time game.

Dr. Wictz: How as Knot Dice changed since you started presenting it at UNPUB events?

Matthew O’Malley: I first presented my Knot Dice at UNPUB 3 in 2013. Since then, I've designed several new games to play with the dice, and have improved the games' rules.

I've done away with some of the more complicated game ideas, and developed others that require just as much strategic thought but are far simpler to explain and play.

I'm excited about a new game that can be played with my Knot Dice which was inspired by Ben Rosset, another game designer I met through UNPUB.  Knot Partners (working name) has each player working on two tableaus, one with the player to the left and one with the player to the right.  The setup creates some interesting decision points.

Dr. Wictz: Why do you have so many different game variations you can play with Knot Dice?

Matthew O’Malley: The different variations of the game grew out of the original development of games for the dice. Since it started as more of a puzzle-game, I was always thinking about different ways I could use the dice, and I came up with a lot of game ideas. My hope is that once the dice are out in the wild, other designers will come up with new games to play with them as well.

I want to release the dice with several different games because they appeal to different playing styles:

-Kells is a cooperative game that has the whole table working together.

-Square Knot is an individual competitive puzzle-game.

-Knot Partners is a game in which you are sometimes partnered with one player and sometimes partnered with another, which adds a bit of a social element.

-Knot So Fast is a high-speed dice-rolling individual game.

Dr. Wictz: What inspired the theme for Knot Dice?

Matthew O’Malley: The Celtic knot theme was originally inspired by a friend of mine, Campbell Maloney [http://alphabetgallery.com/], a graphic designer who created an alphabet formed by shapes cut out of circles and then rotated. I spent a lot of time tossing ideas back and forth with him, and came up with the idea of making some puzzle games using Celtic knot designs.

The Celtic knot tradition has always fascinated me -- I love the look of the illuminated manuscripts from centuries ago as well as modern interpretations of it. It doesn't hurt that I've got a fair bit of Irish ancestry, and play Irish fiddle (along with other types of music).

Dr. Wictz: Does that mean I can talk you into bringing your fiddle to the UNPUB mini?

Matthew O’Malley: Sorry, I won't be bringing it to this one. I don't want my memorizing fiddling to distract people too much from talking about the games

Dr. Wictz: Looking at Knot Dice it sort of reminds me of your game video game Celtic Knots.

Matthew O’Malley: After I developed the Celtic Knots mobile game, I was driven to find a physical manifestation of the idea. Originally, I was focused on the puzzle aspect, and thinking about flat wooden puzzles with the knot pieces, possibly double-sided to get more patterns out of a set. But I couldn't get enough designs out of them, so I moved on to cubes, which became dice, which took me to far more interactive games (rather than individual puzzle-solving like in Celtic Knots).

Dr. Wictz: I notice on twitter you were exploring trying to make your game out of different materials, like cardboard squares, why did you decide to stick with the dice?

Matthew O’Malley: As far as dice versus cardboard cutouts, I've just gotten to the dice first. I do have plans in the works for Knot Cards and Knot Tiles, with game ideas emphasizing the strengths of each of those components, but the dice were my original idea and they appeal to me so much that I want to carry that idea through to production before spending too much time on the others.

Dr. Wictz: How did you get into designing board games?

Matthew O’Malley: I had a job with a relatively long commute, and after trying to occupy my time with various other activities or creative endeavors, I discovered that I could use that time thinking up and developing board game ideas. So I spent several years coming up with games that were far too complicated and took far too long to play, didn't have enough interesting decisions, or just weren't that fun. It wasn't until I started attending UNPUB events that my designs evolved enough for me to consider publishing them.

Dr. Wictz: Why do you love making board games?

Matthew O’Malley: I love making board games for so many reasons. I love bringing so many different elements together to craft an experience for a group. It's like directing a play or a movie, but the end result sometimes is a much more interactive experience, and can create some great stories about time spent together with friends.

Dr. Wictz: What games have you published thus far?

Matthew O’Malley:  I have two tabletop games being published in the near future, Diner (by Dice Hate Me Games), which has already been successfully Kickstarted and will be released this summer, and Battle of Wits (by Game Salute) which will be released as part of The Princess Bride set of games.

Dr. Wictz: Is it harder to get a video game published or a board game?

Matthew O’Malley: My experience with getting a video game published was relatively painless, though I did have to hire a developer for a good deal of the programming work. Once I found a reliable developer, the process moved pretty smoothly, and the process of actually releasing the game on the mobile stores wasn't too difficult.

The part of the process that I did not consider enough was support for the game, particularly on the Android platform. The iOS game is still basically the same as when I released it (besides some minor bug fixes), but the Android game required constant development work to keep up with new devices and OS changes, and I couldn't afford to keep it on the market.

As far as whether it's harder to get a video game or a board game published, I think it depends greatly on your skills and your method of publishing. If you are a developer, it would be pretty simple to publish a mobile game. If you can acquire some nice art assets, it can be relatively easy to self-publish on a print-on-demand site like Drive Thru Cards or The Game Crafter. Or, going the traditional publishing route, if you can find a publisher who is really interested in licensing your game, you can pass it over to them.

But of course, you have to put in a huge amount of time first getting the game ready for publishing. And once it's ready, you have to spend a huge amount of time on the actual publishing process.

Dr. Wictz: What is your favorite memory from past UNPUB minis?

Matthew O’Malley: I have to say when a store clerk told me that Star Dice (a game I was showing at the time) would be perfect to take out and play with kids at their school outreach activities. I think anything that appeals to kids has that "fun" factor that's so hard to nail down.

Dr. Wictz What are the positives to attending an UNPUB mini versus a larger board game convention?

Matthew O’Malley: I get much more of a chance to talk with the players at a smaller event, and to play other designers' games - and the players I think also get more of a chance to talk with the designers and find out about the game design and playtesting process.

Dr. Wictz:  Any shout outs to your most dedicated game testers (cough cough, wife, gf, etc.)?

Matthew O’Malley: My most dedicated game testers are my wife and my kids, and they help immensely with getting the ideas ready to show to other people - and they don't just say that they like everything I show them. I also have a great group of friends which was originally a game night group that I rope into testing my games as often as possible.

Dr. Wictz: Thank you Matthew for stopping by.  If you want to learn more about Matthew’s games you can follow him on twitter @BlackOakGames, facebook, or go to his website www.blackoakgames.com.  Or, if you are in the area, you can stop by the UNPUB Mini at the Game Parlor in Chantilly Virginia on June 21st and meet him in person.