Hey folks, starting from the top and working my way down I'm bringing you a bunch of twitter like reviews of the Game Chef 2013 games. I do this because while they've improved their feedback system, it's still fun to hear something back about the games you write. If someone wants a longer review of their game, please feel to drop me a line in the comments, or if you want to review something I've done let me know and I'll see about getting you a copy of said product to review!
That said, in the words of Tommy Toe Hold ... Let's do this shit.
The Good: There's a lot of great little two player RPG interaction going on here. Kind of Wraith with a super focus of an individual with their Jungian shadow. Can really play up the tension.
The Bad: Die rolls seem incredibly stacked against the character. The game could be quick with a couple of bad rolls really early. It's fine if you're looking for a bleak outlook on being able to overcome your demons.
The Other: I like how the elements can become monsters. Part of me wishes that they would have become literal monsters and then they would need to be fought off in a kaiju-film fashion.
Would I play it? I think it would need to be a little clearer, and a little more rules streamlined for me to want to play it.
The Good: I've jokingly said that I'm a bureaucratic humourist, so this kind of stuff is right up my alley. It's the Office and the IT crowd and every sort of show like that in a game format mixed in with some afterlife humour.
The Bad: It's got a lot of pre-setup. Printing cards, cutting them out, setting up decks. Maybe providing a "roll a d10" option. Not that people won't think of that on their own, but options are good.
The Other: The Suggestion of LARPing out a fight in one of the sections is gold. Makes me want to run this as a LARP because of the humour in the game. Also, it kind of does that Penny For My Thoughts mechanic going
Would I play it? Yes, and may I suggest the lower level of hell rather than purgatory. It's only slightly painful, and things actually happen. Limbo gets boring very quickly.
I know that we've gotten lazy with the use of them in fantasy because of D&D but ... sometimes all it takes is a moment to realize that you've been affected by D&D in your fiction to realize that you should change it. That said, carry on.
Twitter Pitch: A board game about a deeply philosophical issue: Why didn't you turn off the Golem's siwtch atop the tower before venturing down, you idiot?
The Good: More comedy, which is always a good thing and it's nice to see things other than RPGs in a Game Chef competition.
The Bad: "Rescue the Princess" as part of the theme? It seems a little complicated, and having the cards already setup would have helped.
The Other: I like the fact that there's this giant monster outside the tower that's freezing and eating characters. It's like Rampage the boardgame.
Would I play it? Um ... not really. Partially because there isn't much there that makes me want to play it, and there's a little too much extra work for me to do to play it.
Twitter Pitch: Signal Lost is a story game about exploring the Distant Star, a deep-space survey vessel that has gone dark, and facing an alien terror.
The Good: This looks like a solid horror game heavily influenced by things like Fiasco and Durance, and Lady Blackbird in mechanic without actually being any of those games which is great. Takes decisions from the beginning and uses them to impact the end.
The Bad: I wish it was a little bit more like Lady Blackbird which would give you more structured characters. You play that character and get some variations in them rather than the round robin.
The Other: That said, I love the Durance like action for the ship and the alien. Keep that, it works great.
Would I play it? We're moving in captain, time to see what's left of the I.S.S Distant Star.
Twitter Pitch: Une poignée d'élus est en compétition pour atteindre l'Ascension. Seul l'un d'entre eux pourra y accéder. [A handful of chosen are competing for the Ascension. Only one may succeed.]
Ingrédients:
La pomme et le ver = la vermine qui ronge de l'intérieur. [The vermin that eats you up inside]
Le chemise = l'uniforme omniprésent [Omnipresent uniformity]
La tête avec un flocon de neige = la démence d'un dirigeant [The insanity of the managers]
La lanterne = une lueur dans la pénombre [A light in the darkness]
Le Bon [The Good]: Bravo! Une page seulement, et un jeux assez interessant aussi! J'aime l'animosity entre les élus et les difficultés que ça va créer pour les aspirant pendant leur tour. [Bravo! An interesting game in onep age! I love the animosity that the game creates between the characters during their turn.]
Le Mauvais [The Bad]: Je ne voix pas beaucoup d'action avec la nature et le decor de l'Ascension. Ca donne de la colour pour les joueurs, mais ça va arriver quand même sans ces descriptions. Aussi, la difficulté ou le jouer perdre un object ... il n'y a pas beaucoup d'action avec ce menace, non? [I don't see a lot of reason for the nature and the items of the Ascention. It gives colour to the players, but that will come out in the game. Also, when you lose an object as a difficulty, it doesn't really mean all that much.]
L'Autre [The Other]: J'aime vraiment l'interaction entre les jouers avec des bonnes choix entre aider ou nuire le jouer en prime. [I love the interaction between the player. It's a good choice between helping and hurting the main player.]
Jouons [Would I play it]? Je suis l'élu qui va m'élever! [I will be the one to rise!]
That said, in the words of Tommy Toe Hold ... Let's do this shit.
Game Chef English 2013
1. The Elevator of Regretful Memories by Jesse Burneko
Twitter Pitch: An RPG about how the regrets of the past can infect the concerns of today. When bad memories turn to monsters we must do battle.The Good: There's a lot of great little two player RPG interaction going on here. Kind of Wraith with a super focus of an individual with their Jungian shadow. Can really play up the tension.
The Bad: Die rolls seem incredibly stacked against the character. The game could be quick with a couple of bad rolls really early. It's fine if you're looking for a bleak outlook on being able to overcome your demons.
The Other: I like how the elements can become monsters. Part of me wishes that they would have become literal monsters and then they would need to be fought off in a kaiju-film fashion.
Would I play it? I think it would need to be a little clearer, and a little more rules streamlined for me to want to play it.
2. Afterlife, Incorporated by Nick Wedig
Twitter Pitch: You died. Then you got a boring job at Afterlife, Incorporated. You don't have to be a soul devouring demon to work here, but it helps!The Good: I've jokingly said that I'm a bureaucratic humourist, so this kind of stuff is right up my alley. It's the Office and the IT crowd and every sort of show like that in a game format mixed in with some afterlife humour.
The Bad: It's got a lot of pre-setup. Printing cards, cutting them out, setting up decks. Maybe providing a "roll a d10" option. Not that people won't think of that on their own, but options are good.
The Other: The Suggestion of LARPing out a fight in one of the sections is gold. Makes me want to run this as a LARP because of the humour in the game. Also, it kind of does that Penny For My Thoughts mechanic going
Would I play it? Yes, and may I suggest the lower level of hell rather than purgatory. It's only slightly painful, and things actually happen. Limbo gets boring very quickly.
3. Gaze of the Golem by Aryel
As a heads up, people might want to read this piece by Lillian Cohen-Moore on Golems. I know that after I read it, I felt annoyed that I wasn't able to change the use of the term Golem in Critical!: Go Westerly into something else, but it's allowed me to modify it in other fiction that I write.I know that we've gotten lazy with the use of them in fantasy because of D&D but ... sometimes all it takes is a moment to realize that you've been affected by D&D in your fiction to realize that you should change it. That said, carry on.
Twitter Pitch: A board game about a deeply philosophical issue: Why didn't you turn off the Golem's siwtch atop the tower before venturing down, you idiot?
The Good: More comedy, which is always a good thing and it's nice to see things other than RPGs in a Game Chef competition.
The Bad: "Rescue the Princess" as part of the theme? It seems a little complicated, and having the cards already setup would have helped.
The Other: I like the fact that there's this giant monster outside the tower that's freezing and eating characters. It's like Rampage the boardgame.
Would I play it? Um ... not really. Partially because there isn't much there that makes me want to play it, and there's a little too much extra work for me to do to play it.
4. Signal Lost by Martin Ralya
Twitter Pitch: Signal Lost is a story game about exploring the Distant Star, a deep-space survey vessel that has gone dark, and facing an alien terror.
The Good: This looks like a solid horror game heavily influenced by things like Fiasco and Durance, and Lady Blackbird in mechanic without actually being any of those games which is great. Takes decisions from the beginning and uses them to impact the end.
The Bad: I wish it was a little bit more like Lady Blackbird which would give you more structured characters. You play that character and get some variations in them rather than the round robin.
The Other: That said, I love the Durance like action for the ship and the alien. Keep that, it works great.
Would I play it? We're moving in captain, time to see what's left of the I.S.S Distant Star.
French Game Chef 2013
1. L'Ascension par Yragaël Malbos [The Ascension by Yragaël Malbos]Twitter Pitch: Une poignée d'élus est en compétition pour atteindre l'Ascension. Seul l'un d'entre eux pourra y accéder. [A handful of chosen are competing for the Ascension. Only one may succeed.]
Ingrédients:
La pomme et le ver = la vermine qui ronge de l'intérieur. [The vermin that eats you up inside]
Le chemise = l'uniforme omniprésent [Omnipresent uniformity]
La tête avec un flocon de neige = la démence d'un dirigeant [The insanity of the managers]
La lanterne = une lueur dans la pénombre [A light in the darkness]
Le Bon [The Good]: Bravo! Une page seulement, et un jeux assez interessant aussi! J'aime l'animosity entre les élus et les difficultés que ça va créer pour les aspirant pendant leur tour. [Bravo! An interesting game in onep age! I love the animosity that the game creates between the characters during their turn.]
Le Mauvais [The Bad]: Je ne voix pas beaucoup d'action avec la nature et le decor de l'Ascension. Ca donne de la colour pour les joueurs, mais ça va arriver quand même sans ces descriptions. Aussi, la difficulté ou le jouer perdre un object ... il n'y a pas beaucoup d'action avec ce menace, non? [I don't see a lot of reason for the nature and the items of the Ascention. It gives colour to the players, but that will come out in the game. Also, when you lose an object as a difficulty, it doesn't really mean all that much.]
L'Autre [The Other]: J'aime vraiment l'interaction entre les jouers avec des bonnes choix entre aider ou nuire le jouer en prime. [I love the interaction between the player. It's a good choice between helping and hurting the main player.]
Jouons [Would I play it]? Je suis l'élu qui va m'élever! [I will be the one to rise!]
INDIE PRESS REVOLUTION
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1 comment:
Wow, that's an ambitious plan. But, I do like reading the mini-reviews. So, please, motor on and knock these out. :-)
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TAZ
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