Playing Card Information

Opinionated Gamers Gift Guide 2024 – Running out of time!

OK, if you’re not ready for shopping, just skip this post. But, if you’re looking to get a jump on the holiday season, here are a few ideas for you. Today, how about some suggestions for last minute things that … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2024/12/13/opinionated-gamers-gift-guide-2024-running-out-of-time/">Continue reading →</a>

Man sells rare first-edition playing cards, donates earnings to Texans on Mission

Jack found a sheet of first-edition holographic Magic: The Gathering cards in a dumpster in 1999. The cards were some of the first ever printed in the U.S., according to a social media post from ...

Designer Diary: Urbion, or A Six-Step Method for How to Become a Game Designer (or at Least Feel Like One)

by <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/1?bloggerid=6185" >Shadi Torbey</a> <div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8379521"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/tBbItW7cMRyMDbhE6MjI7A__small/img/_WVpzMeuHDe8yYqlTYxhBuq4_LU=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8379521.jpg" border=0></a></div>Introduction People sometimes ask me which of the games I have designed is my favorite — which is an impossible question to answer! Firstly, because each game has its own story, but also because it's not really up to us as designers to rank our own creations. So while I wouldn't say that I love <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/426994/urbion-second-edition" >Urbion</a> more than my other games, it does hold a special place in my heart as the second design I got published and, more importantly, the one that left me feeling like an actual game designer. Step 1: Be ambitious The first game I tried to design was one about opera...but not just any game about opera: THE ultimate opera game, one that would reproduce all the excitement of preparing for a show, confronting the players with hard decisions and strategic dilemmas before making them fall in love with this noble art form. I worked on it for more than two years, making every mistake a wannabe designer could ever make: I jumped to conclusions too quickly, printed brand new prototypes as soon as the tiniest detail was modified, changed almost all the parameters in one go, and dropped promising ideas (one of my first drafts was a deck-building game – in 2005!) in favor of hackneyed ones, eventually settling for an auction mechanism...in 2007! The end result was a watered-down version of <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/2/reiner-knizia" >Reiner Knizia</a>'s <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/904/nightmare-productions" >Dream Factory</a> (already seven years old by then), a game I discovered a couple of months after having stabilized a halfway playable version of my opera game. Step 2: Do something totally different This debacle was followed by a hiatus of some months when I played a lot of traditional patience games and ended up disappointed by almost all of them. They were not on par with the amazing multiplayer games that were available. For a solo player, the choices were somewhat limited back then... <div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/19358"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/yiik2fv203GZg7mh_cDdGA__small/img/B1f4CCNNA2zvodUEMUCkoOIjFXk=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic19358.jpg" border=0></a></div>Until one evening in Berlin, I bought and played <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/980/al-cabohne" >Al Cabohne</a>, the solo/two-player version of Uwe Rosenberg's <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/11/bohnanza" >Bohnanza</a>. I enjoyed it immensely and was immediately disappointed that the whole series of Bohnanza games was not solitaire suitable. And there it was: I decided I should remedy that by creating my own series of solitaire games. Two ideas popped into my head: (1) a labyrinth with enchanted dwellings and a lurking danger, and (2) a conclave of good and evil creatures that have to reach a balance in their powers. I went for the first idea: the labyrinth. This time, I was much more efficient in how I worked. No more printing tons of cards! I simply bought a stash of <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/463/magic-the-gathering" >MtG</a> cards and retrofitted them with stickers. Similarly, no more giant upheavals each time something was a little off; instead I carefully changed one parameter at a time, reaching a balanced version at what seemed like lightning speed. Finally, and maybe most importantly: NO MORE PRESSURE! I let go of designing the ultimate tribute to an art form I loved wholeheartedly and was halfway familiar with. (In fact, I was probably too passionate about it; it's worth mentioning I am an opera singer by trade.) Now, I was just trying to make a fun little solo card game...and everything clicked. In one week, I had a playable, fun prototype, and almost everyone who played it liked it — even if some found it a bit weird: "A solo game? Really?!" <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8575008"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/muKLVui3HLRbcLGtuIzOrA__small/img/YglTXwfkFvl9IprFedeKlLXPxLk=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8575008.jpg" border=0></a></div></center><center><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/71836/onirim" >Onirim</a>'s first prototype, made with MtG cards</center> Step 3: Succeed The prototype worked. The tests were positive. I started working with <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameartist/37730/elise-plessis" >Élise Plessis</a> on the art (more on this below in the Afterword). I presented the game to Zev Shlasinger at SPIEL in 2009. It got picked up by <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/538/z-man-games" >Z-Man Games</a> for worldwide distribution and licensing. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/846296"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/EsWdD8P7_neEtelTpa_tuA__small/img/XIsZ_Y0iEEJm9iB6PFqVpumERaI=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic846296.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> Step 4: Never doubt yourself With Onirim officially going to print, it was time to turn to the other idea I had on this fateful evening in Berlin: the conclave whose result must be a balancing of positive and negative powers. <div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/149717"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/RnbZfspkPRfr6EMkRkac2Q__small/img/HUtyu4RUS0dBnNNSVGO88hWtHnw=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic149717.jpg" border=0></a></div>The general concept was to have a line of four locations — those locations would become the City cards, so let's call them this from here on — that had to be "conquered", as in Knizia's <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/760/battle-line" >Battle Line</a>, but with one big difference: here the forces of all the Dream cards on both sides of a City card had to balance each other out instead of one side dominating the other. Now the real challenge was finding an interesting system for how to play the Dream cards: an open system (play any card anywhere you want) turned out (quite unsurprisingly) to be boring; a "flash" system in which you had to place the cards as soon as they were drawn (and trigger their related effect: swap cards, score City cards, etc.) fared a little better but was way too chaotic. (It eventually found its place in one of the game's expansions.) Designing the opera game had been a claustrophobic nightmare in which nothing worked at all; designing Onirim felt like a breath of fresh air, with everything falling into place. But was Onirim nothing more than a sheer stroke of luck? Was I destined to become a "one-hit wonder" whose cheesy summer song people remember some thirty years later but nobody knows who wrote it? As the brilliant tagline of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 states: "Anyone can save the galaxy once". Step 5: Find the solution If it was still a bit of a struggle at times, the feeling was nothing like the one I had experienced while attempting to design the opera game. Back then, it had felt like bashing my head against a dead-end wall while stumbling in the dark; here, it was more like trying to remember the name of an actor, knowing that it is somewhere in your brain. I knew that a game was in there — it just had to come out! Eventually, the solution for how to play the Dream cards came by not focusing on the Dream cards. Instead, by adding symbols on the City cards and allowing only Dream cards with a specific symbol to be played next to a City card, the game became what I had hoped it would become. As with Onirim, after this everything fell into place quickly. I soon had the second game in the series in hand – and it was signed right away by Z-Man/<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/5657/filosofia-editions" >Filosofia</a>. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8575007"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/tXOdUPMCz2TzOwJ0jLssYA__small/img/Q0kzfIbtpUgpckdHQh1_V1olsfY=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8575007.jpg" border=0></a></div></center><center><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/94389/urbion" >Urbion</a>'s first prototype of the final version, also made with MtG cards</center> Step 6: See the end of the tunnel and gather immortal fame, fortune, and glory Okay, the fame, fortune, and glory might be an exaggeration — as might be certain titles of the other steps, for that matter... — but having "cracked" this problem and having been able to give form to a game idea I had in mind for the second time in a row restored some self-confidence, so I went on working on the next <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/9976/setting-oniverse" >Oniverse</a> games: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/143405/sylvion" >Sylvion</a>, <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/143404/castellion" >Castellion</a>, and <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/267127/aerion" >Aerion</a>. Afterword A word about working with Élise Plessis and on the differences between the two editions of Urbion: I first came across Élise's work while scouting for an illustrator for my opera game. (Yes, another rookie error: thinking about illustrations before your game is even done.) I absolutely loved what she did and kept a reference just in case. I remember thinking: "If I ever make a children's game..." When Onirim's prototype turned out to actually be a playable game, I started thinking about an artist, and instead of going for the pseudo-realistic fantasy setting that was prevalent back in the day (and to some extent still is), I decided to ask the artist whose a-bit-childlike-but-yet-weirdly-indescribable drawings had caught my eye. We started working together, and collaboration went so well on Onirim that it seemed natural to ask her to do the second game. Somehow, the re-theme (good and bad dreams having to live together in a city) seemed even more fitting than the original theme (good and bad beings having to make peace). The Oniverse as a series was born! Over the past fifteen years, it has been incredible to work with Élise and to see her assert her style, yet evolve: I feel her drawing and her sense of color are even stronger today than they were at the beginning of our collaboration. That's why when the time came to finally make a second edition of Urbion, it was obvious that neither of us wanted to keep any drawings from the first edition. All of the creatures are still the same, yes, but re-created for this edition — which allows for fun one-on-one comparisons, see Zee's video: <center><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqPft56NH6I">Youtube Video</a></center> The base game of Urbion's second edition is exactly the same rule-wise (except for a small tweak in the two-player version), as are the two expansions "The Book of Powers" and "Arch-Places and Metas" that were included in the first edition. Five brand-new expansions complete this edition; some were created back then – but the box was too small to fit them in – while others were designed over the years with this edition in mind. <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/37729/shadi-torbey" >Shadi Torbey</a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/51383/inpatience" >inPatience</a>

Dale Yu: Review of Superstore 3000

Superstore 3000 Designer: Rodrigo Rego Publisher: Space Cowboys Players: 2-4 Age: 10+ Time: 30-45 minutes Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4g810Nt Played with review copy provided by publisher Welcome to Superstore 3000, the retro-futuristic mall building game where you must build the … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2024/12/13/dale-yu-review-of-superstore-3000/">Continue reading →</a>

Quick game of spades to 250

Quick game of spades to 250.

Dale Yu: Review of Concilium Urbis

Concilium Urbis Designer: Jorge Barroso and Chuz Publisher: Perro Loko Players: 1-6 Age: 14+ Time: 60 minutes Played with review copy provided by publisher In the future the engine that drives the economy is the operation of mines and … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2024/12/12/dale-yu-review-of-concilium-urbis/">Continue reading →</a>

Relive the Twelve Labors of Hercules, Select Wrestling Trios, and Shoot Your Opponent

by <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/1?bloggerid=17" >W. Eric Martin</a> <div style='display:inline;'><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8586503"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/ZMqUE4ZzaliwWILdrTLDww__small/img/2pWKru1TjZ0Ugx3znhIQKV_bjSI=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8586503.png" border=0></a></div> <div style='display:inline;'><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8586682"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/qa1b1_xag73CXJLO0Mf6pA__small/img/7GocqW4Xe-tOH4S6Fzp2D0Gk_Cc=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8586682.png" border=0></a></div>▪️ <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/58230/pocket-fox-games" >Pocket Fox Games</a> is a new UK publisher formed by designers <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/157228/johann-chipol" >Johann Chipol</a> of <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/55190/charming-rogue-games" >Charming Rogue Games</a> and <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/103960/paul-d-allen" >Paul Allen</a> of <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/55176/anarchy-54" >Anarchy54 Games</a>, and it's <a href="https://www.pocketfoxgames.co.uk/gamechest" target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">debuting</a> with a 500-copy edition of Game Chest, a set of three tiny two-player games. <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/434568/luchamania" >Luchamania</a> consists of an 18-card deck, with numbered cards in three colors. Each player receives a hand of four cards and a reserve of five. For each match, after looking at the top card of their reserve, each player simultaneously reveals a three-card hand. Whoever plays the best combination — ranking from straight-flush down to a pair — wins the match. The losing player chooses a card from the winner's combination and places it aside as a point card, then they discard a card from their own combination. Players return the remaining combination cards to their hand, draw a card from their reserve, then play a new match. Whoever first scores 4 points claims a victory, and the first player to claim two victories wins the game. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8586597"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/vhbhvpS0KX3i7OSHcvy6EQ__small/img/RmE-RAbAkGl_m39wuBcZAW0_8L4=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8586597.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> In <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/434569/showdown" >Showdown</a>, two players engage in a shootout until only one remains standing. Each player starts with 7 life points and a hand of six cards, with the remaining four cards forming a face-down reserve. Each player simultaneously reveals a card — quick draw, aimed shot, swift dodge, etc. — then determine who gets hit, which can be both players! If you play a lucky coin, you draw a random card from the reserve for your turn. After you shoot all the cards in your six-shooter, you shuffle all sixteen cards, then deal out new hands and a new reserve. Keep playing until someone's life hits zero, with the winner burying them in an unmarked grave. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8586609"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/LcoYfsofZC5DNu4sAZy4Yw__small/img/XFwcn3SN3meEhljW7w-Kud2FixI=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8586609.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> In <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/434572/heraldry" >Heraldry</a>, each of the two players has a hand of cards numbered 1-9, with some cards having a golden chalice and others a silver acorn. The round's start player chooses any card to play as the starting base. Players then take turns until someone is unable to play. On a turn, you either play a higher card than the current base, play a card exactly 1 lower than the current base, or play two cards that add up to the current base; in all cases, the most recently played card becomes the new base, and in the latter case, the previous base card is banished and placed in front of its owner. If you play a 3 on its own, you can immediately follow it with a golden chalice card from your hand; similarly, you can follow a lone 6 with a silver acorn card. When the round ends, sum the cards still in your hand with any of your cards that were banished. The player with the lower total wins the round. Whoever first wins three rounds wins the game. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8586681"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/GA9FMWY6c4SoEM9J8Zb2OA__small/img/2r69ZkFWe2TvHWbbPoNwxhSUrc4=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8586681.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> ▪️ To highlight another small card game, let's look at <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/434356/micro-hero-hercules" >Micro Hero: Hercules</a>, a game for 1-2 players from <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/95860/leandre-proust" >Léandre Proust</a> that publisher <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/45552/grammes-edition" >Grammes Edition</a> will <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grammesedition/micro-hero-hercules?ref=bggforums" target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">crowdfund</a> at the beginning of January 2025: <div class='quote'><div class='quotebody'>Step into the mythological and humorous world of Micro Hero: Hercules, a minimalist solo deck-building card game inspired by the 12 Labors of Hercules. As the legendary hero, you'll embark on an epic adventure, revisiting his mythical feats with a fresh, humorous twist. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8584556"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/mSEGtI0XkNe9qk-fsOfCEg__small/img/RyStt_3YZuFLIuoh8XooKsRMP7Y=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8584556.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> Each game consists of twelve rounds, each representing one of Hercules' Labors. Using your deck of technique cards, you'll gather experience points (EXP) to improve your abilities, upgrade your cards, and overcome mythological foes. Master the balance between offensive and defensive stances, strategically chaining your card plays to unleash powerful combinations while minimizing the damage you take. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8586723"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/UvZwHc2HfAT6dgG-ZbKmyw__small/img/ZqA5eZm5LdTB8z8YHA4ZTIwq82Q=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8586723.png" border=0></a></div></center> Your goal is to complete all 12 Labors of Hercules without succumbing to the burden of wound cards. To triumph in each round, you must reduce the Labor's health to zero by dealing enough damage while defending yourself from its attacks. Defeated Labors transform into blessing cards, which can be added to your arsenal for future rounds. Victory is achieved by completing all 12 Labors consecutively, while the game is lost if your deck becomes overwhelmed by wounds.</div></div>

Opinion: BoardGameGeek Is a Pay-What-It's-Worth-to-You Website

by <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/1?bloggerid=49" >Daniel Karp</a> Hi, I'm Daniel, the web applications developer here at BoardGameGeek. BoardGameGeek has been around since 2000 and has accepted support payments since 2004 — but I've never been that comfortable with the term "support payments". We are a for-profit company, and to me, "support" makes it feel almost like a charity. While I don't like the language of "support", there aren't a lot of terms for how to refer to our payment model — except for one I've seen a few other places: pay-what-you-want. You can think of BoardGameGeek as a pay-what-you-want website in which you can choose to pay whatever the site is worth to you. We've toyed with changing the official messaging around support toward "pay-what-you-want" and are still unsure exactly where to go with that...but you don't have to wait to start thinking about this differently: Imagine you were presented with a form in which you had to choose how much to pay us this year for the services we provided. You can put US$0 in the form, and if you use BGG only occasionally, that may well be what it is worth — but if you are reading this, my guess is that BGG is worth more than that to you. Do you look up information, rules, images, ratings, reviews, etc. to learn about games? Do you download files? Do you track your ratings, collections, or plays on BGG? Do you read or post to forums, blogs, or GeekLists? Do you use the trade system? Do you use our subscriptions? Do you enjoy the work of our media team: BoardGameGeek News, GameNight!, Cardboard Creations, our podcast, etc.? Now, how much do you typically spend on one game? How many games a year do you buy? Think about how much value BGG adds to your enjoyment of the boardgaming hobby: Is it comparable to one new game a year? Less? More? Now, what amount do you put in that form? (We sometimes mention that we appreciate all support, monetary and otherwise, and there are those of you whose non-monetary contributions — reviews, blog posts, files, images — are as significant as the monetary support of our patrons. If you are one of those contributors, thank you very much for your contributions.) It doesn't cost anything to use BoardGameGeek, but it costs more money each year to run the site, and our support payments have not been keeping pace. Our support levels — US$15 for a support badge, US$25 for ad block — haven't increased since 2005, while our expenses have increased substantially since then. While support payments aren't our only source of revenue — as you can see by the ads on this page — they are important to us. There are not a lot of comparable sites on the internet; mostly you'll find sites that are either run by big corporations or heavily funded by venture capital money. BoardGameGeek is neither — we've never taken outside funding, and we are completely independent. We do it, in part, by keeping expenses low. I challenge you to find a website that does as much with as small a team as we have. (For the record, on the technical side, the website is built and maintained by one full-time developer (myself); Aldie, who is usually busy doing everything else related to running a small business; and one part-time UX designer who codes. As a programmer, I'm unfairly biased to think of the technical team first, but we have more people on staff devoted to content on the site (and elsewhere): our community manager, the entire media team, and others. In any case, the site runs, of necessity, very lean.) I've been programming for BGG since 2008, and I wouldn't want to do anything else. I'm sure we all want BoardGameGeek to stick around for a long time, but this isn't only about ensuring that we survive; it is about compensating us for the value we provide. Please help us ensure that we can continue to do what we do by going to <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/support" target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">our <strike>support</strike> pay-what-you-want page</a>, and paying what it's worth to you.

52 Realms: Adventures (a preview)

I’ve become a fan of solo gaming – which will not surprise folks who’ve read my various reviews and recaps here on the Opinionated Gamers site over the years. That means I’m always looking for a new solo challenge… and … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2024/12/11/52-realms-adventures-a-preview/">Continue reading →</a>

Dale Yu: Review of Kinfire Delve: Callous’ Lab

Kinfire Delve: Callous’ Lab Designer: Kevin Wilson Publisher: Incredible Dream Players: 1-2 (up to 4 if you have two modules) Age: 14+ Time: 60 minutes Played with review copy provided by publisher In Kinfire Delve: Callous’ Lab, a tactical and … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2024/12/11/dale-yu-review-of-kinfire-delve-callous-lab/">Continue reading →</a>

Opinionated Gamers Gift Guide 2024 – Things for the Game Room!

OK, if you’re not ready for shopping, just skip this post. But, if you’re looking to get a jump on the holiday season, here are a few ideas for you. Today, how about some suggestions for good gifts – that … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2024/12/10/opinionated-gamers-gift-guide-2024-things-for-the-game-room/">Continue reading →</a>

Dale Yu: Review of YRO

YRO Designer: Masato Uesugi Publisher: Play to Z Players: 1-5 Age: 10+ Time: 30 minutes Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3NDpy4e Played with review copy provided by publisher The Sunrise Islands, home of small but fierceful animal folk; The Wooden Conclave, that … <a href="https://opinionatedgamers.com/2024/12/10/dale-yu-review-of-yro/">Continue reading →</a>

Up the ante by pre-ordering this official set of Balatro playing cards

The designs printed on the 52 linen-finished cards are based on the same pixelated ... I’ve spent over 50 hours playing on my PC, with more time sunk into the mobile version that recently ...

Designer Diary: The White Castle: Matcha

by <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/1?bloggerid=11136" >Shei Santos</a> <div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8179939"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/xPO9VCD5-KeLzukaWVTzGw__small/img/doB5UVNXWs5oKyKju_URNLFSMoY=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8179939.jpg" border=0></a></div>We delivered the final files for <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/371942/the-white-castle" >The White Castle</a> to our editor <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/13141/david-esbri" >David Esbrí</a> in June 2022, almost at the same time that <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/359747/the-red-cathedral-contractors" >The Red Cathedral: Contractors</a> expansion was released, and although we didn't know whether it was going to do well or badly in sales, we decided that if we had already convinced Devir to publish an expansion for the first game, why not convince them a second time? We wrote down ideas on a sheet of paper and had a meeting in October 2022, during the SPIEL fair. At <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/2366/devir" >Devir</a> they basically told us, "Well, well, don't get so excited, you keep these ideas, and we'll see, the game hasn't even come out yet." — and they were basically right. What if The White Castle failed in sales? We forgot about designing anything and left all those ideas stored away half-developed in a safe place. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506067"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/KDokwOqQ9VlUmMztHjoAgA__small/img/8TLPbHb3U2OV6isCu6QPC8Y86Qw=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506067.png" border=0></a></div></center> Shortly after SPIEL Essen 23, David suddenly asked us: How are you doing with the expansion? Have you finished it yet? And of course, we panicked and started working at full speed. We had nothing done! The goal, therefore, was to have it with us for next year's fair. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506068"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/6WHbHWrntBb8zgFDQdwy4A__small/img/84itDK5nMh4ShbLFlNnOMuCeKC8=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506068.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> One of the things we enjoyed most during the development of The White Castle was working with <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameartist/32071/joan-guardiet" >Joan Guardiet</a>, our illustrator, so we asked him: "What did you enjoy most about painting the base game?" He told us that the whole part of the seasons, as well as drawing the different kimonos and characters that are scattered around the castle, was what he was most eager to continue developing. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506069"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/X2mUnTsJjbgdJkg_MC-7YA__small/img/ZiLRfaScFtRDbRSpNnC3qF_djpc=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506069.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> We started thinking about the theme of the expansion, something that Joan would enjoy drawing and have fun with — and that's when we came up with the idea of incorporating the tea ceremony. It had everything we needed for the mechanisms we had in mind: a new type of clan member, a place to put it, and enough elements to be able to adapt it to the game. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506070"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/rpd9a2hAc8vHaep5dBgOcg__small/img/z9vcHtXjMom-3aEcMK1I2ME8cMY=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506070.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> One of the great things about designing an expansion after the game has been released is that you can gather all the feedback and figure out what the audience likes the most and play it up — and what they like the least and play it down. After a lot of thinking, we came up with the following: • The three rounds. • When you can do combos, the game is amazing. • The lamp, being a key element of the game, sometimes goes unnoticed. • The heron track. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506071"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/URJPtueq8kyVAyV9UKOHNQ__small/img/37te3jTx3_97GRgXq3KZx7UtRAk=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506071.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> The Famous Three Rounds One of the things that has been commented in reviews is that although three rounds is a perfect length for The White Castle to leave you wanting more, a fourth round in which you can exploit the engine would not be bad. The reality is that a fourth round, in the current state of the game, is counterproductive for two reasons: 1: The gardeners would activate a third time, and this would unbalance them with respect to the other two clan members, so they would no longer be in harmony. 2: Due to the high variability of the set-up, if there is a good combination of actions, added to the skill of the players, it is more than likely that of those three extra turns, you will have two or even all three left. Nobody wants to be in a board game thinking, "Let's see what I do now because I've already done everything." But at the end of the day, we designed for the players, and a large majority demanded a fourth round — so this is where the fourth bridge comes in. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506072"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/hOFBFReXDREMKUOPaWVwEQ__small/img/6LwS_s96fRptxExY7bqMVtvlGkI=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506072.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> With a fourth bridge, we would have one more set of dice in the game, but what to do? Keep the rule of taking three turns? How do you keep track of that if not with a pawn that is a pain to move every time it is the starting player's turn? We opted to apply the same math that applies in the base game. If the game has three bridges, you take three turns and three dice will be left. Well, with four bridges, four turns and four dice. Yes, the game lasts one more round, but diluted in the three existing ones. Of course, if we give you one more turn per round, we will have to give you more things to do! <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506073"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/wNO2LIafUBaU5qThRLHvpA__small/img/sTtXtTBhi_QIwtfc_PGbYyek7aw=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506073.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> More Combos, More Fun Due to the variability of the set-up, that is, how the cards and tiles come out, the game can be very variable, chaining together great turns. At the same time, it will depend a lot on the skill of the players. Let's be honest: Although finding the only possible combo is satisfying, it's cooler when you have more possibilities, so we decided to add a dice-placement area that will always combine. After many tests and crazy combinations of cards and dice, we decided to "simulate" the most optimal situation of the first floor of the castle, which is when two dice colors match and one of them coincides with a core action of placing a clan member. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506074"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/2J0OWQnVkWb8K80NLMwl-Q__small/img/v2_Wf-E4qKpidrsC2M0Hqha_p80=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506074.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> Since we weren't going to add dice tiles like the ones set for the colors in the castle — doing so would make the central situation of the castle much more chaotic and prone to generating analysis paralysis — the most logical option was to leave it open to any color, so we wouldn't force players to always have to use the dice from the new bridge. Boost the Lamp Once you become an expert player of The White Castle, you understand the potential that the lamp has in the game, and you need to take dice from the left side of the bridge to activate it as much as possible. The only "but" is that it can take a while to start to unleash its full potential. To enhance this, all the new cards in the new area of the board can be obtained from the geishas in the same way as they are obtained in the castle — except that they go directly to your lamp! In addition, they are more varied. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506075"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/fu1bx50seN5gsWVIhFW8SQ__small/img/l2or6OYDwGn6J8teMMgVCjGbOQo=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506075.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> This had to be directly linked to the new action of the game since the only way to obtain cards should be by progressing in the game. Starting from that premise, the new clan member would follow a philosophy similar to that of the courtiers of the castle. The Heron Track We know that the track gets long if you don't use it thoroughly during the game. (We swear that during the entire testing of The White Castle, we frequently reached the end, and sometimes it felt short.) Now, by combining with the new area and adding more cards that provide heron steps, it is easier (if you choose that strategy) to reach juicy scores on the track. With all of these premises taken care of, we presented a prototype to the Devir creative team, with David Esbrí, Joan Guardiet, Samu from <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameartist/119639/meeple-foundry" >Meeple Foundry</a>, and <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/164458/benjamin-amorin" >Benjamín Amorín</a> — probably the presentation of a prototype with the least development that we have ever prepared, but the one we have most enjoyed seeing. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506076"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/J8TEeD38b9jmsecD7Gr_Zw__small/img/9IBTCDv9shT7v-FUa7zfGE6r4Ks=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506076.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> To give you an idea of how short on time we were, the premise was "Don't pay attention to that blue thing. It will end up being a pond or something you can play with." It was wonderful to see them play a few turns without the game falling apart. After playing a while, they stopped, and the four of them started planning what the production design was going to be like. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506077"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/Etu1M8wuZK44qOAOYxLiwg__small/img/10DUrb15C0Hry4Di4eNMFWK9cXo=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506077.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> The board extension had to be placed at the bottom of the game board to integrate the bridge, not to the side as we had originally thought. Since we are introducing a new clan member, a new resource, and a new line of dice, rather than have a personal board extension, it was better to include a new personal board with everything integrated. And since we were going to have a completely new personal board, why not change the bonuses of the personal domain action? <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506078"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/YlY2PKzdBdW5TUXnihJyEg__small/img/HVLoV2_1XmgXejDGP34Dxkdxwoc=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506078.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> And of course, since the tea ceremony involves preparing matcha, we already had the name of the expansion, and the purple bridge and dice that we had made would turn green to match the name. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506079"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/-y3FFgtsdeHMg4Qxbgm81w__small/img/6oIXKmJFCrbZfeeftR9EDtYOumw=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506079.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> We thought a lot about whether to have gardens under the green bridge, or more generally how to tackle that part. After all, if you add two more gardener spaces, but not more gardeners, you dilute the effect they have and make it easier to achieve and therefore more boring. In the end, we decided to put the pond underneath, which would act as a well/garden depending on what the players wanted, and only the geishas could approach the viewing platform. Also, thanks to having to think so much about this issue, it occurred to us that since the possible action at the viewing platform was variable and we had to design many to make it very variable, why not add it to the personal board as a single action since we have a lot of them? That's how the variable action was born in the geisha row on the personal board. With all of this, not to mention more of all types of cards and training camps, we already had the expansion ready. <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506080"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/8fHMaZb_pxhvpQKuixei-g__small/img/VbsPXTz7VVs_2EJmyP2FDcKelNA=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506080.jpg" border=0></a></div></center> After many intense tests, both physically and on Tabletop Simulator, we would like to once again thank our testers for their enthusiasm and encouragement, without which we would not have made it in time. We hope you enjoy this expansion as much as we do — as we can no longer play without it! <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/77173/shei-s" >Shei</a> & <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/77002/isra-c" >Isra</a> <center><div style=''><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8506081"><img src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/zm8XkLv8DbAyxL5gSu7xnA__small/img/r2xIo24p3-0rHY94wdbmNpX4lyw=/fit-in/200x150/filters:strip_icc()/pic8506081.jpg" border=0></a></div></center>

Dale Yu: Review of Castle Combo

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Cyber Saturday Opinionated Gamers Gift Guide 2024 – Party Games and other gifts

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Dale Yu: Review of Dungeon Kart

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Official physical Balatro playing cards announced for 2025, pre-orders open

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Attack of the Mini-Cons!

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